Thankfully our Vaccination programme continues at pace and we are all looking forward to restrictions being lifted fully and life returning to normal.
Liam Moloney Solicitor, who has experience in advising vaccine injury victims said today “Vaccines are safe and will allow us to resume normal life but there can be very rare adverse reactions to them. This is why many countries have established Vaccine injury compensation schemes. These are generally no-fault schemes to compensate individuals who suffer very rare vaccine related injuries”.
Liam Moloney continued “Taoiseach Micheal Martin confirmed in the Dail last December the Government’s stated intention to establish a general vaccine injuries scheme here and further details of the scheme await the outcome of discussions between the Ministers for Health and Justice”.
Liam Moloney added “Vaccine Compensation Schemes encourage public confidence in vaccines and help reduce vaccine hesitancy. They also reduce the risk of costly, protracted and uncertain litigation for injured victims, vaccine manufacturers, the Irish State and the medical profession so this announcement is to be welcomed”.
European countries that already have vaccine injury compensation schemes are Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxemburg, Norway, Russia, Latvia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Poland and Spain are currently considering introducing a scheme for people who sustain serious health complications after vaccination against Covid-19.
Types of compensation in the European schemes vary between lump-sum payments, monetary redress based on medical care costs, loss of earnings, monetary compensation based on non-monetary criteria such as pain and suffering and mental distress.
Eligibility for compensation under schemes vary considerably across European countries with some countries requiring more strict criteria to be met than others. For example, in England the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 provides for a single, tax free payment of £120,000 to anyone who has suffered severe mental and or physical disablement because of a vaccination against one or more specified diseases. The scheme was recently amended so that from the 31st of December 2020 it includes Coronavirus vaccinations. The criteria is at least a 60% disablement.
Liam Moloney
Moloney Solicitors
4a North Main Street, Naas, Co Kildare
045 898000
*In Contentious business a Solicitor may not charge fees based on a percentage of an award or settlement.
* This article is a legal commentary and has not been published to promote the taking of any compensation claims against the State
