Children's vaccine injury claims: what the VICP compensates
Children's claims are a minority of the modern vaccine-injury docket, which is dominated by adult shoulder and Guillain-Barré cases, but they are the claims the program was created for. This registry holds 1,696 petitions for a child or infant; 40% of decided ones were compensated, against 77% for the registry as a whole.
| Alleged injury | Pediatric cases | Win rate | Contested win rate | Median award | Median time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Encephalitis / encephalopathy | 213 | 46% | 36% | $210K | 42 mo |
| Seizure disorder | 178 | 33% | 26% | $141K | 52 mo |
| Guillain-Barré Syndrome | 100 | 87% | 68% | $125K | 26 mo |
| SIRVA | 38 | 78% | 85% | $70K | 27 mo |
| Developmental delay / regression | 42 | 24% | 7% | $431K | 33 mo |
| Autism spectrum disorder | 96 | 4% | 5% | — | 83 mo |
| Death | 108 | 24% | 26% | $200K | 36 mo |
| Transverse myelitis | 63 | 67% | 36% | $258K | 51 mo |
| Other / multiple | 762 | 37% | 24% | $58K | 24 mo |
What gets compensated
Acute injuries with an objective medical record do well: encephalopathy or encephalitis within the Table window, seizures beginning within days of a pertussis- or measles-containing vaccine, Guillain-Barré syndrome, anaphylaxis. Where a child's encephalopathy claim is contested and reaches a reasoned ruling, petitioners still prevail in about 36% of those decisions, typically on evidence of status epilepticus, MRI findings or antibody testing close to the vaccination.
Claims framed as autism have not been compensated on the merits since the Omnibus Autism Proceeding test cases of 2009 and 2010. The 96 autism-labelled pediatric petitions in this registry were dismissed or denied except for attorneys'-fee awards; the Special Masters have consistently found the general causation theories unproven, and the Federal Circuit has affirmed. A child with developmental regression after a documented acute encephalopathy is litigated under the encephalopathy label, which is why the two rows above look so different.
Practical points for parents
- The 36-month limitation period runs from the first symptom, not from diagnosis, and it is not extended for minors.
- Awards for children are larger than for adults because they include a life-care plan and lost future earnings; the $250,000 cap applies only to pain and suffering.
- Attorneys' fees are paid by the program. Pro se pediatric petitions almost never succeed.
Related: Pediatric statistics · Encephalopathy cases · Do you need a lawyer?
About this data. Computed from every published VICP decision indexed by this registry (13,292 cases as of 2026-09-11), from the public dockets of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Median figures exclude a small number of records with unusable award data. Most compensated cases resolve by stipulation or proffer (negotiated settlement) rather than a litigated finding; an award is the court's resolution of an individual legal claim, not a medical or scientific finding about vaccines generally. Past awards do not predict any individual outcome.