A British family has won an appeal against the government's vaccine damage payment scheme, nearly three years after the death of a man named John. The scheme has now conceded that a COVID vaccine caused the symptoms he suffered and that he was disabled enough to qualify for a payout of 120,000 pounds. The decision marks the end of a long battle for recognition by his family.
John was an NHS pharmacist who, according to his family, strongly believed in vaccination as well as in a safety net that supports the small number of people who suffer rare complications. His doctors said he had suffered paralysing complications after receiving the COVID jab, leaving him seriously affected.
Despite his condition, John was initially turned down by the government's vaccine damage payment scheme. Overwhelmed by the situation, he took his own life. His family was left not only grieving his loss but also continuing the effort he had begun to have his case recognised by the authorities.
Almost three years on, that effort has finally succeeded. After the appeal, the scheme accepted that the vaccine had caused his symptoms and that he met the threshold of disability required for a payment, awarding the family 120,000 pounds. For them, the outcome was described as bittersweet, a victory that came far too late for John himself.
Members of the family said the fight was never about the money. For John, and for them, it was about accountability and about recognising what had happened, so that he could feel seen and heard. They spoke of wanting to tell him that they had done it, even though he is no longer there to hear it.
The family's solicitor said the case was not a one-off and that vaccine damage claims are being unfairly rejected, with many cases sitting in the system. While the government is already paying out to victims of the Post Office and infected blood scandals, there is no legal aid available for an appeal to the vaccine damage scheme, leaving families to take on the process largely on their own.
The COVID inquiry has criticised the scheme for the long delays families face in making a claim. A spokesperson for the Department of Health said ministers have met with a number of families and that the government is carefully considering their concerns, as well as the inquiry's recommendations on reform of the vaccine damage payment scheme. John's family, however, say they want more urgent action, arguing that if a case like this does not push the government to reform the scheme, little will.