Vaccine Injury Trust Fund: Revenue Exceeds Current Need for Paying Claims

Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the operation of the vaccine injury trust fund and its adequacy for paying claims and administrative costs, focusing on: (1) which vaccines have accounted for the majority of trust fund expenditures, and whether the vaccines are still being widely administered; (2) how the trust fund has been affected by the addition of new vaccines; (3) whether amounts appropriated for agency administrative costs were sufficient to meet the agency's needs; and (4) the sufficiency of the trust fund balance to meet future program demands.