{"id":368894,"date":"2021-10-15T10:30:18","date_gmt":"2021-10-15T15:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/litigation\/filing-a-lawsuit\/can-i-sue-a-vaccine-manufacturer.html"},"modified":"2024-01-03T16:25:02","modified_gmt":"2024-01-03T21:25:02","slug":"can-i-sue-a-vaccine-manufacturer","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/litigation\/filing-a-lawsuit\/can-i-sue-a-vaccine-manufacturer.html","title":{"rendered":"Can I Sue a Vaccine Manufacturer for Side Effects?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Can I Sue a Vaccine Manufacturer for Side Effects?<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Steven Ellison, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Joseph Fawbush, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n

Probably not. Pharmaceutical companies are generally immune from most vaccine-related personal injury lawsuits. That includes suits relating to the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Depending on the particular vaccine, you may be able to recover at least some money from a federal program.<\/p>\n

Aside from vaccines, lawsuits are possible for many types of drug-related injuries<\/a> and medical malpractice cases. A personal injury lawyer<\/a> may help in those circumstances.<\/p>\n

How Vaccines Are Supposed To Work<\/h2>\n

Vaccination<\/a>\u00a0is an effective way of protecting yourself from harmful diseases before you become infected. Vaccines teach your\u00a0immune system to create antibodies<\/a>\u00a0to a disease, just as if you have been exposed so that your own body can fight off an infection.<\/p>\n

As long as the vast majority of people are vaccinated, it is much more difficult for an outbreak of disease to occur, let alone spread. This saves lives.<\/p>\n

Vaccines Have Improved Lives<\/h3>\n

To say the least, vaccines have been a game-changer. In fact, some believe them to be\u00a0the greatest life-saving innovation<\/a>\u00a0in the history of medicine.<\/p>\n

A great example is the smallpox vaccine. Smallpox used to be a deadly disease.\u00a0Between 1900 and 1920, it killed around 300 million people<\/a>, but the development and introduction of a vaccine essentially eliminated the disease.<\/p>\n

Vaccines have also worked for other diseases. For example, according to the U.S. Centers for\u00a0Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the flu vaccine has dramatically reduced the number of\u00a0flu-related hospitalizations and doctor visits<\/a>. Other diseases, such as measles, mumps, pertussis, diphtheria, and tetanus, are\u00a0far less common\u00a0than they used to be because of widespread childhood vaccination programs.<\/p>\n

Vaccines Can Have Side Effects<\/h2>\n

Vaccines do\u00a0carry some\u00a0risks. Some people experience side effects. The\u00a0United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)<\/a>, which is the regulator of vaccine manufacturers, calls these\u00a0adverse events, but they’re better known as\u00a0side effects.<\/p>\n

For some, side effects can be mild,\u00a0such as headaches or nausea. Serious side effects are\u00a0rare. Sometimes\u00a0vaccines are associated with deaths<\/a>, but the data is often\u00a0anecdotal at best.<\/p>\n

Side Effects of COVID-19 Vaccines<\/h3>\n

The FDA has approved three COVID-19 vaccines in the United States for emergency use. Pfizer, Moderna, and Janssen\/Johnson & Johnson make them.<\/p>\n

COVID-19 vaccines have been associated with\u00a0certain, mostly mild, side effects<\/a>. They include:<\/p>\n