Bush signs smallpox vaccine compensation law

Thursday, May 1, 2003 Posted: 1:45 PM EDT (1745 GMT)

As many as 40 out of every million vaccinated may face a life-threatening injury.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush signed into law Wednesday a package of payments for people injured by the smallpox vaccine.

Under the new law, people disabled by the vaccine, which carries rare but serious risks, could get up to $50,000 per year in lost wages -- significantly more than the Bush administration proposed.

As many as 40 out of every million people vaccinated for the first time will face a life-threatening injury, and one or two will die. Reactions include severe rashes, blindness and life-threatening infections.

Officials hope that establishing payments for those injured by the vaccine will encourage more people to be vaccinated. There has been a lackluster response from health care workers asked to get the shot.

Under the legislation:

• Families of people who are killed by the vaccine and die without dependents are entitled to a lump sum payment of $262,100, modeled after a compensation program for police and firefighters.

• Estates of those who are killed and have dependents could choose the lump sum payment or up to $50,000 per year to make up for the deceased's lost wages. The payments would continue until the victim's youngest child reached age 18.

• Those who are totally and permanently disabled would get up to $50,000 per year for lost wages until age 65, with no cap.

• Those who are permanently but not totally disabled, and those with temporary disability, would get lost wages up to a maximum of $262,100.

Vaccination News Home Page

ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.