No-fault payment for vaccine side-effects
Tuesday, 17 November 2009 13:11An expert group report for the Department of Health has recommended that a no-fault payment scheme be introduced for the rare number of cases where children suffer serious adverse reactions to vaccinations provided under public immunisation programmes.
Read the full report
It says that for minor damage €15,000 should be paid, €75,000 in the event of moderate damage, and €200,000 for severe damage.
The scheme would apply to all cases of vaccination whenever they occurred and an assessment would be made by a three-person panel.
The Vaccine Damage Steering Group report says payments to any individual should not be regarded as compensation but would recognise that, in limited cases, an adverse event could take place following immunisation.
The report says it is difficult to say what the likely cost of the payment scheme would be.
It would be a condition of acceptance of an award that any claims against the State in relation to the alleged vaccine damage would be waived.
The Department of Health, which published the report today, said it is under consideration.
