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Compensation,
research address injuries from vaccines
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Alan Challoner, who lives in North Wales in the United Kingdom, has a daughter who at 2 months old had a reaction to the pertussis component of the DPT (diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus) vaccine in 1960. While he acknowledges that society as a whole may have benefited from widespread vaccinations, he urges people to recognize that some individuals have suffered. "Our children's lives have been affected forever. All we want is recognition that the vaccine has caused the damage and appropriate compensation so that we can ensure as satisfactory a life for our family member as possible," Challoner said. "It should not be forgotten that those who have been damaged by vaccination have suffered so that others might benefit." Through the Vaccine Damage Compensation Act of 1979 in the United Kingdom, Challoner's family received initial compensation of 10,000 pounds in 1980. The amount given to new applicants has increased over the years to 100,000 pounds, roughly $150,000. Recent changes to the law will increase compensation to earlier applicants to equal the current amount-while also taking inflation into consideration. Challoner said this means those who received the 10,000-pound payment will now receive an extra 67,000 pounds. In the United States, the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, which went into effect in 1988, handles compensation. The injured person, a parent, legal guardian or trustee may file a claim. A physician with the Department of Health and Human Services looks at the claim and a recommendation is made to the court through a report filed by the Department of Justice, although it is not binding. The court makes a decision, which can be appealed. The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice administer the program. As of July 3, 2000, 5,836 petitions had been filed under the act. The majority of those (about 70 percent) involved the DPT vaccine or parts of it. A claim may be filed for any injury or death thought to be the result of a covered vaccine. To get an idea of the number of children immunized, in 1998 79 percent of children had received four doses of DPT or the newer version DTaP, three polio vaccinations, one measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination and three Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccinations. There were 18.9 million children under the age of 5 in the United States in 1998, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The program is something the National Vaccine Information Center supported. Parents who believe their children suffered vaccine reactions formed the center. The group encourages parents to make informed consents about vaccination, but it does not officially say it advises people to avoid vaccinations. Another safety issue that concerns some is the presence of thimerosal--a mercury derivative--in some vaccines. "Thimerosal is a derivative of ethylmercury and has been used as an additive to biologics and vaccines since the 1930s because it is effective in killing bacteria and in preventing bacterial contamination, particularly in opened multi-dose containers," according to a joint statement from the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the United States Public Health Service. Some parents, including Kathi Williams, one of the co-founders of the National Vaccine Information Center, have been concerned about mercury exposure from the vaccines. Williams advises parents who are concerned to ask doctors whether the vaccines they are using contain thimerosal or not. The national medical community set a goal in July of 1999 to remove thimerosal from vaccines. Studies of the health effects of exposure to thimerosal are continuing, but preliminary results don't show evidence of increased risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the mercury exposure from vaccines is well within the safety margins included in any guideline established by federal agencies, and there is no evidence that children have been harmed by the amount of mercury found in vaccines. The medical groups project that with more vaccines now being offered without thimerosal, the United States could have completed the transition by the first quarter of 2001. Another change the National Vaccine Information Center celebrated was the licensing in 1996 of an acellular pertussis vaccine, a new version of the DPT vaccine that has a different pertussis component. Most children now receive the acellular (the DTaP) version instead of the (DPT) whole cell version. According to the CDC, most experts believe mild to serious reactions to the vaccine--such as fussiness, fever or seizure-will be much less likely to happen with the DTaP. Severe reactions, such as breathing difficulty or coma, will be more rare. In Part III of the series we will look at the path a new vaccine takes before being recommended for use in children. |
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NEWS
AND TRENDS | CAREER
CENTER | EDUCATION
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Washington
(H24N). Vaccines have saved countless
lives since 1798, when one was developed for smallpox. Despite the
success of vaccines since then, some parents still have concerns
about their safety. Vaccines aren't 100 percent safe, and the ongoing
search to make them safer has led to changes by both the medical
community and governments.