Revamping COVID Vaccine Injury Compensation: Inquiry Chair Calls for Urgent Reform
Public inquiry chair Heather Hallett praises UK's COVID vaccine rollout but criticizes payment scheme, urging reform and higher compensation for those seriously injured by the jabs.
Heather Hallett, the chair of the public inquiry on the pandemic, has praised the UK's extraordinary feat in leading the world in biomedical sciences and developing and rolling out COVID-19 vaccines at scale. However, the inquiry has also found that the government must act urgently to reform the scheme for payments to the small minority of people seriously injured by the vaccines.
Hallett criticized the current payment scheme, which only allows those meeting a 60% disabled threshold to receive payouts. She has called for the maximum payouts to be almost doubled to at least £200,000, up from the current upper limit of £120,000.
The COVID-19 vaccine program in the UK has been hailed as a remarkable achievement, with the country emerging as a global leader in the development and rollout of these vital immunizations. However, the inquiry has highlighted the need to urgently address the shortcomings in the compensation scheme for those who have suffered serious vaccine-related injuries.
Hallett's report underscores the importance of ensuring that the small minority of individuals who have experienced adverse effects from the vaccines are adequately supported and compensated. The reform of the payment scheme is seen as a crucial step in addressing this issue and providing fair and appropriate assistance to those affected.
