Childhood vaccine injury statistics are often searched by parents trying to make sense of a difficult and emotional situation. When a child experiences unexpected symptoms following vaccination, families frequently want clear information about how injuries are reported, how often claims are filed, and what recent trends show. Before forming conclusions, it is important to understand how childhood vaccine injury statistics are collected and interpreted nationwide.
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The Vaccine Injured Petitioners Bar Association is a national bar association of attorneys whose practices are devoted to the prosecution of claims in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Our attorneys support families across the United States who have faced various vaccine injuries and require legal assistance to secure justice.
VIPBA members are dedicated to representing petitioners, to furthering education, ethical representation, and the availability of experienced counsel in vaccine cases, and to assisting families and attorneys in learning about the procedural and scientific aspects of vaccine law that are unique to this area of practice.
CDC data from the 2024-2025 school year indicates national kindergarten vaccination coverage has slightly decreased when compared to previous years. Coverage data indicate that 92.5% received the combined measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR). Coverage for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) was reported at 92.1%. During the same time period, exemption rates were 3.6% nationally.
This data comes from the CDC’s SchoolVaxView reporting system. The percentage of students is the proportion of kindergarten students who had documented vaccinations or exemptions and were enrolled at school at the time of the data collection. State, school type, or combined category kindergartners’ data are weighted and are nationally representative of kindergarten students.
These rates are important to consider when reading childhood vaccine injury data because they give us a baseline of how many children are receiving routine vaccines each year.
National CDC survey data reveal similar trends for children beyond kindergarten. Reported polio vaccination coverage for three or more doses was 92.5%. Reported coverage for at least one dose of measles, mumps, and rubella was 90.8%. Hepatitis B coverage for three or more doses was 91.4%.
The CDC reported that 69.7% of children completed the combined seven-vaccine series recommended during early childhood. These statistics are published through the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.
The Health Resources and Services Administration reports that over 29,000 petitions have been filed in the VICP since the federal program’s creation in 1988. Petitions include injury and death claims. In that same time period, according to the CDC and HRSA, over 5 billion doses of VICP-covered vaccines were distributed in the United States alone from 2006 to 2023.
Filing a petition initiates a legal process; it does not establish that a medical cause has been determined. These statistics reflect petitions filed within the federal vaccine court system.
Claims of injury have sometimes been discussed in light of these two statistics to give a general idea of program activity in the context of the large number of doses distributed.
HRSA notes that these two numbers are not directly comparable, since a petition is a legal action, not an adjudicated injury.
The number of injuries, if any, is established through federal adjudication. Both the total number of doses distributed and the number of petitions filed can be helpful to families and their attorneys when they are evaluating childhood vaccine injury statistics.
Childhood vaccine injury claims are only allowed for vaccines that are eligible for compensation under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. This program’s scope includes the standard childhood vaccines the CDC suggests for kids and expectant mothers.
Any vaccine not specifically listed as covered must typically be claimed in a different legal forum. Coverage for a specific vaccine must be determined by the Vaccine Injury Table and federal program rules in effect when the vaccine was received.
Under the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, an injury petition must be filed within three years of the first symptom or manifestation of onset, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-16(a)(2). For death cases, a petition must be filed within two years of the date of death and no more than four years from the first symptom that resulted in death, under 42 U.S.C. § 300aa-16(a)(3). The U.S. Court of Federal Claims strictly enforces these statutory deadlines.
Damages in childhood vaccine cases may include medical bills, projected costs of future care, lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering up to certain federal caps. Where death is involved, certain additional statutory benefits may be available.
Compensation is paid from a federal trust fund funded through an excise tax on covered vaccines. The total amount of compensation awarded in a case varies depending on the evidence presented and individualized findings by a special master.
When families seek compensation for vaccine injuries in the federal program, proving negligence isn’t part of the process. The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program is a no-fault alternative to the traditional tort system. As such, petitioners are not required to prove that a health care provider did anything wrong.
To receive compensation, petitioners must satisfy the medical and legal requirements set forth in the Vaccine Injury Table and meet the causation standards applied by the court.
Childhood vaccine injury statistics provide important context, but every case turns on its own facts and deadlines. The Vaccine Injured Petitioners Bar Association supports attorneys who represent families in these complex claims, as well as the families who have become victims of vaccine injuries. If you are considering your options, schedule a consultation and hire a vaccine injury lawyer experienced in VICP proceedings.
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