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Academy VP testifies on behalf of vaccine injury compensation

In testimony made July 18 before the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, Academy president-elect Martin Smith, M.D., urged passage of Senate bill 827, vaccine compensation legislation introduced by Sen. Paula Hawkins (R-Fla.).

Calling it the only bill that meets the Academy's criteria for such legislation, Dr. Smith said, "We believe that S.827 contains a scientifically defensible and equitable table of compensable events. Compensation would be awarded only for major adverse reactions, which have, in the past, been demonstrated to have a causal connection to the particular vaccine in issue.

The proposed bill, which is co-sponsored by Senators John Stennis (D-Miss.), Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), Albert Gore (D-Tenn.), Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.), Claiborne Pell (D-R.I.), John Heinz (R-Pa.), Slade Gorton (R-Wash.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Dale Bumpers (D-Ark.), and Spark Matsunaga (D-Hawaii), specifies the adverse reactions to be covered and the time frame under which these reactions occur."