Canada’s Vaccine Injury Assistance Program has approved or paid out more than $2.7 million to claimants since the program opened in 2021, according to new statistics.
To date, 50 vaccine-related serious and permanent injury claims authorized by Health Canada have been approved.
Between June 2021 and December 1, 2022, the program received 1,299 requests, 209 of which were determined inadmissible due to failure to meet eligibility criteria or incomplete information. .
Of the remaining requests, 221 were fully evaluated by the plan’s medical review board, while 48 were pending review by the medical review board, and 662 were pending. medical records collection process, which is often the longest step in the assessment process, according to the Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP).
VISP has previously released statistics for the summer, but this is the first time it has revealed the total amount of financial assistance paid to claimants to date.
The program was first announced in December 2020, officially starting to accept requests in June 2021.
To be eligible for compensation, you must have suffered serious and permanent disability related to a vaccine authorized by Health Canada for use in Canada after December 8, 2020.
The program includes all vaccines that help protect against preventable diseases, including but not limited to the COVID-19 vaccine.
It is not clear how much compensation each approved claimant received or what vaccines their claim relates to.
Serious or permanent injury is defined as “a serious, life-threatening, or life-changing injury that may require direct hospitalization or prolong an existing hospital stay and result in disability.” severe or persistent disability or incapacity to work, or where the result is a birth defect or death.”
Serious reactions to vaccines are rare. According to data from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), for example, only one in 10,000 people develops a serious reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the PHAC, there have been 52,203 reported adverse events following the COVID-19 vaccine in Canada since the vaccine’s rollout began, representing 0.056% of the total dose administered. This number includes any adverse reactions, including temporary rash, fatigue, pain at the injection site, and headache.
About 10,300 of these were considered serious side effects, representing 0.011% of the total dose.
More than 93 million doses have been administered in Canada as of November 2022.
It takes about 12 to 18 months for an average VISP request to be processed. For a person to receive compensation, they first need to read the eligibility requirements to see if their claim is covered, and then apply with the help of a doctor. The application will then be reviewed by a physician from VISP and may request additional medical records. Finally, a team of physicians will determine whether the vaccine in question is a possible cause of the indicated injury and whether the injury is severe and permanent to assess whether whether the applicant is eligible for financial assistance, along with the level of financial assistance. financial support.
VISP applies to people living in all provinces and territories, except Quebec, which has its own Quebec Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
According to VISP, the next time their number is released to the public, it will reflect the statistics until June 1, 2023.
