Should drug companies be protected from lawsuits?

[tanishia]

In June of 2006, an FDA rule went into effect extending protection from lawsuits to drug manufacturers, even if they had submitted fraudulent data to the FDA in their quest for approval. This was partially reversed by a court ruling, but legislation allowed protection to swine flu vaccine manufacturers. Today, they enjoy complete immunity from lawsuits from injured customers, even if the manufacturers are guilty of gross negligence.

Swine flu vaccines, by the way, often contain a mercury compound used as a preservative. Mercury is a known neurotoxin and some believe it leads to autism. There are better and safer preservatives available.

Should drug companies be offered blanket immunity from consumer lawsuits?

[dickens93]

very true, and common sense would tell everybody no they should not be able to be immune to a lawsuit, but there are allot of things that shouldn't be allowed, this country has allot of government repairs it needs to under go to be how it used to be, you sound like an informed individual as well and that i think is good because 3 years ago their were not very many of you out there, and i hope you can see the other things that are going on as well it is ridicules.

[curran]

It was done as an incentive for them to keep making them. Compared to other drugs, vaccines aren't that profitable. Due to the scientifically illiterate media, there were an increase in law suits, resulting in many vaccine manufacturers refusing to produce vaccines.The VICP was proposed as a way to ensure a supply of vaccines, maintaining public health.

Thimerosal, in the amount found in flu vaccines, is completely and utterly harmless. It metabolizes into ethyl mercury.....not methyl mercury.

And stop whining about the "swine flu vaccine" that's a non-issue now.

[tredway]

It was done as an incentive for them to keep making them. Compared to other drugs, vaccines aren't that profitable. Due to the scientifically illiterate media, there were an increase in law suits, resulting in many vaccine manufacturers refusing to produce vaccines.The VICP was proposed as a way to ensure a supply of vaccines, maintaining public health.

Thimerosal, in the amount found in flu vaccines, is completely and utterly harmless. It metabolizes into ethyl mercury.....not methyl mercury.

And stop whining about the "swine flu vaccine" that's a non-issue now.

It has been proven that vaccines DO NOT cause autism. Look it up!!

Lawsuits against the pharmaceutical companies are going to continue as long as personal injury lawyers have their way. Did you know that that you could invest in "lawsuit" futures? When a new drug hits the market, there are hordes of law-firms banking on that the drug will fail so that they can initiate class action law suits against the makers of the drug. Class action lawsuits don't do anything for the injured parties. All they do is enrich law-firms and their investors who invested in lawsuit futures.

[garwyli91]

You clearly know absolutely nothing about this.

Pharmaceutical companies have been protected from lawsuits over vaccines since the late 80's. This protection was offered to keep those companies making vaccines, which are vital to the public health system. Even with that protection, all but one US company quit the vaccine market. Instead a system was set up to pay damages related to vaccines.

Thimerosal, that preservative, has also been completely exonerated of causing any health problems, especially autism. What people believe doesn't matter. Data do.