Question Period Note: Vaccine Injury Support Program

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KEY MESSAGES
• I want to begin by acknowledging the frustration and hardship many claimants have faced while waiting for decisions. We have heard that the process has been slow and difficult for many.
• The Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP) exists to provide 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.
• We need to make sure the VISP delivers support for eligible Canadians in need.
• The Government of Canada intends to bring administration of the VISP into PHAC as of April 2026.
• In the interim, PHAC will work with OXARO to facilitate a smooth transition of the program, with the priority being ongoing support to beneficiaries.
• Details on the delivery of the PHAC-administered program will be publicly communicated when available.
IF PRESSED

Q1: Why is the Government taking over VISP administration from OXARO?
• The Government of Canada has heard from claimants and beneficiaries that their experience with VISP has too often been frustrating and difficult, and that change was needed.
• The change in VISP administration from OXARO to the Government of Canada will bring Canada’s approach in line with other G7 countries who administer their respective programs internally.
• The Government of Canada will take over VISP administration in April 2026, following the conclusion of the current agreement with OXARO. This will provide the necessary time to carefully develop and implement a transition plan that prioritizes support to beneficiaries.
Q2:Why is the Government of Canada continuing to work with OXARO?
• Since the launch of VISP in 2021, the pan-Canadian program has been administered independently by OXARO, which includes all aspects of claims intake, assessment and reporting.
• OXARO continues to support claimants under the current agreement.
• The Government of Canada is cognizant of the challenges claimants have faced since VISP’s initial launch and has decided to take on a more direct role in the program’s administration.
• We will work with OXARO to facilitate a smooth and orderly transition, with the priority being ongoing support to beneficiaries.
Q3: How will the Government of Canada improve the current program and what role is the audit playing?
• The Government of Canada remains firmly committed to addressing emerging issues with the VISP program. PHAC is meeting with OXARO regularly to discuss resolving issues and addressing concerns of VISP claimants.
• We have accelerated a previously planned routine audit of OXARO and its VISP operations, which will provide further insights to inform the program under PHAC administration.
• Next steps regarding the operation and delivery of the VISP could include potential program design changes.
• The Government of Canada is committed to providing timely financial support for people in Canada who experience a serious and permanent injury as a result of receiving a Health Canada approved vaccine.
Q4. Why is the GoC only making this change now?
• VISP was launched in 2021 to ensure Canadians had access to financial support if they experienced a serious and permanent vaccine injury. Components of the design were informed by Quebec’s Vaccine Injury Compensation Program and international models for routine immunization injury compensation programs.
• At the time, no jurisdiction had experience designing a compensation program in the context of a mass vaccination campaign like COVID-19, so lessons specific to that scale could only emerge over time.
• With nearly five years of experience now, including feedback from claimants and input from international counterparts, the Government of Canada is in a stronger position to update VISP to better meet Canadians’ needs.
Q5: How will this change impact claimants and beneficiaries, including those with a claim under active review and those currently receiving financial compensation?
• The Government of Canada is fully committed to continuing to support those who are receiving ongoing financial support from the VISP and ensuring assessments are completed for those still awaiting decisions on their applications.
• All existing claims and payments will continue under the new administration. Claimants and beneficiaries will not need to reapply. Continuity of support is top of mind.
• Transparent communication with claimants is a priority for the Government of Canada during this transition period.
• Details on the delivery of the PHAC-administered program will be communicated to claimants, and Canadians more broadly, as soon as they are available.

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KEY STATS
• The no-fault Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP), launched in June 2021, is currently administered through separate contribution agreements with OXARO and the Government of Quebec who continues to deliver its longstanding provincial Vaccine Injury Compensation (VIC) Program through federal funding.
• Initial forecasts for program demand were proven to be insufficient in response to the largest vaccination campaign in Canadian history. Additional program funding was received through Budget 2024 to help respond to high program demand.
• As of June 1, 2025, 3,317 claims have been received. VISP claims are reviewed by medical experts using accepted industry processes but the complex nature of determining causality and injury severity has contributed to processing delays.
• The administration of the VISP will shift to the Public Health Agency of Canada as of April 2026.