DRUG COMPANIES LOBBY TO STOP AID FOR VACCINE-INJURED
CHILDREN
May 2002
We need your help!
In the early 1980's when doctors and vaccine makers lobbied
Congress to protect them from vaccine injury lawsuits and
insure the supply of vaccines, Congress responded with the
National Childhood Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
(NVICP). In passing the law, Congress promised parents the
federal compensation program would be a no-fault, expedited
alternative to a lawsuit and provide “Simple Justice For
Children.†But over the years the spirit and intent of the
program has been violated through poor implementation and a
denial of compensation to many of the children who apply for
assistance with their catastrophic vaccine injuries. Many
times vaccine injury claims are bogged down for years while
families struggle to care for their severely vaccine injured
children or are mourning the death of a child.
Even though doctors and vaccine makers got what they wanted
and are shielded from vaccine injury lawsuits, they have
enthusiastically supported weakening of the Vaccine Injury
Compensation Program by federal health agencies determined
to limit the number of awards given to vaccine injured
children. Apparently, they see each award given as an
admission that vaccines can and do cause harm and this
makes it harder for them to promote one-size-fits all
vaccination policies.
Now there is a bill pending in Congress, which was
introduced by Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN) and physician
Congressman Dave Weldon, M.D. (R-FL) and is being co-
sponsored by Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA) that would
address some of the serious problems in the Program. HR 3741
does not fix everything that is wrong with the program but
it is a good start.
BUT RIGHT NOW POWERFUL DRUG COMPANY LOBBYISTS INTERESTED
IN FURTHER VICTIMIZING THE VICTIMS OF VACCINE INJURIES
AND DEATHS ARE ON CAPITOL HILL TRYING TO KILL HR 3741
AND INTRODUCE ALTERNATE BILLS THAT WOULD GIVE THEM EVEN
MORE PROTECTION FROM LIABILITY FOR THE VACCINES THAT
HAVE HURT CHILDREN.
Whether you have a vaccine injured child or you know
someone who does, please take a minute and send a letter
to your member of Congress and ask him/her to co-sponsor
this legislation and help move this bill through the
legislative process.
On behalf of our members with vaccine inured children, NVIC
worked hard in the early 1980's on the original law to get
as many rights and protections for families of vaccine
injured children as we could. We were up against a very
powerful vaccine and medical lobby that wanted to severely
limit the kinds of awards children could get. Since 1986,
NVIC has been a vocal critic of the way the federal agencies
have gutted the compensation provisions and compromised the
spirit and intent of the law. Now we have an opportunity to
fix some of the problems in this law with the passage of HR
3741. If this bill passes it will help more children get
access to the $1.7 billion in the trust fund that has been
set aside to help vaccine injured children and adults.
You have the opportunity to make a difference for vaccine
injured children and their families by personally contacting
your member of Congress and urging him or her to support
this bill and by not giving up until they do! Write your
legislator today and follow-up with a telephone call. Stay
on the case until you get an answer. Do not accept the
standard form letter that says, “ Thank you for your
views. If this bill comes before me, I will keep your views
in mind.â€
Please help. Here are two sample letters. The first is for
you to send to your own member of Congress. The second is
for the Speaker of the House. Check the list below. If your
member is already a co-sponsor then thank them and continue
to let them know of your concerns.
You can identify your member of Congress by calling the
Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121. Ask to speak to the
person in your member’s office who is working on
health issues.
Constituent e-mail has a better chance of being read than
general e-mail although many legislative e-mails have a form
letter that bounces back.