Payout system for Brits who suffered vaccine damage during pandemic needs overhaul, Covid inquiry told

A ‘radical’ reform of the Covid vaccine compensation scheme is ‘urgently’ required, the Covid Inquiry was told today. 

While the jabs deployed during the pandemic are safe for the vast majority and have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, dozens of Brits have been killed or left disabled after getting an injection.

Under current rules, victims of certain vaccines, including ones used to beat Covid, are only entitled to a one-off ‘all-or-nothing’ sum of £120,000 from the Government.

Lawyers representing those injured or bereaved by the jabs told the long-awaited probe that the scheme was ‘no longer fit for purpose’. 

While the programme has received 6,399 claims since its launch in 2020, over 500 people have been left waiting more than 12 months for an outcome, while 166 have been stuck in limbo for more than 18 months, the Inquiry was also told today. 

At least 127 claims for the state-funded financial support have now been approved, taking the total bill so far to over £15million.

Module four of the inquiry — which is focusing on vaccines and therapeutics — will assess whether any reforms to the vaccine damage payment scheme are necessary. 

Speaking at its preliminary hearing today in north-west London, Anna Morris KC, who represents three groups — the Vaccine Injured and Bereaved (VIB) UK, Scottish Vaccine Injury Group and UK CV Family — said: ‘What is required is both radical and urgent. It [the vaccine compensation scheme] is no longer fit for purpose.’

She told the probe: ‘As of July of this year, the scheme has received a total of 6,399 claims of which 2,352 have been notified of an outcome.

‘Over 500 of those claims have been waiting for more than 12 months with 166 of them waiting for over 18 months waiting to receive an outcome. 96 per cent of those claims have been refused.

‘Many have been turned down on causation despite having evidence from multiple consultants that their injuries started following vaccination.’

She added: ‘Only 127 claimants have received an award while 177 claims were unsuccessful solely because they did not meet the 60 per cent disabled criteria, even though causation was accepted.

‘This highlights the inherent shortcomings of the current all-or-nothing scheme.’

Under current rules, strict eligibility criteria means those affected must either have been killed or be left 60 per cent disabled due to a vaccine.

This means a person theoretically judged to be only 59 per cent disabled will not get a penny.

The extent of a person’s disability is based on an assessment by a doctor and can include both physical disablement, such as the loss of a limb, or mental disablement, such as a decline cognitive function. 

It also means there is no escalation of the sum received.

So, for example, someone who is completely paralysed by a vaccine would receive the same £120,000 as someone who lost a leg. 

Going blind or deaf counts as being 100 per cent disabled. 

Addressing the Inquiry, Ms Morris added: ‘The VIB have campaigned to make changes to scheme, specifically the time it takes to access an awards claim, to remove the limited eligibility criteria for causation and amend the one-size-fits all payment which should have no upper limit.’

But she also stressed: ‘To be clear, those we represent voluntarily participated in the Covid vaccination programme when called upon.

‘A significant number of them encountered adverse reactions following the first vaccine dose. 

‘Nonetheless they were advised by their doctors to proceed with a second dose.

‘These are not people who are dealing with a sore arm or flu like symptoms. 

‘These are people who have had a stroke, a heart attack or lost a limb. 

‘People who’s body’s are full of clots or people who have had debilitating migraines almost every single day for up to three years.’

The UK’s Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, launched in 1979, is meant to reassure people that — in the extremely unlikely event something goes wrong following a jab — the state will provide them financial support.

It covers an array of vaccines recommended by the Government, including measles, mumps and rubella.

The successful claims cover those affected by vaccine-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT), the rare complication of AstraZenaca’s jab that spooked health chiefs across the world.

Others developed Guillain-Barre syndrome or suffered other blood clots.

Ms Morris said that the three groups — VIB UK, Scottish Vaccine Injury Group and UK CV — represent 1,350 Covid adversely affected individuals. 

However she noted: ‘We have no way of knowing exactly the total numbers that have been adversely impacted but it should be assumed there are others who have not found a support group yet.’

Addressing the Inquiry later, she added: ‘The treatment of the vaccine injured in this country has historically been a source of shame. 

‘Neglect and discrimination has been brought to the light through the Covid vaccination rollout and is now resulting is serious mistrust of British institutions, the Government and of healthcare systems.

‘Trust is vital in the event of future health crises. In order to rebuild trust from the general public the UK must urgently develop an effective and compassionate means of medically, practically, financially and emotionally supporting the vaccine injured.’

In June, MailOnline revealed Tory MPs were calling for the £120,000 sum to be raised in ‘real terms’, in line with inflation.

Politicians were also demanding the axing of strict criteria that means people have to be at least ’60 per cent disabled’ to get the cash.

However, ministers at the time ruled out adopting either change in a behind-closed-doors meeting with campaigners.

Real-world evidence has repeatedly proven vaccines — championed by MailOnline throughout the pandemic — are safe and save lives. 

But in extremely rare cases they do carry risks. 

Since the vaccine programme began in December 2020, more than 151million jabs have been dished out by the NHS.

Recent months have already seen huge criticism of the UK government‘s handling of the pandemic, including the country’s lack of a thorough plan for dealing with such an event. 

The first module of the Covid Inquiry concluded in July after six weeks of witness evidence, but the probe as a whole is not expected to end until 2026.

It is not uncommon for large-scale public probes to take years to complete.

The Chilcot Inquiry, which analysed the UK’s role in the Iraq war, took more than seven years to conclude, from when it was first announced in 2009.

Meanwhile the Bloody Sunday Inquiry – first established by Tony Blair‘s government in 1998 – did not deliver its final report until June 2010. 

A separate Scottish Covid Inquiry is looking at the pandemic response in devolved areas in Scotland.

Mark Drakeford, the Welsh First Minister, has said he and the government are fully committed to the inquiry, though they maintain that there is no need for Wales to hold its own inquiry.