Australia’s COVID-19 shot injury compensation system is under scrutiny, with injured individuals describing a slow, complex, and distressing process that has left many without timely support while their health and financial situations worsen.1 2
The federal government introduced the COVID-19 Vaccine Claims Scheme in 2021 as a “simple and quick” way to compensate people who experienced serious adverse reactions to COVID biologics. Officials promoted it as a safety net to maintain public confidence in the COVID biological rollout.
However, many claimants say the system has failed to meet those expectations. Applicants describe the process as “cruel,” “spiteful,” and overly complicated, requiring extensive documentation and repeated proof that their injuries were caused by the biologics.3
The scheme recognizes 11 specific vaccine-related conditions such as Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), pericarditis, myocarditis, and thrombosis with thrombocytopenia but only when they are linked to certain vaccine brands and meet strict eligibility requirements.4
One claimant, Chris Nemeth, developed a chronic autoimmune nerve condition after receiving an AstraZeneca COVID vaccine. He now relies on regular treatments to prevent paralysis and says the compensation process has been an exhausting bureaucratic battle. His claim took 498 days to receive an offer after submitting more than 1,000 pages of evidence. Nemeth stated:
We are people who in good faith took a vaccination and had an adverse reaction to it. And we were told in the unlikely event that you did have an adverse reaction, you’d be supported… I’ve lost a 30-year career, the relationship with my wife and my children has changed, the relationship with my wider family has changed. I’ve lost friends through the process—no amount of money can ever compensate for what I’ve lost.5
Melbourne-based lawyer Tanya Neilson said her team is assisting more than 150 people across Australia pursue compensation claims. She said:
Having worked as a personal injury lawyer for 20-odd years, I’ve never come across a scheme that is as complex and problematic as this. The policy is highly, highly complex, and it places a really significant evidentiary burden on applicants—meaning they have to prove over and over again that not only have they suffered an injury as a result of a vaccination, but that the injury is ongoing, when it is, and that they require support and care and medication and that they cannot work.6
To receive compensation, applicants must pass four stages of assessment, including confirmation of a recognized adverse reaction and multiple medical and legal reviews. However, Neilson says the process offers limited avenues for appeal. If a claimant disagrees with a decision, they can request only one internal review, with no option for an independent external review through a court or third party.7
Data highlights the scale of the issue. Of 4,962 claims submitted before the scheme closed in September 2024, only 522 were approved, while 2,482 were rejected, 1,045 withdrawn and 722 remaining unresolved. Many applicants had to wait two to three years for a decision.8
Current Delays, Worsening Health Outcomes and Threats Made to Vaccine Injured Claimants
As recently as April 2026, claimants say the compensation process is not only slow but is actively contributing to their suffering, with many describing it as repetitive, exhausting, and emotionally damaging. Sandra Byron, who is vaccine injured, has spent years navigating the scheme, says constant requests for further evidence create a cycle where claims fail to progress, with new material repeatedly demanded even after extensive documentation has been submitted. Her general practitioner said:
Her vaccine-induced conditions have been continually worsened by years of delays in settling her claim. They have denied her care and treatment and caused additional physical and psychological harm.
Byron’s psychiatrist added:
Her level of frustration is such that she feels they are trying to kill and torture her.9
Byron’s attorney Kirstin Smith also raised concerns about how complaints were handled within the scheme. In a formal complaint, it was alleged that Byron was told by a Services Australia staff member her claim had been delayed because she had raised concerns, and that making further complaints could slow the review process even more.10
For many claimants, the issue is not just the wait times but the outcome. Some report receiving compensation offers that fall far short of covering ongoing medical needs, reinforcing concerns that the system does not fully recognise the extent of their injuries.11
If you would like to receive an e-mail notice of the most recent articles published in The Vaccine Reaction each week, click here.
Click here to view References:1 Hartley T. COVID vaccine injury victims speak out about slow claims process and threats over complaints made to Services Australia. ABC Australia Apr. 2, 2026.
2 Hartley T. Thousands of Australians fighting ‘cruel’ battle for COVID vaccine injury compensation. ABC Australia Sept. 24, 2026.
3 Ibid.
4 Hartley T.. COVID vaccine injury victims speak out about slow claims process and threats over complaints made to Services Australia. ABC Australia Apr. 2, 2026.
5 Hartley T. Thousands of Australians fighting ‘cruel’ battle for COVID vaccine injury compensation. ABC Australia Sept. 24, 2026.
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid,
8 Ibid.
9 Hartley T. COVID vaccine injury victims speak out about slow claims process and threats over complaints made to Services Australia. ABC Australia Apr. 2, 2026.
10 Ibid.
11 Ibid.
One Response
I did not get the shot because I was blessed to hear the truth about it, and I didn’t take shots anyway. However, my all but one of my five children, and their families, took the shot, and it breaks my heart when I hear these testimonies.