Supreme Court to hear case on vaccine side effects

Mar 10 2010

The Associated Press: The Supreme Court will hear a case to decide whether drug makers can be sued by families who claim their children have suffered health problems from vaccines, going against a 1986 federal law that shields drug makers from most lawsuits and instead sets up a federal vaccine court to handle disputes.

"The justices on Monday agreed to hear an appeal from parents in Pittsburgh who want to sue Wyeth over the serious side effects their daughter, six months old at the time, allegedly suffered as a result of the company's diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine. … Wyeth, now owned by Pfizer, Inc., prevailed at the appeals court but also joined in asking the court to hear the case, saying it presents an important and recurring legal issue that should be resolved." The case Bruesewitz v. Wyeth will be argued in the fall (3/9).