Why has Australia not enacted a no-fault compensation scheme for adverse events following vaccination? Exploring the potential for citizen collective action to influence the policy agenda

This study explores why no fault compensation for serious adverse events following vaccination(‘vaccine injury’) has not appeared on the Australian policy agenda. Drawing on multiple streams and collective action theories, the thesis engages in a qualitative, comparative case study analysis of the U.K., U.S. and Australia. It argues that citizen collective action in the U.K. and U.S. was pertinent to policy agenda setting for vaccine injury compensation in those countries and concludes that the absence of such advocacy in Australia contributes to the policy gap in this country. The study contends that collective action can shape the policy agenda.