If vaccines are safe, why has the federal government paid more than $2 billion to children and adults injured by vaccines?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resource Services Administration acknowledges that no vaccine, medication, medical procedure, or device is completely without risk. It administers compensation under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act as a means to compensate families and individuals who have experienced adverse events from vaccines.

  • Since 1989, 14,523 total petitions have been filed and studied on a scientific and medical basis; 3,166 have been found to be compensable.
  • Some compensable cases were originally filed and processed as autism-related cases, but the final adjudication did not include a finding of vaccine-related autism.
  • HHS has never concluded in any case that autism was caused by vaccination.
  • This HHS program pays families for all costs of filing and pursuing a claim, regardless of if the claim is ever compensated. (5)

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1. I have heard vaccines are more dangerous than the diseases they protect against. Isn't it safer for my child to get the disease?
2. Can vaccines cause encephalitis (brain inflammation) and other severe consequences?
3. If vaccines are safe, why has the federal government paid more than $2 billion to children and adults injured by vaccines?
4. Is it possible that aluminum in vaccines could be harmful to normal, healthy babies?
5. Is it true many as 50% of vaccines used in the U.S. contain mercury, which has been linked in the media with autism?
6. I have heard about the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS). Does this mean there are more dangers from vaccines than are being reported to VAERS?
7. Why should I vaccinate my child when vaccines are not 100% effective and don't always last a lifetime?
8. Is it difficult to get legal exemptions to vaccination for school enrollment?