Bill Overview
Title: Justice for Vaccine Victims Act of 2022
Description: This bill terminates the COVID-19 emergency and requires an investigation into adverse events associated with a COVID-19 vaccination. The bill also repeals federal income tax deductions for certain state, local, and foreign taxes paid by an individual. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must terminate the COVID-19 emergency within three months of the bill's enactment. The bill also removes, within three months of that termination, liability protections that apply to the administration or use of certain medical countermeasures (e.g., vaccines) during the public health emergency. Additionally, the HHS Office of Inspector General must investigate adverse events associated with a COVID-19 vaccine that are reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. In carrying out the investigation, the office must ask specified questions of (1) each individual (or the individual's survivors) who reported an adverse event, (2) each manufacturer of a COVID-19 vaccine distributed in the United States, and (3) a sample of health care providers. The office must report its findings and recommendations, and the report must include, among other matters, transcripts of all interviews with individuals, manufacturers, and health care providers. The office must also report on the costs of carrying out this investigation.
Sponsors: Rep. Greene, Marjorie Taylor [R-GA-14]
Target Audience
Population: People worldwide who have received a COVID-19 vaccine
Estimated Size: 250000000
- The bill impacts individuals who have received a COVID-19 vaccine as they may be interviewed for the investigation into adverse events reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).
- It affects the survivors of individuals who reported adverse events, as they might also be involved in the investigation.
- Vaccine manufacturers will be impacted as the investigation will require information and interviews regarding adverse events.
- Health care providers who administered vaccines or have treated patients with adverse events will be sampled for interviews, affecting a selection of them.
- The general population is impacted indirectly through changes in liability protections related to vaccines once the COVID-19 emergency is terminated.
- All taxpayers in the United States will be affected by the repeal of federal income tax deductions for certain state, local, and foreign taxes, which could change their tax liabilities.
Reasoning
- The policy has a wide range of impacts both directly and indirectly, affecting different segments of the population. It is particularly relevant to individuals who have experienced adverse effects from COVID-19 vaccines, healthcare providers, vaccine manufacturers, and all taxpayers due to tax policy changes.
- The direct costs of the investigation and potential legal implications for vaccine manufacturers may result in increased administrative expenses or changes in vaccine pricing.
- The repeal of federal income tax deductions may be financially impactful to individuals, especially those in states with high state and local taxes (such as California or New York), potentially affecting their disposable income and wellbeing.
- Given the size of the budget allocated for the policy's implementation, resources will primarily focus on the most impacted individuals and entities, affecting their wellbeing scores depending on their relationship to vaccine events, economic status, and tax liabilities.
- We simulate a variety of interviews to reflect the diversity of the American population impacted by this policy, considering different outcomes based on variables such as age, geographic location, economic circumstances, and relationship to healthcare.
Simulated Interviews
nurse (California)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy will end some of the protections that made it easier for us to vaccinate during the emergency. I'm concerned about the impact on my work and liability as a healthcare provider.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
software engineer (Texas)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The tax deduction repeal doesn't affect me much due to Texas' tax policies, and my side effects were minor. However, I support transparency in vaccine side effects.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
financial analyst (New York)
Age: 27 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Losing tax deductions will be challenging financially, given the already high cost of living in New York. I'm not sure how this will balance out against any potential benefits of the investigations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
retired (Florida)
Age: 65 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this investigation provides clarity and justice. My health suffered some, and it'd be great to have more information on side effects, but I worry about losing income through taxation changes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
vaccine manufacturer executive (Ohio)
Age: 50 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Our main concern is the investigation's impact on the company's reputation and the financial burden it implies. Liability changes affect how we price and supply our product.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 8 |
college student (Illinois)
Age: 22 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't have side effects, but tax changes might affect my family's finances. I'm neutral about the policy because it largely doesn't affect me directly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
pediatrician (Maryland)
Age: 55 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's stressful knowing an investigation could scrutinize past work, especially when liability protections are removed. Hoping this doesn't reflect poorly on healthcare providers.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 8 |
homemaker (Washington)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We're managing okay, but the budget shift impacts us. We rely heavily on tax deductions, and losing them will change our planning.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 9 |
small business owner (Ohio)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Policy leads to worry about employee lawsuits without liability shields. We're also concerned about adverse publicity from any investigation outcomes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 8 |
part-time retail assistant (Georgia)
Age: 19 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 20/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy doesn’t have much bearing on my life right now, since I haven't faced any side effects and I'm under no tax burden.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $500000000 (Low: $400000000, High: $600000000)
Year 2: $300000000 (Low: $250000000, High: $350000000)
Year 3: $100000000 (Low: $75000000, High: $125000000)
Year 5: $50000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $75000000)
Year 10: $10000000 (Low: $5000000, High: $15000000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The immediate effects of terminating COVID-19 emergencies and liability protections.
- Resource allocation and potential increases in employment at the HHS for the duration of the investigation.
- Changes in taxpayer behavior in response to the repeal of tax deductions which could adjust expected revenue.
- Legal and public policy implications arising from modified liability protections.