Question Period Note: Vaccine injury support program

How will the Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP) support Canadians who experience a serious and permanent injury as a result of receiving a Health Canada authorized vaccine?

KEY MESSAGES
• Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself, your family and your community from getting and spreading serious diseases.
• In the rare event that a person in Canada is seriously and permanently injured as a result of vaccination, they should be fairly supported.
• The Vaccine Injury Support Program provides financial support to individuals who are seriously and permanently injured due to vaccination with a Health Canada authorized vaccine, administered in Canada, on or after December 8, 2020.
• The program, launched on June 1st, is being administered independently by RCGT Consulting and is now accepting claims.

IF PRESSED ON TIMING OF PROGRAM LAUNCH…
• The need for a vaccine injury support program has been previously identified as a gap in Canada’s immunization system and recognized as an area of importance by the Government of Canada, the provinces and the territories.
• The pandemic underscored the need to remedy this gap, especially as Canada was preparing for the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
• The new Vaccine Injury Support Program brings Canada in line with a growing number of countries that have such programs in place, including all G7 counterparts.

IF PRESSED ON VACCINE SAFETY…
• All vaccines used in Canada are regulated by Health Canada and must meet rigorous standards for safety, efficacy and quality before their use is authorized.
• Serious and permanent vaccine injuries are rare, but as with any medical product, they can occur.

IF PRESSED ON THE TYPE OF SUPPORT AVAILABLE …
• Eligible individuals may receive income replacement indemnities; injury indemnities; death benefits; coverage for funeral expenses; and reimbursement of eligible costs such as otherwise uncovered medical expenses.
• Individuals who have experienced serious and permanent injury are eligible for support under this program, consistent with Quebec’s vaccine injury compensation program.

BACKGROUND
On December 10, 2020, the Prime Minister announced the creation of a pan-Canadian no-fault Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP). The VISP was officially launched on June 1, 2021, and will provide financial support to people in Canada in the rare event that they experience a serious and permanent injury as a result of receiving a Health Canada authorized vaccine, administered in Canada, on or after December 8, 2020. The program will also provide death benefits and support for funeral expenses in the rare case of a death as a result of having received a Health Canada authorized vaccine.
Provinces and territories were given the option to create their own vaccine injury support programs with federal funding. All, except Quebec, chose to participate in the federal program. Quebec will receive federal funding to continue the delivery of their existing program. The scope of the pan-Canadian VISP will be modelled on Quebec’s successful regime, to the extent possible, in order to ensure equity across the country in accessing support following a serious and permanent injury from vaccination.
An open solicitation process took place in February 2021 to identify a third party administrator for the VISP. PHAC received four proposals. A six-member Review Committee comprised of expertise from inside and outside government in the areas of privacy, compensation programs, procurement, and medical expertise was established to review these proposals. After a comprehensive review, RCGT Consulting was selected and is administering the VISP independently from PHAC.

A total of $75 million in funding has been earmarked for the first five years of the program. This includes funding to the government of Québec for the continued delivery of its provincial program.
The pan-Canadian VISP addresses a longstanding gap in Canada’s national immunization programming by providing a timely, no-fault financial support mechanism for all people in Canada in rare instances where they are seriously and permanently injured performing a public good (being immunized). This brings Canada in line with a growing number of countries, including all G7 countries, that have a no-fault injury compensation programs in place to address vaccine-related injuries for all vaccines recommended by their governments.

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