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Publication Type honors thesis
School or College College of Social & Behavioral Science
Department Economics
Thesis Supervisor Mark Glick
Honors Advisor/Mentor William T. Carlisle
Creator Larrabee, Jonathon R.
Title Law and economics of product liability for childhood vaccines
Date 1995-08
Year graduated 1995
Description Beginning in 1974, the inconsistent application of both strict and negligent standards of products liability, drove firms from the marketplace, increased prices, and caused a critical shortage in the nation's vaccine stockpile. Using a law and economics model, this project traces the development of the crisis, illustrating the incentives faced by producers as well as consumers. I find that the inefficient incentives which existed were created by a failure to explicitly acknowledge vaccines as a public good. The project continues with an evaluation of the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986, which removed the compensatory process from the tort system. I conclude that the Vaccine Act, while a dramatic improvement, still harbors two vestiges of inefficiency: 1) failing to completely shield manufacturers from strict liability actions, and; 2) incorrectly generating funds through an excise tax upon the sale of vaccines.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Subject Products liability -- Vaccines -- United States
Language eng
Rights Management (c) Jonathon R. Larrabee
Format Medium application/pdf
ARK ark:/87278/s60909jh
Setname ir_htca
ID 1345593
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s60909jh

Page Metadata

Title Page 18
Setname ir_htca
ID 1345611
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s60909jh/1345611