The COVID pandemic was a difficult time for all of us. We saw the devastation that wracked Britain, the overcrowded wards, the empty streets. Our entire way of life was upended. When the vaccine offered us a way back to normality, most of us did our civic duties to protect those around us and got one shot, a second shot, and a booster shot. But there are an unfortunate few who, while doing the right thing, suffered adverse consequences including injury and death. Now, for their losses, these people are rightly owed compensation. But the UK Government would rather bury these calls for justice. This week at Find Others, we highlight Vaccine Injured Bereaved campaign group (VIB) and their quest to fight for a bespoke financial compensation scheme.

VIB

VIB is an action group formed of 95 individuals and families who have either been severely injured or bereaved as a direct result of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine in the UK. They are campaigning for the government to create a bespoke COVID-19 compensation scheme to ensure that those adversely affected by the vaccine are appropriately compensated, and emotionally and medically supported through the life changes and the grief that this caused. They are not anti-vaccination but pro fairness: central to their campaign is the notion that providing financial compensation is the fair, moral and equitable thing to do. After all, what happened to them could have happened to any of us. Their family members were simply doing the right thing. 

The stories

Please read some of the touching stories of those unfortunately affected by the vaccine:

Why do VIB need a bespoke compensation scheme?

We understand how painful the past year or so has been for members of VIB, but what do they want exactly?

VIB is fighting for a bespoke compensation scheme that is different from the current Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) run by the UK Government. The VDPS provides a one-off, tax-free payment to successful applicants where, on very rare occasions, vaccination has caused severe disablement. The average non-COVID-19 related claim takes around 6 months to investigate and process from the date the NHS receives a claimant’s application form and requests their medical records. There are a few reasons why the current VDPS is unfit for purpose in regards to COVID-19 vaccine disablement:

1. Indemnities: the current Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS), which covers all vaccines in circulation, still allows claimants to take civil action against vaccine manufacturers. For Covid vaccines however, the Government indemnified the manufacturers, making it difficult to pursue a claim for damages through the courts.

2. Criteria: there is a 60% disablement criteria under the VDPS. Many applicants will have significant injuries and may be disabled up to 59% and yet, based on the current scheme, they will have no access to funds via the VDPS. 

3. Pandemic: the pandemic was an unprecedented situation, which highlights the need for a bespoke scheme. The job of VDPS is to provide the affected families with a payment, but so far not one payment has been made.

What would the compensation scheme do?

VIB wishes the compensation scheme to do the following:

1. Remove the limited eligibility criteria of the VDPS. If there is an official diagnosis, a death certificate, or other medically confirmed evidence that injury or bereavement has resulted from COVID-19 vaccination, then this should make individuals eligible for compensation.

2. Ensure compensation awarded is comparable with a damages award achieved through civil litigation. The VDPS payment is £120,000 but when it is to cover a lifetime of lost earnings for a bereaved family or ongoing medical support for those injured/unable to work, that money would not go far and is not comparable to civil litigation.

3. Ensure those affected are emotionally and medically supported through the life changes and/or grief this has caused. The conditions of the severely injured are lifelong and life limiting.
   

Recent developments

There has been some good news in the quest to find justice for those adversely affected by the vaccine. On the 12th May, Chair of the COVID-19 Inquiry Baroness Hallett wrote to the Prime Minister about proposed changes to the Terms of Reference for the Inquiry. The Inquiry has the power to explore the biggest issues around the handling of the COVID pandemic, and the Terms of Reference set the outline for the Inquiry. The Inquiry held a four-week consultation with bereaved families and representatives from different sectors of the public. It received over 20,000 responses about what the Inquiry should look at.

VIB wrote to the Inquiry to request that the adverse reactions to the vaccine and the inadequacy of the VDPS be added to the terms of reference. The additions that Baroness Hallett has recently recommended, which can be found at the bottom of page 12 and 13 on the Final Consultation Summary Report, reflect the feelings and experiences shared during the consultation:

“Many of the responses shared with the Inquiry focused on the vaccination scheme. In the Inquiry’s consideration of the vaccination scheme, we will consider all aspects of the vaccination rollout, including adverse reactions and side-effects as well as the adequacy of compensation arrangements for such cases. 12 Baroness Hallett recommends reflecting consideration of the impact of vaccines by amending the Terms of Reference to reflect:

● the development, delivery and impact of therapeutics and vaccines”

Even though there has thankfully been some recognition that the victims must be given what they’re rightfully owed, the Government is still taking too long in rectifying the issue. The VIB cause is important because every single person in the group stepped forward and had the vaccination just as the Government asked them to do. Millions had the vaccine, but for a small percentage it caused irrevocable devastation. We cannot ignore these circumstances even though the vaccine did so much for so many people. In fact, to not address where the vaccine has had an adverse effect, and to not give full support to victims of vaccine injury and their families, will only fuel vaccine hesitancy in the future.

Sarah Moore, Partner at Hausfeld Law firm, also said this about the Government’s hesitancy to deliver compensation:

“Hausfeld have been working with those within VIB UK for over a year: As a group they have suffered significant injury and/or bereavement as a result of vaccination. They are a very small minority, the unlucky few, for whom the UK’s vaccination programme did not offer a positive outcome. However, just because they are minority this does not mean that their calls for redress and reform of the VDPS should be ignored by the Government. Find Others has provided a platform through which VIB UK can take greater ownership of their campaign and increase their outreach to others affected”

VIB spoke to Find Others and offered this appeal to the general public: 

“Our group is still dealing with bereavement, ongoing illness, caring for loved ones, rehabilitation, the trauma of what has happened and then the added worry of how to pay the bills as some are no longer able to work or have lost the main earner within their family. For the sake of our loved ones, we are all determined to fight for what is ethically and morally right and fair. We must be acknowledged and fairly compensated for the devastating loss and injuries that we and our loves ones have all endured for stepping forward and doing what we were all told was ‘the right thing’. Now it is down to the UK Government to ‘do the right thing’ and acknowledge that we exist and to help us quickly. We have all been waiting over a year already, and that is why we need everyone to support our campaign and to bring awareness to this serious issue. What would you do if it was your loved one?”

Please support this cause – the least the Government can do is acknowledge the debt owed to the adversely affected who thought that they were stepping up and doing their duty for their society. Justice must be found for people like Jamie, Lucy and Roger so that their families can finally move on from this tragedy.

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