Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
Answers about vaccine coverage under the VICP, the federal Vaccine Injury Table, and the separate CICP process.
A few important reminders
Plain-language answers
The VICP covers vaccines identified by the federal Vaccine Injury Table and program statutes. Common categories include DTaP or Tdap, influenza, MMR, polio, hepatitis A and B, Hib, varicella, pneumococcal, meningococcal, rotavirus, and HPV vaccines, but the exact product and applicable Table entry must be checked.
COVID-19 vaccines have generally been addressed through the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP), rather than the VICP. The programs have different eligibility rules, filing procedures, evidence requirements, and deadlines, so the current program status should be reviewed.
The CICP is a federal program for certain serious injuries caused by covered countermeasures, including some pandemic-related products. It is administered through a different process than the VICP, does not use the same Vaccine Injury Table framework, and has different deadlines and compensation rules.
The VICP is not limited to childhood vaccines. Certain adult vaccines, including influenza and HPV vaccines, may be covered when the vaccine and injury satisfy the applicable federal requirements.
Gather the vaccination record, product or formulation, administration date, and the diagnosis and onset date. Those details can be compared with the current and historically applicable Vaccine Injury Table and program rules.
A vaccine not listed for the relevant claim may fall outside the VICP, but the answer depends on the applicable law and date. Another federal program, such as the CICP, may sometimes be relevant, or the facts may need to be evaluated under a different legal path.
No. The VICP is generally a no-fault program, so a claimant does not usually have to prove that a manufacturer made a defective product or acted negligently. The claimant still must satisfy the program’s coverage, injury, causation or Table, timing, and filing requirements.
The Table lists covered vaccines, injuries associated with them, and required onset periods. A match may support a presumption of causation, but the vaccine, diagnosis, timing, records, and all other program requirements still need to be reviewed.
VICP injury claims often have a three-year deadline measured from the first symptom or significant aggravation, while death claims and certain Table amendments can involve different rules. CICP deadlines are different. Do not wait to confirm which deadline applies.
Contact an attorney promptly after a serious or persistent reaction, especially if you are uncertain whether the vaccine is covered or which federal program applies. Early review can protect against missed deadlines and help organize the right records.
This page is for general information only. It is not legal or medical advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. VICP petitions are filed in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Eligibility, deadlines, evidence, potential compensation, and results depend on the facts of each matter, the applicable Vaccine Injury Table, and the rules in effect when the claim is evaluated. No result is guaranteed.
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Questions about a vaccine injury can be time-sensitive. Call the firm or schedule a confidential consultation to discuss the records, timing, and possible path for your situation.
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