A big step forward was announced for people who have SIRVA from the Covid-19 vaccine. In a highly anticipated announcement, Pfizer said that its Covid-19 vaccine was safe and generated a “robust” antibody response in children ages 5 to 11. Pfizer said it plans to submit their findings to the US Food and Drug Administration and FDA officials have said that the agency could authorize a vaccine for younger children in a matter of weeks after receiving the information from Pfizer. From a legal standpoint, this is outstanding news for Americans who are suffering from SIRVA as a result of the Covid-19 vaccine.
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (“NVICP”) is rooted in the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (“NCVIA”) of 1986. Accordingly, for a vaccine to be included in the NVICP it has to be approved for children under the age of 12. That is why vaccines for measles, mumps, and polio are included in the NVICP but vaccines for things like shingles are not. The Covid-19 vaccine being approved for children under 12 removes one of the last major hurdles preventing Americans who have SIRVA from the Covid-19 vaccine from receiving the compensation they deserve.