020 7650 1200

Medical Consultation

Covid Inquiry to hear from representative of those seriously injured or bereaved as a result of AstraZeneca vaccine

The wife of a man left with brain damage after receiving the AstraZeneca (AZUK) vaccine is due to give evidence to Module 4 of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on Wednesday 15 January 2025.

Posted on 13 January 2025

Kate Scott and her husband Jamie are Core Participants at the Covid Inquiry as it investigates the impact of the pandemic on the adult social care sector across the UK.   

They are part of a group of 50 claimants represented by law firm Leigh Day who have been seriously injured or bereaved as a result of a side-effect of the AZUK Covid-19 vaccine.

Jamie, father to two boys, suffered vaccine-induced Thrombocytopenia and Thrombosis (VITT) and has been left with permanent brain damage and disability after he received the AZUK vaccine in April 2021.

Module 4 of the inquiry will look at issues relating to the development of Covid-19 vaccines and the implementation of the vaccine rollout programme in the UK.

Kate is due to provide evidence on behalf of Vaccine Injured and Bereaved UK (VIBUK), a group of individuals and families severely injured or bereaved as a result of receiving a Covid-19 vaccine.

VIBUK are campaigning for the government to reform the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS), which they argue the support it offers is too little, too late, and goes to too few people.

To currently be eligible for VDPS compensation, capped at £120,000, applicants must meet a 60 per cent disability threshold, based on what lawyers have labelled “outdated” concepts of industrial injury and disablement. 

The issue was the focus of a BBC documentary highlighting the plight of families whose loved ones suffered a severe and life-changing effect after being given the AZUK vaccine.

Last year, three women including Kate, whose loved ones lost their lives or suffered life-changing injuries after receiving the vaccine met with Health Secretary Wes Streeting to make their case for a reform of the VDPS.  

This came after AZUK formally admitted its COVID-19 vaccine can cause a rare side-effect known as Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS).  

The Health Secretary has now written to Kate, saying he has “commissioned officials to work up a number of options” to reform the current VDPS.

Leigh Day is working with VIBUK and other prominent academics and politicians, including former Attorney General Sir Jeremy Wright MP, to push to reform the scheme.

Sarah Moore said:  

“To date, the mainstream narrative around vaccines is that they are always a positive intervention. Whilst that is very often true, it is also important that the inquiry understands that for a significant number of people, the AstraZeneca vaccine had a devastating impact on their health, causing in some instances death and life-changing injury. Recognising that fact, and considering how those affected can be properly supported, is an important issue to address for future pandemic preparedness and as part of a wider conversation concerning vaccine confidence and public health policy.”

Profile
Sarah Moore
International Product safety

Sarah Moore

Leading international and product safety lawyer

News Article
Astrazeneca Vaccine Injection
International Vaccine Covid-19

AstraZeneca formally admits that its COVID-19 vaccine can cause rare side effect

In court documents, AstraZeneca has admitted for the first time that its covid vaccine can cause a rare side-effect.

News Article
Carer With Elderly Woman
Covid-19 Human rights Care homes

Covid Inquiry to hear “harrowing tales” of people’s experiences of healthcare during pandemic

Julia Jones is due to give evidence to Module 3 of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on Tuesday 29 October 2024 on behalf of John’s Campaign, Care Rights UK and the Patients Association.