1 Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA
2 Division of Vaccine Injury Compensation, Rockville, MD
To the Editor.
The Vaccination Injury Compensation (VIC) Program is a federal effort to fairly and quickly settle injury and death claims after vaccinations. Should a recognized vaccine side effect be present and the petitioner is able to satisfy various statutory requirements, an automatic payment is made by the government without litigation against the physician or vaccine manufacturer. However, should a claim be made that is not a previously recognized vaccine injury, a decision is made by a special master of the US Court of Federal Claims with the help of experts but without a jury.