Virus Vaccine Rush Leaves Little Recourse for Anyone It Harms

Americans who suffer adverse reactions to coronavirus vaccines that the U.S. is racing to develop will have a hard time getting compensated for injuries from the drugs.

That’s because pandemic-related claims for vaccines will be routed to a rarely used federal program set up to encourage drugmakers to help combat public health emergencies. It spares pharmaceutical and device makers from costly liability lawsuits in exchange for taxpayers compensating injured patients -- though it doesn’t guarantee there’s funding to do so.

Since it began in 2009, the program has paid out less than $6 million, and it has yet to receive ...