Severe Covid vaccine side effects to attract $20,000 compensation

Severe side effects from Covid vaccines are rare, but victims will soon be able to pocket thousands of dollars. Here’s who is eligible for the payout.

People who suffered an adverse event from any Covid vaccine — as well as families of those who died — can now apply for thousands of dollars in compensation.

The federal government is rolling out a multi-tiered reparations package, which will cover claims for lost wages or health expenses of $5000 to $20,000 and even more for death.

Vaccine experts are already calling for the scheme to be expanded to cover adverse events from all childhood and other vaccines.

The scheme will have two levels. The first level will reimburse anyone who can prove they paid at least $5000 out of pocket on healthcare or lost earnings as a result of a poor reaction to the jab. This part of the scheme will be capped at $20,000.

A second level will provide compensation of more than $20,000 to families of those who died from AstraZeneca-vaccine associated blood clots and those who suffered heart problems from mRNA jabs — either Pfizer or Moderna.

In order to claim the money, a doctor will have to verify the person has been afflicted by one or more listed conditions associated with the vaccine.

For claims between $5000 and $20,000, applicants need to have been hospitalised for at least one night, will need to provide applicable evidence of their medical costs or lost wages.

The evidence requirements for claims $20,000 and over, including death, are still being developed.

More than 25 countries around the world such as the US, UK, Germany, Japan and New Zealand have had no fault vaccine compensation schemes, some for over 30 years but Australia has never indemnified its population.

Professor Julie Leask from The University of Sydney. Picture: Supplied

“With vaccination we’re asking the public to do the right thing by others, and so, it’s right for the government to look after the very small number of people who might have a vaccine injury that requires compensation,” University of Sydney vaccine expert Professor Julie Leask, who has been an advocate for a compensation scheme, said.

Such schemes are also likely to boost confidence in vaccination and provide cover for workers who now face mandatory vaccination requirements for their jobs.

Overseas schemes cover all vaccines endorsed by their governments, in Australia it will be just the Covid jab that is covered.

“It’s not logical for us to think that it’s fair to have a scheme for Covid vaccines only when other vaccines can also cause serious yet very rare adverse events and I certainly hope that in the future the government will implement a broader scheme,” Professor Leask said.

In the US the average payout under its vaccine compensation scheme was $257,013 in 2021.

In the UK people can claim up to $222,000 (120,000 pounds).

The US government funds its scheme charging pharmaceutical companies a levy of US75 cents ($A1) on each vaccine dose.

Vaccine side effects are extremely rare but do happen. Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP

Severe side effects to vaccines are extremely rare but they do happen.

The nation’s medicines watchdog the Therapeutic Goods Administration has recorded just over 1100 serious adverse events to all three Covid vaccines available in Australia out of more than 31 million doses administered.

The Pfizer shot has been linked to 269 reports of suspected myocarditis (swelling of the heart muscle) alone or in combination with pericarditis (swelling of the heart tissue), and an additional 725 reports of suspected pericarditis alone.

Moderna is linked to one case of suspected myocarditis and 13 reports of suspected pericarditis.

For AstraZeneca there have been 152 cases of a rare blood clotting syndrome TTS and eight people have died as a result. In Australia, the risk of dying from TTS after vaccination is approximately one in a million.

“The cap on the no fault claim for the Government’s Covid compensation scheme is reasonable given people can always take the alternate path and sue if they believe the damages warrant greater compensation,” Consumer’s Health Forum CEO Leanne Wells said.