Chapter 21

Vaccine History — From Polio to COVID-19

A documented history of vaccine development, the regulatory framework that governs it, and the financial incentives that shape public health policy.

Veritas Worldwide · March 2026 · 1955–Present

In 1986, the pharmaceutical industry achieved something unprecedented in American law: complete immunity from liability for injuries caused by childhood vaccines. This chapter examines how that happened and what followed.

WHY THIS MATTERS If you have children, they are required to receive dozens of vaccine doses before they can attend school in most states. The companies that manufacture these products cannot be sued if their products injure or kill your child — a legal protection granted by Congress in 1986 that exists for no other product in America. The government maintains a database of adverse events and a compensation program that has paid billions of dollars to victims. These are not conspiracy theories. They are facts of law, documented in the U.S. Code and the Federal Register. You have a right to know them. $4.7B+ PAID TO VACCINE INJURY VICTIMS (NVICP, 1988–2024) 72+ VACCINE DOSES BY AGE 18 (2024 CDC SCHEDULE)