A Review of China's Compensation Program for Adverse Reactions Following Immunization

Overview

Journal Front Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2023 Aug 23

PMID 37608980

Authors

Wu Yingxiong

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Vaccination is a compelling measure to battle infectious diseases and protect public health. However, because of the constraints on human cognition, it is difficult to ensure that vaccines are safe. Adverse reactions to immunization can cause individual injury. In numerous countries, no-fault programs have been established to compensate individuals for vaccine-related injuries. China also established a vaccine injury compensation system with its own unique characteristics. The Vaccine Administration Law was promulgated in 2019 to establish a compensation system for those who experience adverse reactions following immunization; nevertheless, the compensation system is imperfect. Even when the applicable terms are applied to deal with vaccine-related injuries, some issues remain, such as unreasonable diagnosis and evaluation procedures for adverse reactions, excessively strict standards regarding proof and inconsistent compensation standards across the country. Therefore, to provide effective compensation for vaccine recipients, it is important to clarify the standards of proof and establish a sensible vaccine injury compensation system that includes Corona Virus Disease 2019 vaccine-injury compensation.

Citing Articles

Comparison of regulatory approval system for medicines in emergency among Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and China.

Edo K, Kawano M, Maeda H PLoS One. 2024; 19(9):e0309992.

PMID: 39283913 PMC: 11404807. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0309992.

References

DErrico S, Zanon M, Concato M, Peruch M, Scopetti M, Frati P . "First Do No Harm". No-Fault Compensation Program for COVID-19 Vaccines as Feasibility and Wisdom of a Policy Instrument to Mitigate Vaccine Hesitancy. Vaccines (Basel). 2021; 9(10). PMC: 8540114. DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9101116. View

Gunther C, Tonti L, Domenici I . Vaccination as an Equaliser? Evaluating COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritisation and Compensation. Med Law Rev. 2022; 30(4):584-609. PMC: 9732649. DOI: 10.1093/medlaw/fwac020. View

Halabi S, Heinrich A, Omer S . No-Fault Compensation for Vaccine Injury - The Other Side of Equitable Access to Covid-19 Vaccines. N Engl J Med. 2020; 383(23):e125. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp2030600. View

Mazur A, Benitez S, Chuffart-Finsterwald S, La Rotta R, Hampton L . COVAX no fault compensation program for COVID-19 vaccine injuries in 92 low and middle income countries. Vaccine. 2021; 39(49):7128-7130. PMC: 8552561. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.10.047. View

Kelly H, Looker C, Isaacs D . A no-fault compensation scheme for serious adverse events attributed to vaccination. Med J Aust. 2011; 195(1):4-5. DOI: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2011.tb03176.x. View

McIvor C . Debunking some judicial myths about epidemiology and its relevance to UK tort law. Med Law Rev. 2013; 21(4):553-87. DOI: 10.1093/medlaw/fwt017. View

Mello M . Rationalizing vaccine injury compensation. Bioethics. 2007; 22(1):32-42. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8519.2007.00590.x. View

Henry L, Larkin M, Pike E . Just compensation: a no-fault proposal for research-related injuries. J Law Biosci. 2015; 2(3):645-668. PMC: 5034397. DOI: 10.1093/jlb/lsv034. View

Solarino B, Nicoli S, Benevento M, Zedda M, Oliva A . Editorial: Children's health and safety: what we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and future policy's perspective. Front Public Health. 2023; 11:1220977. PMC: 10280161. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1220977. View

10.

Looker C, Kelly H . No-fault compensation following adverse events attributed to vaccination: a review of international programmes. Bull World Health Organ. 2011; 89(5):371-8. PMC: 3089384. DOI: 10.2471/BLT.10.081901. View

11.

Van Tassel K, Shachar C, Hoffman S . Covid-19 Vaccine Injuries - Preventing Inequities in Compensation. N Engl J Med. 2021; 384(10):e34. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp2034438. View

12.

Greenhalgh T, Thorne S, Malterud K . Time to challenge the spurious hierarchy of systematic over narrative reviews?. Eur J Clin Invest. 2018; 48(6):e12931. PMC: 6001568. DOI: 10.1111/eci.12931. View

13.

Attwell K, Drislane S, Leask J . Mandatory vaccination and no fault vaccine injury compensation schemes: An identification of country-level policies. Vaccine. 2019; 37(21):2843-2848. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.03.065. View

14.

Lateef T, Johann-Liang R, Kaulas H, Hasan R, Williams K, Caserta V . Seizures, encephalopathy, and vaccines: experience in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. J Pediatr. 2014; 166(3):576-81. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2014.10.054. View

15.

Fan Y, Chan K, Hung I . Safety and Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Different Vaccines at Phase 3. Vaccines (Basel). 2021; 9(9). PMC: 8473448. DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9090989. View

16.

Fei L, Peng Z . No-Fault Compensation for Adverse Events Following Immunization: A Review of Chinese Law And Practice. Med Law Rev. 2017; 25(1):99-114. DOI: 10.1093/medlaw/fwx001. View

17.

Mungwira R, Guillard C, Saldana A, Okabe N, Petousis-Harris H, Agbenu E . Global landscape analysis of no-fault compensation programmes for vaccine injuries: A review and survey of implementing countries. PLoS One. 2020; 15(5):e0233334. PMC: 7241762. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233334. View

18.

Bardosh K, de Figueiredo A, Gur-Arie R, Jamrozik E, Doidge J, Lemmens T . The unintended consequences of COVID-19 vaccine policy: why mandates, passports and restrictions may cause more harm than good. BMJ Glob Health. 2022; 7(5). PMC: 9136690. DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-008684. View

19.

Feng J, Li Q . How to ensure vaccine safety: An evaluation of China's vaccine regulation system. Vaccine. 2021; 39(37):5285-5294. PMC: 8344949. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.07.081. View

20.

Meissner H, Nair N, Plotkin S . The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program: Striking a Balance Between Individual Rights and Community Benefit. JAMA. 2019; 321(4):343-344. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2018.20421. View