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Hey listeners, it's Lindsay Smith-Rogers, and today, as part of our series on vaccines,

how compensation for vaccine-related injuries

works in the United States.

The vaccine injury compensation program established in 1986 now covers 16 recommended vaccines

in the U.S. Gary Golkowitz served as judge in this program, known as a special master

of the United States Court of Federal

Claims. He joins Dr. Josh Sharfstein to explain how the program works and how it can be

improved going forward. Let's listen. Gary Galkowitz, thank you so much for joining me today

on public health on call to talk about the vaccine injury compensation program. Before we start talking about

the program, take me back to the mid-1980s when this program was being thought of. I know you

weren't working on developing the program, but what was going on in the world of vaccines in the

United States in the mid-1980s.

Well, I understand I'm a lawyer, not a doctor, and was not involved in vaccines itself,

but I had personal experience from my daughter was five years old in 1985

and was unable to get her DPT booster.

My understanding, after the fact fact was that was because manufacturers were getting out of the vaccine world because of liability pressures. I think I

remember the number there was six producers of DPP at one time. It was down to two, and there was a shortage.

Got it.

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