A leading public health expert believes Canada should institute a national no-fault vaccine insurance system, to compensate those who suffer serious side-effects from immunization. It's a good idea in theory, but lessons from elsewhere indicate numerous flaws in practice.
Any move in Canada to add vaccine compensation to the costly burden of our already extended health-care system must ensure the link between adverse effects and vaccines is proven beyond doubt.
University of Ottawa's Dr. Kumanan Wilson urged the adoption of a national policy while speaking at a major immunization conference this week. Wilson believes it's a prudent course of action because children are now required to receive increasing numbers of vaccines. An unlucky few will experience serious side-effects.
But, society must first deter-mine whether it should bear the costs when an individual suffers for the benefit of the community. At least one judge, Supreme Court Justice Julien Chouinard, rejected this argument in 1985.He ruled vaccinations are part of the "pitiless game of chance."Better research is needed to determine those odds. Short of reliable statistics indicating the frequency of vaccine-related adverse events, provinces should not accept the financial burden.
Even where no-fault insurance exists, sufferers don't necessarily receive it. In Quebec, the only province that offers a no-fault insurance plan despite Chouinard's decision, had 117 claims over a 15-year period. Only 20 claimants were compensated.
Lessons from the U. S., which implemented a plan 22 years ago, confirm a similar trend. In a paper published a few weeks ago, Barbara Loe Fisher, president of the National Vaccine Information Center, questioned"whether the compensation program is fatally flawed and so broken that it should be repealed."
Billions of dollars are paid out, even though two out of three individuals have been turned away with nothing. Meanwhile, a high-profile case recently opened the door to compensating those with autism, despite the scientific community's inability to find a link it is caused by the ingredient thimerosal. Immunization saves lives the vast majority of the time. Better to make vaccine practices as safe as possible, and to piggyback on research efforts, before crafting a federal compensation plan for those rare instances when vaccines cause harm.
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
Comments:
Jen (she’s a vran member I think – she emailed me with this & I’ve asked for her surname)
December 09, 2008 - 4:14 PM
Good for Dr. Wilson!! You forgot to finish Barbara Loe Fisher's comment. She went on to say," we should return to the courts, where discovery is allowed, to sue vaccine manufacturers for design defect and failure to warn pediatricians who carelessly implement a one-size-fits-all vaccine policy rather than adhere to the precautionary principle, 'first, do no harm.'" The CPS now recommends about 3 times the shots they did in the early 80's and, as an ed assistant I see all the problems in school children these days-asthma, ADHD, seizures, aspergers, autism. When a researcher/doctor does try to speak out about safety, they are punished. Dr. D. Harper (Dartmouth Medical School) had spoken out about specific concerns with HPV and she has been denied jobs at various universities since they are afraid certain pharmaceutical companies will not fund their research. A recent Winnipeg study found a definite relationship between deferring dtp vacc and less asthma.
Kat Lanferman
December 09, 2008 - 3:22 AM
There needs to be a compensation program in place for those who have vaccination injuries. My kid was developing normally... Key word WAS... He recieved his MMR immunizations at 18 months - he had a siezure & was paralzed on one side similar to what a stroke would do... Afterwards he could not talk and now has autism... I put full blame on the mercury preservative in the vaccine for causing his health problems and mental deficits. It is heartbreaking watching your NORMAL child become disabled and you are helpless to do anything... Compensation is sadly needed by many...
Jenn
December 08, 2008 - 6:22 PM
Why aren't the drug companies responsible? Why should the community pay to insure a product that is produced by a for-profit entity? Perhaps if we did not allow drug copmanies to promote vaccines as a one-size-fits-all solution and train our health care providers to administer these vaccines without taking in to account individual suitability we would have fewer instances of adverse side effects. It's not about one individual taking a hit for the betterment of society, it's about lazy social medicine practices.