People with vaccine-related injuries would get more money, more time to file claims, and COVID-19 vaccine coverage.
This bill would update the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) to offer higher payouts for vaccine-related injuries or deaths, up to $600,000. It would also extend the deadline to file a claim from 3 years to 5 years. Importantly, COVID-19 vaccines would be added to the program, making them eligible for compensation, though existing liability protections for manufacturers in civil lawsuits would remain.
Today, the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) has a maximum of 8 judges, called special masters. There is a 36-month (3-year) deadline to file a claim. Compensation for a death or for pain and suffering is capped at $250,000. COVID-19 vaccines are not on the Vaccine Injury Table and are mainly covered by a different program. The federal excise tax on vaccines is 75 cents per dose. After this bill, the VICP would have at least 10 special masters. The deadline to file a claim would be extended to 5 years. Compensation for a vaccine-related death or for pain and suffering would increase to $600,000 each. COVID-19 vaccines would be added to the Vaccine Injury Table, making them eligible for VICP compensation, though existing liability protections for manufacturers in civil lawsuits would remain. The vaccine excise tax would increase to $2.20 per dose and apply to more types of vaccines, including those for dengue, COVID-19, RSV, and shingles, as well as other newly approved vaccines.
HR 9672 · 119th Congress · July 14, 2026 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 9/10
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