Vaccine injuries are very rare

Caitlin Owens

Since 1988, a federal program has compensated only about 6,600 people for harm that they said was caused by vaccines, NYT reports. Americans have received billions of doses of vaccines over that time period.

By the numbers: About 70% of these awards were settlements in cases where officials hadn't found sufficient evidence that a vaccine caused the harm.

  • Hundreds of thousands of deaths — at least — have simultaneously been prevented by vaccines.

Yes, but: $4.15 billion has been paid out through the program, fueling vaccine skeptics' argument that vaccines aren't harmless.

  • But public health experts say that the small number of claims is proof of vaccine safety.

Go deeper: Measles outbreak this year has been worst of the century

Jun 19, 2019 - Health Care

What's next

Axios, Alayna Treene, Orion Rummler

⚖️ Live updates: Democrats' second day of opening arguments

"He could release the aid or break the law. He chose to break the law," House impeachment manager Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) said at day 3 of Trump's Senate impeachment trial.

The big picture: Democrats have roughly 8 hours remaining over the next two days to lay out their case against Trump's alleged abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Go deeperArrowJan 21, 2020 - Politics
Dave Lawler

Putin foe Bill Browder was warned of potential danger in Davos

Photo: Julia Reinhart/Getty Images

No story caused a bigger stir in Davos this week than the news that two suspected Russian spies had been caught in August posing as plumbers in the Alpine town.

Between the lines: One prominent attendee instantly suspected a personal connection. Bill Browder, a U.S.-born financier and long-standing thorn in the side of Vladimir Putin, tells Axios that before departing for Davos he received a warning from the British security services — passed along by their Swiss counterparts — that he could be in danger.

Go deeperArrow5 hours ago - World
Jacob Knutson, Marisa Fernandez

Chinese cities cancel Lunar New Year events amid Wuhan coronavirus outbreak

People in Guangzhou, China, wearing masks on public transportation. Photo: Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

25 people have died from an outbreak of a new coronavirus strain that originated in Wuhan, China, including the first outside the immediate area, provincial authorities said Thursday.

The latest: Major cities in China, including Beijing, have canceled large public gatherings for the Lunar New Year holiday, the most important in the country, to help contain the outbreak, according to the Washington Post.

Go deeperArrowJan 20, 2020 - World