Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has informed members of the Dáil, the lower house of the Irish parliament, that the government is working on a compensation scheme for individuals who have experienced vaccine-related injuries.
The spokesperson for the agency responsible for handling claims against the health service stated that information on the specific vaccine manufacturers involved in these cases is not currently available. It is expected that this information will become clearer as legal action progresses.
Additionally, some individuals may have received different COVID-19 vaccines, further complicating the identification of the specific manufacturer. Ireland, along with other EU states, has indemnified vaccine manufacturers as part of advanced purchase agreements.
As of March 31, the Irish medicines watchdog has received over 21,000 reports of suspected side effects associated with COVID-19 vaccines. However, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) emphasized that conclusions regarding vaccine safety cannot be drawn solely from these reports.
The European Medicines Agency has stated that authorized COVID-19 vaccines in the EU and European Economic Area are “safe and effective,” with reported side effects being outweighed by the benefits of protection against severe disease and death.
Some of the commonly reported side effects include headache, fever, fatigue, and muscle pain. However, certain more serious side effects such as anaphylaxis and Guillain-Barre syndrome are being closely monitored.
Minister Donnelly confirmed that work is ongoing to establish a vaccine damage scheme, with officials currently addressing related policy matters. The establishment of such a scheme was recommended by an expert group in 2020.
