Question Period Note: Vaccine Injury Support Program

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KEY MESSAGES
• The Government of Canada is committed to supporting Canadians who contribute to public health by being vaccinated.
• The Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP) offers financial support in the rare event that people in Canada experience a serious and permanent injury as a result of receiving a Health Canada authorized vaccine on or after December 8, 2020.
• The program is administered independently, including managing claims, assessment and reporting. It is available to all Canadians..
• The Public Health Agency of Canada is working with experts to review lessons learned and best practices, in Canada and abroad, to inform future program design and ensure fair, timely and cost-effective delivery that meets Canadians’ needs.
IF PRESSED …
Q1: If pressed on the future of the VISP
A1:
· VISP is now in its fifth year, and the Government of Canada is actively reviewing the program.
· Different delivery options are being considered to help identify an approach that is effective, sustainable, and meets the needs of Canadians.
· Engagement with provinces, territories, claimants, and key domestic and international stakeholders is being planned to help shape a strengthened program model.
· The goal is to ensure the next phase of the program is fair, timely, sustainable and maintains public trust in immunization and vaccine safety.
Q2: If pressed on timelines to process a claim
A2:
· The VISP is administered by an independent third-party, OXARO, who oversees all aspects of claims intake, assessment and payments.
· OXARO has advised that claims can take 12 to 18 months to process once assigned to a case manager.
· Determining eligibility and financial support depend on the nature and complexity of the claim. A causal relationship between the injury and the vaccination must be objectively determined for compensation to be provided.
· This assessment process requires the review of relevant medical records, which takes time and can result in some delays but payments are retroactive to the date of injury.
Q3: If pressed on number of claims received and approved
A3:
· Both the province of Quebec and OXARO publicly report on their programs.
· As of December 1, 2024, OXARO has received a total of 3,060 claims with 209 approved.
· Since its program creation in 1988 to March 31, 2024, Quebec has received 541 claims (302 since the COVID-19 pandemic) with 57 approved.
Q4 : If pressed on how OXARO was selected
A4 :
· The VISP program administrator was selected through an open and competitive application process.
· Applications were reviewed by a panel of internal and external experts in the areas of privacy, compensation programs, procurement, and medical expertise.
· Applications were assessed on several parameters including their ability and experience with health claim adjudication; injury causality assessments; cost-effective delivery in administering payments; managing personal information; and providing program delivery at a national level in both official languages.

Q5: If pressed on program administration costs
A5:
· The Government of Canada is committed to providing fair and timely financial support to those living in Canada in the rare event that they are seriously and permanently injured after receiving a Health Canada authorized vaccine.
· Each claim, regardless of the final outcome, is considered on its own merits and undergoes the same rigorous review and assessment process by medical experts. This thorough approach ensures each claim is fully evaluated by experts.
· Program administration costs are directly linked to the number of claims and help ensure all eligible Canadians receive fair and timely access to financial support.

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• In response to COVID-19, the no-fault Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP) was announced in December 2020 and launched in June 2021. The program is being administered through separate contribution agreements with OXARO and the Government of Quebec. $75 million of funding was earmarked for the first five years of the program, based on modelling from routine immunization programs, with an ongoing allocation of $9 million annually. This has demonstrated to be insufficient in response to the largest vaccination campaign in Canadian history with novel vaccines for which the safety profile was not fully understood. Budget 2024 added an additional $36.4 million to the final two years of the agreement to respond to high program demand, bringing the total funding envelope to $111.4 million.
• Program costs depend on the volume of claims and financial support awarded over time. To date, $80.8 million has been allocated to OXARO for administration and claim payments over 5 years. Up to $7.75 million over 5 years has been allocated to the Government of Quebec for the continued delivery of its longstanding provincial Vaccine Injury Compensation (VIC) Program. The remaining funds are available to adapt to potential demand for financial support.
• The program assesses claims through a team of medical experts who use accepted industry processes (e.g. World Health Organization guidance). This process of establishing causality between a vaccine and an injury, as well as determining the severity and permanency of an injury, is complex and can be lengthy. This has contributed to delays in processing claims. A review of the program is currently underway and will inform the future design and delivery of the program to ensure it best meets the needs of Canadians.