HHS Grants Liability Protection to Pandemic Vaccine Manufacturers

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Manufacturers of vaccines used to prevent potential avian pandemics will receive immunity from product liability claims, HHS announced on January 1.

Manufacturers of vaccines used to prevent potential avian pandemics will receive immunity from product liability claims, HHS announced on January 1.

The move, which triggers a provision of the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act passed in late 2005, would grant protection from such claims for parties involved in the preparation of reference strains and the development, manufacturing, testing, and administration of vaccines.

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The notice said that the liability was granted “to encourage the design, development, clinical testing or investigation” of countermeasures, based on the “credible risk” that that an avian influenza outbreak could spread to humans.