A federal compensation program established to support individuals injured by COVID-19 vaccines has paid benefits for only a small fraction of claims, according to newly released data, prompting criticism from researchers, legal experts and patient advocates.
Figures published by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) show that as of April 1, just 51 claims have been compensated under the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP), out of 6,944 adjudicated cases. By contrast, 6,847 claims have been denied, representing a denial rate exceeding 98 percent.
In March alone, the program awarded compensation for seven injuries, including one death — only the second recorded death benefit paid since the pandemic began. The findings were highlighted by researcher Wayne Rohde, who has extensively studied federal vaccine compensation systems.
The CICP operates under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act), which grants liability protection to manufacturers of vaccines and other medical countermeasures during public health emergencies.
This means individuals who believe they were harmed by COVID-19 vaccines cannot pursue lawsuits in conventional courts, except in cases involving willful misconduct.
Instead, claimants must apply to the CICP within 12 months of injury and meet strict eligibility criteria. The program defines “serious physical injury” as life-threatening conditions, permanent impairment, or injuries requiring medical intervention to prevent lasting damage.
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Even for successful applicants, compensation is limited. The program covers unreimbursed medical expenses and lost income — capped at $50,000 annually — and offers a one-time death benefit of up to $370,000. It does not cover legal fees or compensation for pain and suffering.
Advocates argue the program’s structure makes it difficult for claimants to qualify. Dr. Joel Wallskog, who says he was injured by a COVID-19 vaccine, described the system as fundamentally flawed.
“These are not isolated administrative issues,” Wallskog said. “They point to a system that fails many of the people it was intended to help.”
Attorney Ray Flores also criticized the program’s eligibility standards, calling its definition of “serious injury” arbitrary. Flores represents plaintiffs in ongoing litigation against HRSA, alleging the agency set overly restrictive criteria that violate constitutional rights.
One such case, filed in 2025 with backing from the Children’s Health Defense, challenges the denial of claims submitted by two women who say they were injured by COVID-19 vaccines.
Additional legal challenges have emerged over whether COVID-19 vaccine injury claims should instead be handled through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), which offers broader benefits and longer filing timelines.
In a separate lawsuit filed in February 2026, plaintiff Jeanne Materese argued that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) failed to include COVID-19 vaccines in the Vaccine Injury Table after they were recommended for routine use in children. Inclusion in that table would allow claims to be processed under the VICP rather than the more restrictive CICP.
HHS has moved to dismiss the case, maintaining that the CICP provides an adequate remedy, even though it acknowledged that some claimants may miss the program’s filing deadline.
The latest data also reveal procedural hurdles facing applicants. According to Rohde, 2,590 claims were dismissed because they were filed after the 12-month deadline, while another 2,636 were rejected due to missing medical records.
Experts say these requirements can be difficult to meet, particularly for individuals struggling to obtain diagnoses or compile extensive medical documentation. In many cases, symptoms may take months to fully understand, and patients often consult multiple providers before receiving a clear diagnosis.
Since its creation in 2010, the CICP has received more than 14,700 claims, with COVID-19-related cases accounting for roughly 96 percent. Despite the scale of vaccine rollout during the pandemic, total compensation for COVID-19 claims remains relatively low — about $6.9 million distributed among 51 recipients.
By comparison, earlier claims related to other vaccines, such as the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, resulted in similar total payouts but across far fewer recipients.
Although the COVID-19 public health emergency officially ended in 2023, liability protections for vaccine manufacturers remain in place through 2029 under federal policy, prolonging reliance on the CICP as the primary avenue for compensation.