The VITAL Act of 2024 creates new criminal penalties and removes legal protections for vaccine manufacturers and sponsors who make fraudulent statements or conceal material data during clinical vaccine trials. Under the bill, medical research companies and vaccine sponsors who knowingly provide false information to federal agencies about trial data face up to five years in prison and fines. The legislation removes liability protections that currently shield vaccine makers from lawsuits, allowing individuals to sue in federal court for damages if fraud is found, and specifically allows COVID-19 vaccine cases to be filed at any time regardless of when the alleged fraud occurred. The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to hold hearings to determine if fraud occurred, with 30 days for manufacturers to refute the findings, and mandates that all testimony from these hearings be published online. If a vaccine manufacturer fails to respond to the Secretary's inquiry, any fraud determination becomes final and enforceable under the law.