Congress Approves Smallpox Compensation

April 19, 2003

sounds scary !!

Full Story

from The Associated Press

04/12/2003 12:17:08 EST

Congress Approves Smallpox Compensation By LAURA MECKLER Associated Press Writer

Congress approved a package of payments for people injured by the smallpox vaccine, a move praised by health care unions and those hoping to move the stalled inoculation program forward.

Under the bipartisan agreement, people disabled by the vaccine could get up to $50,000 per year in lost wages. That's significantly more than the Bush administration proposed.

It took the administration months to propose any compensation. Many blame that for a lackluster response from health care workers asked to get the shot, which carries rare but serious risks.

"Health care workers sounded the alarm about the shortcomings in the smallpox vaccination program, and their elected leaders heard them," said Andrew Stern, president of Service Employees International Union, the nation's largest health care union. "Providing federal compensation for victims of the smallpox vaccine solves one of the major problems with this program."

As many as 40 out of every million people vaccinated for the first time will face a life-threatening injury, and one or two will die. Three people have died this year after receiving the vaccine, but it's unclear whether the vaccine caused their heart attacks.

Reactions include severe rashes, blindness and life-threatening infections.

Officials hope that establishing payments for those injured by the vaccine will encourage more people to be vaccinated.

The agreement was negotiated Thursday between Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card.

"At long last, after many negotiations, we can now say that the nation's first responders will have an effective compensation program," Kennedy said Friday. "They deserve it, and our nation's security demands it."

Both the House and the Senate passed the package Friday.

Under the legislation:

_Families of people who are killed by the vaccine and die without dependents are entitled to a lump sum payment of $262,100, an amount based on an existing compensation program for police and firefighters.

_Estates of those who are killed and have dependents could choose the lump sum payment or up to $50,000 per year to make up for the deceased's lost wages. The payments would continue until the victim's youngest child reached age 18.

_Those who are totally and permanently disabled would get up to $50,000 per year for lost wages until age 65, with no cap.

_Those who are permanently but not totally disabled, and those with temporary disability, would get lost wages up to a maximum of $262,100.

Under the Bush plan, people were paid lost wages only after five days of missed work. Under the new agreement, someone out of work for at least 10 days would get lost pay for every day.

Finally, a Bush provision that required people to get vaccinated within 180 days if they wanted to be eligible for compensation was removed.

The Bush plan had offered $262,100 - not the $50,000 per year option - to those who were killed or totally and permanently disabled by the vaccine. People less severely injured would have been able to get only up to $50,000 total in lost wages, plus unpaid medical expenses.karl theis jrvideo field reporterwww.RealityExpander.com Ch.10 TimeWarnerAustin,Texas cell 512 297-9875e-mail: theis888 www.exposureofthetruth.isfamous.comDo you ?

The New Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo.

April 19, 2003

Wonder where the burden of proof of liability will lie at? r even how an individual would "prove" that the vaccine caused a particular set of illness system, and what the government would accept as proof.

Ed

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karl theis

exposure

Saturday, April 19, 2003 7:45 AM