Some 14,000 people in the United Kingdom who have been harmed by the COVID-19 shots have filed for compensation from the British government. The claims list heart attacks and strokes among injuries following receipt of COVID shots.1
To date, a one-time pay-out of €120,000 has been given to victims in 175 cases.2 The COVID shot injury victims who have received compensation suffered from strokes, heart attacks, inflammation of the spinal cord, excessive swelling of the arm where the shot was received, facial paralysis and blood clots. Only two percent of COVID shot victims who have filed a claim have received compensation from the British government.3
Ninety-seven percent of those who were awarded vaccine injury compensation received AstraZeneca/Oxford University’s Vaxzevria vaccine. The British government pushed the AstraZeneca vaccine even after safety warnings were issued about blood clots forming after vaccination. Vaxzevria was discontinued in many other European countries.4 5 In April 2021, labeling information about Vaxzevria was updated by European Union and U.K. regulators to include mention of the deadly blood clotting/bleeding disorder as a possible side-effect, although health officials said it was a rare complication.
U.K. regulators reviewed the details of 18 fatalities among 62 reported cases of clotting in the sinuses that drain blood from the brain and 24 cases of clotting in the abdomen following receipt of Vaxzevria and suggested that people under age 30 should use other types of COVID shots. However, government officials still recommended that those who had already received the first Vaxzevria dose, be offered the second dose.6
The U.K. relies on their Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) to compensate victims of vaccine injury. While the vast majority of claims that have been filed are due to the COVID shots, more than 5,500 of those claims have been outright rejected and 519 dismissed before having a medical assessment as of late August 2024. Many of the claims were denied because the victim was not considered “disabled enough.”
A vaccine injury victim must be at least 60 percent disabled to qualify for compensation in the UK. More than seven-hundred claimants have not received a decision in more than a year.7 Only 12 claimants had their cases reversed upon appeal.8
Recently, AstraZeneca, the largest and most profitable pharmaceutical company in Europe, removed Vaxzeveria from the market after company officials admitted in court documents that the vaccine can cause the blood disorder thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) in “very rare cases.” TTS is an immune disorder associated with Vaxzevria and which is sometimes referred to as VITT (vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia). VITT causes blood clots and low platelet counts that have led to the injury and death of Vaxzevria recipients.
Despite clinical trials of Vaxzevria conducted by AstraZeneca in the U.S., Vaxzevria was never approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the U.S.9 10
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Click here to view References:2 Upadhayyay P. UK faces rising claims for COVID-19 vaccine damages; over 14,000 seek compensation. Wion Aug. 17, 2024.
3 Ibid.
4 Wolfisz F. Thousands apply for government compensation over alleged vaccine harm. Daily Mail Aug. 22, 2024.
5 Dean G, Schuster-Bruce C.. Sweden joins Germany, France, and 15 other countries in suspending AstraZeneca’s vaccine over possible side effects. Business Insider Mar. 16, 2021.
6 Hendler C. AstraZeneca Admits Vaxzevria COVID Vaccine Can Cause Fatal Side Effects. The Vaccine Reaction May, 20, 2024.
7 Upadhayyay P. UK faces rising claims for COVID-19 vaccine damages; over 14,000 seek compensation. Wion Aug. 17, 2024.
8 BoWolfisz F. Thousands apply for government compensation over alleged vaccine harm. Daily Mail Aug. 22, 2024.
9 Hendler C. AstraZeneca Admits Vaxzevria COVID Vaccine Can Cause Fatal Side Effects. The Vaccine Reaction May, 20, 2024.
10 Mendick R. AstraZeneca admits its Covid vaccine can cause rare side effect in court documents for first time. The Telegraph Apr. 28, 2024.