US court to decide if vaccine makers can be sued

WASHINGTON, March 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court said on Monday that it would decide whether a federal law protects vaccine manufacturers from lawsuits in state court seeking damages for alleged design defects.

The high court agreed to hear a Pennsylvania case involving a lawsuit by the parents of a child who suffered seizures after her third dose of a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccine. They sued the vaccine manufacturer, Wyeth, which Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) purchased last year. (Reporting by James Vicini, Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)