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Video: We Are CHD
February 18, 2026

Rand Paul Introduces Bill to End Vaccine Manufacturer Liability Shield

Proposed U.S. legislation challenges nearly 40 years of vaccine manufacturer immunity

U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has introduced legislation that could dismantle the sweeping liability protections shielding vaccine manufacturers from civil lawsuits — a legal framework in place since 1986.

The End the Vaccine Carveout Act, introduced on February 11, 2026, is co-sponsored by
Mike Lee (R-Utah) and mirrors identical legislation previously reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.).

While the bill applies to the United States, its implications are already reverberating internationally — including in Canada, where similar debates over vaccine injury compensation and manufacturer accountability continue.

Challenging the U.S. Liability Framework

The legislation targets protections created under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, which granted vaccine manufacturers broad immunity from traditional injury lawsuits.

Under the current U.S. system, individuals alleging vaccine injury are typically directed into the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), a federal no-fault program critics argue is slow, restrictive and limited in damages.

Paul characterized the framework as fundamentally unequal:

“People harmed by drugs can sue in court. But when it comes to vaccines — and in many cases the COVID vaccine — the rules are rigged.”

If enacted, the bill would allow individuals alleging vaccine-related injury or death to sue manufacturers directly in state or federal court and restore access to jury trials.

COVID-19 Injections Also Targeted

The legislation would also amend the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act, excluding COVID-19 vaccines from the definition of “covered countermeasures.”

Such a change would remove liability immunity currently granted to manufacturers and providers of COVID-19 injections.

Why Canadians Are Watching Closely

Although Canada does not have an exact equivalent to the U.S. 1986 Act, vaccine injury compensation and manufacturer accountability remain contentious issues.

As previously reported, Canada’s Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP) — launched federally in 2021 — has faced criticism over:

• Processing delays
• Limited transparency
• Narrow eligibility criteria
• Lack of public reporting clarity

Unlike most pharmaceutical products, vaccines in Canada benefit from significant legal and regulatory protections, and civil litigation involving vaccine injury remains rare, complex and costly.

For Canadian families alleging harm following a COVID shot or routine childhood injection, legal pathways are often perceived as uncertain and inaccessible.

Dan Hartman is seeking justice for his son, Sean Hartman, who died suddenly after receiving a Pfizer COVID-19 injection. His appeal challenges legal barriers that families say prevent them from pursuing accountability when serious injury or death follows pharmaceutical interventions promoted and mandated by public authorities.

Shared Concerns Across Borders

Supporters of Paul’s bill argue that liability shields distort market incentives by insulating manufacturers from financial consequences tied to product safety. Particularly during COVID, questions surrounding:

• Informed consent
• Risk disclosure
• Adverse event reporting
• Compensation fairness

have intensified public debate.

In both countries, discussions about liability frequently intersect with adverse-event reporting systems.

U.S. federal databases show over 1.6 million reports of vaccine-associated injuries or deaths, and researchers have long acknowledged that passive surveillance systems under capture events.

Canada’s VISP has similarly been criticized for underreporting and barriers and transparency concerns. Public trust cannot exist without legal accountability.

 

ACTION ALERT:
Share this action from CHD with friends/family in the U.S.

 

 

Sources:

CHD’s The Defender – Rand Paul Introduces Bill to End Liability Shield for Vaccine Manufacturers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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