On Apr. 1, 2026, the Government of Canada assumed direct control of Canada’s vaccine injury compensation system, introducing changes aimed at improving how claims are processed and how support is delivered to vaccine injured individuals.1 The move followed an audit ordered by Health Minister Marjorie Michel in response to concerns about how the previous program was managed.2
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) officially took responsibility for administering the program, replacing the private third-party contractor Oxaro, Inc., which had previously operated the system as the Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP) under a five-year, $50 million federal contract that ended on Mar. 31.3 After former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the introduction of VISP in December 2020, the federal government assigned its administration to Oxaro. Canada had been the only G7 country without a national vaccine injury compensation program and the only one to rely on a third-party, for-profit administrator.4
The program, now called the Vaccine Impact Assistance Program (VIAP), continues to provide financial support to people who experience a serious and permanent injury after receiving a Health Canada authorized COVID shot administered in Canada on or after Dec. 8, 2020.5
Minister Michel said:
We recognize that people who apply to this program are going through a difficult time. That’s why the Government of Canada is taking meaningful steps—via the new Vaccine Impact Assistance Program—to make the program more supportive. Canadians can count on their government to be more efficient in delivering services that matter when they need it the most.6
More than 105 million COVID shots and a variety of vaccines for other diseases, have been administered in Canada since December 2020. As of January 2024, Health Canada had received 58,712 reports of adverse events following administration of COVID shots. Of those reports, 11,702 were classified as serious, including cases involving cardiac arrest, heart failure, and myocarditis or pericarditis.7
Government Revamps Program After Delays and Criticism
The Canadian government’s decision to take over the program followed criticism of the previous system, including long wait times and a growing backlog of applications. Applicants also reported delays in processing claims and difficulties with communication during the review process.8 Administrative issues under the third-party contractor increased pressure on the federal government to intervene and restructure the program. Dissatisfaction with how the contractor managed the system ultimately led officials to return administration to federal control.9
Many applicants expressed frustration with the program, saying they were given the runaround or had claims denied by doctors they had never met. About 225 previously rejected claims are now under review after concerns about stricter eligibility criteria. Claimants were required to file within three years, but many faced long delays, with waits of 12 to 24 months for medical assessments, and some still waiting years for decisions.10
Under the new structure, PHAC says it will address the backlog while improving the consistency and transparency of the claims process.11 The updated system is also expected to make it easier for Canadians to access compensation and could speed up the process for applicants.12
The new program will adopt more flexible eligibility criteria, allowing 225 previously denied claims, rejected under the three-year cutoff, to be reconsidered. The PHAC said the change will help individuals whose symptoms appeared gradually to qualify for compensation.13
Eligible individuals may receive financial compensation on a case-by-case basis, with some payouts reaching as high as $493,000. A total of $75 million was initially allocated for the program’s first five years, with about one-third paid out to claimants, and an additional $17.6 million has been invested as of April 2026.14
The Canadian government also plans to introduce a secure online portal that will allow applicants to track their claims, submit documents, and update personal information in real time.15 Applications submitted under the previous version of the program will automatically transfer to the new system, and applicants will not need to reapply unless contacted.16
Canadian health officials say the changes reflect lessons learned during the program’s initial rollout and aim to ensure that individuals who experience vaccine-related injuries receive timely and consistent support.17
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Click here to view References:1 Government of Canada. The Government of Canada is taking meaningful steps to better support Canadians with a serious and permanent injury as a result of receiving a Health Canada authorized vaccine. Mar. 31, 2026.
2 Ritchie S. Canadian government taking over vaccine injury compensation program. CBC Mar. 31, 2026.
3 BlogTO. Canadians can soon get compensated for vaccine injuries. Apr. 2, 2026.
4 Kirkey S. Federal government takes over troubled vaccine injury compensation program set up during COVID pandemic. National Post Mar. 31, 2026.
5 Government of Canada. The Government of Canada is taking meaningful steps to better support Canadians with a serious and permanent injury as a result of receiving a Health Canada authorized vaccine. Mar. 31, 2026.
6 Ibid.
7 Kirkey S. Federal government takes over troubled vaccine injury compensation program set up during COVID pandemic. National Post Mar. 31, 2026.
8 Ritchie S. Canadian government taking over vaccine injury compensation program. CBC Mar. 31, 2026.
9 Kirkey S. Federal government takes over troubled vaccine injury compensation program set up during COVID pandemic. National Post Mar. 31, 2026.
10 Ibid.
11 Government of Canada. The Government of Canada is taking meaningful steps to better support Canadians with a serious and permanent injury as a result of receiving a Health Canada authorized vaccine. Mar. 31, 2026.
12 BlogTO. Canadians can soon get compensated for vaccine injuries. Apr. 2, 2026.
13 Ritchie S. Canadian government taking over vaccine injury compensation program. CBC Mar. 31, 2026.
14 Kirkey S. Federal government takes over troubled vaccine injury compensation program set up during COVID pandemic. National Post Mar. 31, 2026.
15 Ibid.
16 Government of Canada. The Government of Canada is taking meaningful steps to better support Canadians with a serious and permanent injury as a result of receiving a Health Canada authorized vaccine. Mar. 31, 2026.
17 Ibid.
3 Responses
My understanding is that Canada’s offer to vaccine injured and everyone else with a poor quality of life, is their MAID program…and this euthanasia approach to health issues is in transition to becoming mandatory. They’ve already murdered people against their will.
Sad, but I would be extremely surprised if their policy toward vaccine injuries changes.
Suffer or die…don’t expect the government to help.
Especially now that they are making huge amounts of money harvesting and selling the organs of their victims.
What has this world come to?
What could go wrong with Gov’t of Canada stepping in……..everything…..sorrrry!!!!!
Is this the same government that threatened to imprison everyone whom did not take the covid shot? The same one that canceled peoples bank accounts for participating in the truckers convoy protests for those whom resisted vaccination mandates? The same government that is currently rolling out vaccine passports and other mandatory participation type of biometric identity verification programs? The same one that sanctions state assisted suicide?