2022 Year-End Data for Vaccine Injury Claims Under the VICP

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Each year, the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) publishes annual statistics on claims filed under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). The VICP is a federal program that pays financial compensation to eligible claimants who are coping with the effects of vaccine-related injuries and illnesses. Here, vaccine injury lawyer Leah V. Durant highlights some of the key figures from the HRSA’s 2022 year-end data for vaccine injury claims under the VICP:

Vaccines Administered vs. Compensable VICP Claims

The HRSA’s 2022 Data & Statistics report starts with a table comparing the number of vaccines administered in the U.S. to the number of compensable claims filed under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). The report includes 15 years’ worth of data, from 2006 through 2021.

This table also includes the total number of claims filed under the VICP in relation to each vaccine over the 15-year period. Here are the figures for some of the most common CDC-recommended vaccines:

  • Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DTaP): 119,588,927 vaccines administered and 174 compensable claims (out of 314 claims filed)
  • Hepatitis A (Hep A): 221,388,946 vaccines administered and 68 compensable claims (out of 109 claims filed)
  • Hepatitis B (Hep B): 238,582,570 vaccines administered and 110 compensable claims (out of 209 claims filed)
  • Influenza (Flu): 2,231,400,000 vaccines administered and 5,328 compensable claims (out of 6,274 claims filed)
  • Meningococcal (Meningitis): 140,401,298 vaccines administered and 66 compensable claims (out of 94 claims filed)
  • Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR): 127,871,467 vaccines administered and 143 compensable claims (out of 291 claims filed)
  • Pneumococcal Conjugate: 303,138,568 vaccines administered and 122 compensable claims (out of 198 claims filed)
  • Rotavirus: 1,422,658,212 vaccines administered and 56 compensable claims (out of 77 claims filed)
  • Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis (Tdap): 335,133,138 vaccines administered and 655 compensable claims (out of 803 claims filed)
  • Varicella (Chickenpox): 138,414,086 vaccines administered and 50 compensable claims (out of 77 claims filed)

As these statistics suggest, vaccine-related injuries and illnesses are extremely rare. However, they do happen. For individuals and families who are affected by these injuries and illnesses (such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome and SIRVA), hiring a vaccine injury lawyer to file a VICP claim is an important step in the recovery process.

Total Vaccine Injury Claims Filed

In 2021, the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program received the third-highest number of claims in its 36-plus year history, and the highest number of claims by far since 2003. However, the number of VICP claims dropped sharply in 2022.

Since its establishment, the VICP has averaged around 715 claims per year. In 2021, 2,057 individuals and families filed injury and illness claims under the program, but in 2022 the total number dropped to 1,029. While this is still well above the annual average, the annual average includes the early years of the program when it was relatively unknown and often only received less than 200 claims in a year.

What caused the spike in VICP claims in 2021—and the subsequent drop in 2022? It isn’t entirely clear. While some people might assume that it has to do with the release of the COVID-19 vaccines, this isn’t the case. These vaccines are not covered under the VICP. Instead, they are covered under the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP).

As of April 1, the VICP had received 566 claims during the 2023 fiscal year (which starts on October 1). As a result, we are currently on pace to see a higher number of claims filed in 2023 than in 2022—though still nowhere near the number of claims filed in 2021.

Compensable vs. Dismissed Claims in 2022

During the 2022 fiscal year, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (also known as the Vaccine Court) adjudicated 1,193 claims under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Of these adjusted claims, 931 (78 percent) resulted in awards of financial compensation. This is the highest number of compensated claims ever in a single year, and it reflects a much higher rate of compensation than in prior years.

The number of successful claims adjudicated under the VICP has increased each of the past five years. The total number of adjudicated claims has consistently increased as well:

  • 2018: 545 compensable claims out of 747 claims adjudicated
  • 2019: 641 compensable claims out of 823 claims adjudicated
  • 2020: 711 compensable claims out of 928 claims adjudicated
  • 2021: 743 compensable claims out of 1,013 claims adjudicated
  • 2022: 931 compensable claims out of 1,193 claims adjudicated

Total Compensation Awarded Under the VICP

In 2022, successful VICP claimants received a total of $195,825,045 in financial compensation under the program. This averages out to around $200,000 per successful claim. Since its establishment in 1988, the VICP has awarded more than $4.5 billion in compensation to vaccine recipients and their families.

The VICP has also paid approximately $450 million in legal fees to claimants’ lawyers. Unlike traditional personal injury claims, VICP claimants do not have to pay contingency fees out of their awards. Instead, the VICP pays claimants’ legal fees separately, which means that claimants are able to recover the full cost of their vaccine-related injuries and illnesses (less any costs involved in pursuing their claims).

Do You Have a Claim Under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program?

The VICP covers most vaccines that the CDC recommends for routine administration to adults and children in the United States. It covers all types of vaccine-related injuries and illnesses. This includes (but is not limited to) those listed on the HRSA’s Vaccine Injury Table. If you have a VICP claim, you can hire a vaccine injury lawyer at no out-of-pocket cost, and hiring an experienced lawyer is one of the most important steps you can take for maximizing your chances of a financial recovery.

Request a Free Consultation with Vaccine Injury Lawyer Leah V. Durant

If you have questions about filing a claim under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, we invite you to get in touch. To request a free consultation with vaccine injury lawyer Leah V. Durant, please call 202-800-1711 or contact us online today.

 

Leah Durant Bio

Experienced litigation attorney Leah Durant focuses on representing clients in complex vaccine litigation matters. Leah Durant is the owner and principal attorney of the Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC, a litigation firm based in Washington, DC. Leah Durant and her staff represent clients and their families who suffer from vaccine-related injuries, adverse vaccine reactions and vaccine-related deaths. The Law Offices of Leah V. Durant, PLLC is dedicated to assisting individuals in recovering the highest level of compensation as quickly and efficiently as possible. To learn more, contact vaccine attorney Leah Durant today.