The Smallpox Vaccine Injury Compensation Program

In January 2003, the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced that certain individuals should receive smallpox vaccine or other countermeasures to be prepared to serve the civilian population in the event of a smallpox bioterrorism event. In April 2003, Congress passed and the President signed the Smallpox Emergency Personnel Protection Act of 2003. This act created the Smallpox Vaccine Injury Compensation Program to provide medical and lost employment income coverage as a payer of last resort to persons who sustain a covered medical injury as a direct result of receiving smallpox vaccination voluntarily under a DHHS-approved smallpox emergency response plan. As of September 2006, 62 persons had requested benefits, of whom 19 had been determined to be medically eligible, 27 were denied benefits, and 16 submitted the request after the legislatively defined filing deadline.