9/11 Injuries

Within months after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, many first responders began experiencing hard coughing, followed by a loss of breath. This coughing caused throat irritation. Another related symptom was acid reflux, or heartburn. World Trade Center (WTC) cough was the first 9/11-related injury to be recognized. This was only one of the chronic, debilitating […]

The immune system has many responses to something it identifies as potentially harmful to the body, including inflammatory responses. When inflammatory cells do not disperse, small clumps, called granulomas, can develop in many tissues in the body, but is most prevalent in the lungs. Symptoms of pulmonary sarcoidosis include coughing and shortness of breath. If […]

A study published in the American Journal of Public Health in January 2012 for the first time linked lower respiratory symptoms with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults living or working in Lower Manhattan on September 11, 2001. The study analyzed medical records of 16,363 people participating in the World Trade Center Health Program registry. […]

Congress created the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) soon after the attacks of September 11th, 2001 to provide recompense and financial assistance to those injured in the attacks and the building collapse as well as to the families of those who lost their lives. The first version of the VCF only compensated those present […]

In September 2012, Dr. John Howard — Administrator for the World Trade Center Health Program and Director of the National Institute on Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) — announced that NIOSH would add 50 different cancers to the list of illnesses eligible for no-cost treatment by the WTC Health Program. This rule becomes final on […]

A June 2012 ruling by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) added 50 different types of cancer to the list of illnesses covered by the WTC Health Program. But many survivors of 9/11 were dismayed to learn this past September that $38 million of the money set aside for injured survivors may […]