When I first heard about the novel coronavirus early last year, I didn't think much of it. I was a healthy 44-year-old with two marathons under my belt who went to the gym multiple times a week, so I expected Covid-19 would be nothing worse than the flu if I got it. As it turned out, I did get Covid — and wound up spending almost three weeks in the hospital, including almost a week in the ICU on a ventilator, fighting for my life. Thanks to the valiant efforts of amazing doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, as well as the prayers and support from family, friends, and strangers from around the world, I survived. But my life today is very different than it was before Covid — in some ways that surprise me.

Vaccine hesitancy was recognized as a threat to global human health before the pandemic. How are people feeling about vaccines now? If someone believes they have been injured by a COVID-19 vaccine, what recourse do they have? What are the typical legal claims and defenses?