Toward a Global Solution on Vaccine Liability and Compensation

John D. Winter, Cassye Cole, and Jonah Wacholder

ABSTRACT

In the past five years, the global community has had to confront several deadly pandemics. These threats have generated increased attention to the need to promote robust vaccine development, which has the potential to reduce the dangers posed by these pandemics. To ensure robust vaccine development, it is important to address the liability concerns of vaccine manufacturers, which impede efforts to develop and distribute vaccines. Building on existing domestic and international models, we propose several approaches to protecting vaccine manufacturers from liability, while ensuring that those injured by vaccines are compensated.