Australia’s COVID-19 Shot Injury Compensation System Criticized for Delays and Alleged Threats
Australia’s COVID-19 shot injury compensation system is under scrutiny, with injured individuals describing a slow, complex, and distressing process that has left many without timely support while their health and financial situations worsen.1 2 The federal government introduced the COVID-19 Vaccine Claims Scheme in 2021 as a “simple and quick” way to compensate people who […]
Canadian Government Overhauls Vaccine Injury Program
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 […]
Pfizer, BioNTech End mRNA COVID-19 Biologic Trial Early
After failing to recruit enough eligible volunteers to generate enough data in the U.S. to meet U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) post-marketing evidence requirements, Pfizer, Inc. and BioNTech SE have halted a large clinical trial of their updated mRNA COVID-19 biologic. The study targeted healthy adults 50 to 64 years of age but fell […]
Poland, Romania Resist Brussels Court Order to Pay $2.2 Billion to Pfizer
A court in Belgium has ordered Poland and Romania to proceed with paying €1.9 billion ($2.2 billion) for purchasing mRNA COVID-19 shots from Pfizer, Inc. and BioNTech SE in a case brought by Pfizer three years ago. The lawsuit and court judgement has intensified a broader legal dispute over mRNA COVID shot contracts signed by […]
Flu Vaccine Only 36 Percent Effective This Year
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the 2025–2026 influenza vaccine showed reduced effectiveness compared to previous seasons. Researchers linked the lower performance to the emergence of a new influenza A(H3N2) subclade that differed from the strain used to manufacture the vaccine.1 The CDC reported overall flu shot effectiveness at 36 […]
Guinea-Bissau Hepatitis B Vaccine Trial in Newborns Sparks Ethics Debate
The World Health Organization (WHO) and some members of the U.S. Congress have raised ethical concerns about a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded clinical trial examining the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns in Guinea-Bissau.1 The study would support a randomized controlled trial led by researchers at the University of Southern Denmark […]