UK government must help people hurt by vaccines, say British Medical Journal study authors
The UK government has been urged to better acknowledge and provide for a small number of people that were left seriously ill from the Covid vaccine.
Paul Bennett, professor emeritus of human and health sciences at the University of Swansea, has made the plea following his study of the experiences of people who became sick as a result of the Covid jab, published in the British Medical Journal.
A very small percentage of those who received the jab suffered from life-threatening blood clots in various parts of the body, and the study details their struggles since, saying they have experienced “multiple health, financial, social and psychological losses” that have been compounded by “limited governmental and societal recognition of the problems they face”.
The government needs to “acknowledge that a minority of people have been seriously affected as a result of the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, and experienced significant and long-term physical and mental health problems,” Bennett told Research Professional News.
Government ‘gaslighting’
Those with sickness caused by the jab, also known as vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT), suffered from symptoms including loss of limbs, paralysis, chronic headaches and seizures or disturbed consciousness.
The study of 14 people with a verified diagnosis of VITT finds that many felt the government was “gaslighting” their experiences as there was a lack of recognition of the illness.
One of the participants, who cannot be named, said they get “very angry about the lack of acknowledgement [and] support. [It is] horrific. No human being should be put through this,” they said.
Participants said that governmental guidelines on the control of anti-vax messages has led to “minimal reporting of their conditions in the mainstream media”, according to the study.
There were no media reports on this paper showing up on Google search at the time of publishing, despite it being circulated to the UK’s science journalists via the Science Media Centre on 12 July.
Those with VITT were “keen” to make the point they were not anti-vax, the study says. All the participants said they were clearly “pro-vax” at some point as their condition was caused by the vaccination.
Another one of the study authors, Beverley Hunt, a consultant in thrombosis and haemostasis and clinical lead for haematological laboratory services at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said the paper “describes for the first time what a difficult time this group have had. It makes harrowing reading.”
“We would love for this group to get more understanding of their difficult position,” added Hunt, who is also professor of thrombosis and haemostasis at King’s College London.
Lack of financial support
Those left ill by the Covid jab also experienced “deficiencies” in financial provisions, according to the study.
Bennett explained that many have been so affected by the vaccine that they are either unable to work altogether or unable to work to their previous capacity.
Compensation through the government’s Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme has proven “difficult to obtain, with most participants still awaiting a decision over a year after initiating a claim, even in cases where there has been significant damage and critical levels of financial stress”, the study says.
It adds that some symptoms of VITT, such as poor concentration and fatigue, do not fit easily into the benefit system, which means receiving state benefits has been difficult for those with VITT.
The UK government is set to pay out over £11.5 million in Covid-19 vaccine damages to nearly 100 claimants, according to recent official data released by the NHS Business Services Authority. At least 38 of those were for vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis/cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.
The study also finds that participants viewed having the vaccination as “supporting a governmental policy and as a way of supporting the wider health of the population.
“But the government had not reciprocated this personal commitment when people had experienced the negative effects of the vaccine, and nor was it taking the plight of those affected seriously.”
Bennett told Research Professional News that many people with VITT are in their forties, which means being unable to work impacts on their ability to maintain mortgages and manage their family finances.
He called for more “adequate and timely” financial support for those with VITT.
Need for continued care
Beyond the reported lack of government support, the study also finds that those with VITT had difficulties accessing appropriate treatment when they first became ill and are struggling with ongoing symptoms.
One participant said their GP told them she did not have VITT when she first sought treatment. According to the participant, the GP said VITT is “fake news [and] impossible”.
“Many feel abandoned by the healthcare system, fearful of their future health, and unsure how much future health recovery is likely,” Bennett said.
He called for “continued care” from experts for the various health problems experienced by those with VITT—which varies according to the site of their clots and what they are suffering from.
Challenge for governments
More widely, the study finds there is a “challenge” for governments to provide accurate information on vaccines, while also tackling the spread of misinformation and allowing the voices of people who suffered life-changing reactions from the vaccine to be heard.
It adds that future mass vaccination programmes should consider not just the benefits, but also how to “respond directly and immediately to individuals damaged by [the vaccine]”.
“Such responses should include meaningful and rapid financial reparation, and the provision of relevant support services, both physical and psychological,” it says.
Bennett said the UK government should be “prepared that there may be people with problems following future vaccination programmes”. He added they should be “honest” in the information they provide about vaccines.
The government declined to comment beyond pointing at its Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.
According to data from the Office for National Statistics, 53 people in England and Wales have died from adverse effect to the Covid-19 vaccine, where it was noted as an underlying cause, and a further eight deaths have involved the Covid jab, meaning it was mentioned on the death certificate.
There have been fears from some members of the public about vaccine safety, but available evidence from clinical trials and subsequent evaluations consistently shows that, overall, Covid-19 vaccines are safe and effective in reducing Covid-19 deaths—despite extremely rare severe side-effects in some individuals.