# Plain Language Summary: Vaccine Injury Compensation Modernization Act of 2021

This bill updates the federal program that compensates people who suffer serious injuries or death from vaccines. The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program has been around since the 1980s, but this bill modernizes it to make it work better and provide more help to injured people.

The bill makes four main changes. First, it increases the number of judges (called "special masters") who hear vaccine injury cases from a maximum of 8 to at least 10. This means cases won't get backed up as much, and people won't have to wait as long for their claims to be decided. The bill also requires better reporting on how many cases are pending and whether even more judges are needed. Second, it speeds up how quickly the CDC must make recommendations about vaccine safety—cutting the timeline from two years down to six months—and expands those recommendations to cover not just children but also adults and pregnant women. Third, it significantly increases the money available to people who win their cases. If you're awarded compensation for a vaccine-related death starting in 2021, you'd get $600,000 instead of the previous amount, and the same $600,000 cap applies to pain and suffering awards. These amounts would automatically increase each year based on inflation. Finally, the bill gives people more time to file a claim—extending the deadline from three years to five years after a vaccine injury occurs.

In practical terms, this bill helps people who believe they've been harmed by vaccines by making it easier to get their cases heard, faster to get decisions, and more money if they win. It recognizes that vaccine injuries, while rare, do happen and deserve fair compensation.

Vaccine Injury Compensation Modernization Act of 2021

Doggett, Lloyd

Vaccine Injury Compensation Modernization Act of 2021 This bill increases the compensation available under the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program for vaccine-related deaths and injuries and otherwise modifies the program. This program provides compensation through a no-fault alternative to litigation for injuries and deaths caused by certain vaccines. Specifically, the bill increases the compensation for a vaccine-related death and the maximum compensation for pain, suffering, and emotional distress from a vaccine-related injury from $250,000 to $600,000. It annually adjusts these amounts based on a consumer price index. In addition, the bill extends from 36 months to five years the period of time after the onset of symptoms of a vaccine injury during which an individual may file a claim for compensation. Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must update the Vaccine Injury Table, which lists and explains injuries and conditions that are presumed to be caused by vaccines, within six months of recommending a vaccine for routine administration to children, adults, or pregnant women. Current law requires the CDC to update the table within two years of recommending a vaccine for routine administration to children.