TORONTO -- Three months after it was announced, details remain sparse about a federal fund meant to provide assistance in the rare event someone experience a serious side effect from a COVID-19 vaccine.
On Dec. 10, 2020, the federal government announced it would launch a pan-Canadian vaccine injury support program to provide no-fault support to anyone who might experience a serious injury from a COVID-19 vaccine.
鈥淭he program will ensure that all Canadians have to have fair access to support in the rare event that they experience an adverse reaction to a vaccine,鈥 the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) wrote in a news release at the time.
Three months later, no additional details of the program have been announced. In a statement, the PHAC said the government is 鈥渟eeking to select an experienced third party鈥 to administer the program, and that .
鈥淧HAC is currently evaluating the proposals received,鈥 the statement read. 鈥淢ore details on the program will be provided when available.鈥
These programs offer funding in the rare event someone experiences a serious side-effect to a vaccine, while at the same time helping pharmaceutical companies to produce vaccines without fear of liability in these circumstances.
鈥淚f you鈥檝e received the vaccine and you've suffered from severe adverse effects as a result of the vaccine, or what鈥檚 believed to be as a result of the vaccine, then there is some sort of funding for you,鈥 Jasmine Daya, a personal injury lawyer and managing partner of Jasmine Daya & Co., explained in a phone interview with CTVNews.ca.
鈥淭he scheme can take many forms. It can be a lump sum. It can be a payment 鈥 a form of payment plan over a term -- but it's really up to the government to decide how they want to implement it, how they want to structure it, (and) how the approval process will occur.鈥
While serious reactions are extremely rare -- less than one in a million, according to PHAC -- they have happened.
One of Daya鈥檚 clients, a 58-year-old personal support worker, received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in January and almost immediately experienced light-headedness, dizziness, and swelling of her lips and tongue. Eventually, the symptoms progressed to a weakness in her leg, numbness and tingling, and a facial droop.
While some of these symptoms have since subsided, Daya鈥檚 client has ongoing numbness and tingling on one side of her body to the point that she finds it difficult to work.
鈥She is deeply concerned,鈥 Daya said. 鈥淪he's the mother of four. Her youngest has a disability and she needs to work -- like many of us -- in order to support herself and her family.鈥
鈥淭he reason that this is so scary for my client is because if she stops working due to having taken this vaccine and having this adverse effect, how is she supposed to support herself? I mean, this is no fault of her own that she obtained this vaccine.鈥
CANADA LAGS BEHIND OTHER NATIONS
Canada is the only G7 nation without a no-fault vaccine fund, though Quebec has had a provincial program since 1987. The World Health Organization provides a in the COVAX program.
鈥淲e've been lagging behind in in many fronts in terms of COVID-19. Look at where we stand in this great country with vaccine administration,鈥 Daya said. 鈥It's shocking to me that we are so far behind so many countries.鈥
In the U.S., claims are processed through the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP), which looks at cases of serious injuries caused by vaccines, medications or medical devices during a pandemic, epidemic or security threat.
Critics have noted that the CICP is much less generous than the U.S.鈥 other vaccine injury department, the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), as it only compensates for the most serious injuries and has a higher burden of proof than the VICP. Claims must also be processed within one-year of receiving the vaccine,
In the U.K., anyone who can prove they鈥檝e been disabled as a result of the COVID-19 vaccine is eligible to receive a tax-free lump sum of up to £120,000 through the country鈥檚 national Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme (VDPS). There are issues with the U.K. system as well as the application process can be complicated and the VDPS rejects upwards of 65 per cent of claims,
鈥淭here is no perfect program,鈥 Daya said. 鈥淭here is no perfect system, but I truly believe that a vaccine injury compensation program with a fund is -- regardless of it not being perfect -- something is better than nothing for these individuals.鈥
Daya said Canadians may never know what has taken so long for Canada to implement such a program.
鈥淚 recognize that the government at all levels have several competing matters to deal with, but the vaccine injury compensation program should be prioritized, not only to assist those with severe adverse effects but also to instill public confidence, especially those with vaccine hesitancy,鈥 she said in an email.
According to CTVNews.ca鈥檚 national vaccine tracker, 7.26 per cent of Canadians have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
