supreme court examining drug company protection for vaccines

[Guest guest]

The New York Times: A Supreme Court case scheduled for today will

examine whether the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act should

protect manufacturers from " virtually all product liability lawsuits. "

The case deals with 18-year-old Hannah Bruesewitz, whose parents say

she suffered developmental problems after receiving a diphtheria-

tetanus-pertussis vaccine when she was six months old. That particular

type of vaccine is no longer sold. The court ruling is expected to

affect " hundreds of pending lawsuits that contend a link exists

between childhood vaccines and autism, " although the case itself is

not related to autism (Meier, 10/11).

The Associated Press: " Drug companies, and the Obama administration,

argue that the claims should be decided by a special vaccine court

that was set up 24 years ago to insure a stable vaccine supply by

shielding companies from most lawsuits " (10/12).