09/29/2025
Posted by my associate and dear friend Will Morris living in BC...
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing a transformative overhaul of the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) to better support families impacted by vaccine-related injuries.
At a MAHA Institute panel on September 24, 2025, senior adviser Andrew Downing detailed Kennedy’s plan to expand VICP eligibility to include children with autism symptoms or neurological injuries, like regressive encephalopathy, post-vaccination.
This progressive reform seeks to close gaps in the system, delivering timely and fair compensation to families.
Created under the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act, the VICP has paid out ~$5.4 billion for roughly 11,000 claims, funded by a $0.75 tax per vaccine dose from manufacturers.
Downing emphasized broadening compensable injuries to include conditions like “febrile seizures progressing to neurological injury” or “regressive encephalopathy,” aiming to streamline claims and reduce lengthy litigation in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims’ Office of Special Masters.
Currently, only anaphylaxis cases qualify for quick payouts, while neurological injury claims often face years of legal battles.
Kennedy’s reform prioritizes faster resolutions for families, aligning with the VICP’s “no-fault” framework that doesn’t require proving manufacturer negligence.
With the VICP trust fund at $4.5 billion, concerns loom about its sustainability if claims surge, as its funding—static at 75 cents per dose since 1988—relies on low-yield bond investments.
Critics, like Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine patent holder who earned millions from his rotavirus vaccine, argue that studies show no link between vaccines and autism, warning that expansion could strain the fund and fuel vaccine hesitancy.
I believe this bold move could push the VICP toward complete bankruptcy, potentially leading to its collapse—and I hope it does, so vaccine manufacturers, not American taxpayers, are finally held liable.