RFK Jr. plans a Covid-19 vaccine injury table to ease compensation claims
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is preparing to establish a table of injuries presumed to be caused by Covid-19 vaccines , a designation that would let people claim federal compensation without having to prove the shot caused their condition. The specific injuries to be listed are not yet public, and outside experts are watching closely for how expansive the list will be.
The mechanism is significant because a “presumed” injury shifts the burden of proof: once a condition is on the table, claimants are assumed to qualify. Applied broadly to Covid-19 vaccines by a secretary who has long questioned their safety, the move could sharply expand payouts and lend official weight to contested claims of harm, feeding public doubt about shots that regulators still deem safe. The proposal is early in the regulatory process, leaving its scope — and its practical effect on the compensation program — to be defined.