An online claim centre has opened for Canadians to report serious and permanent injuries from Health Canada-authorized vaccines.
The Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP) is funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, administered by Chabot Grant Thornton Consulting Inc. and has its claims overseen by unnamed medical experts. It may provide compensation to those deemed to be seriously injured by a vaccine, including the emergency use of the COVID-19 shots.
Since June 1 the program has received 774 claims. The medical review board has assessed 26 of those claims and approved eight as having a “probable” link between a vaccine and serious injury.
A serious and permanent injury is defined as a “severe, life-threatening or life-altering injury that may require in-person hospitalization, or a prolongation of existing hospitalization, and results in persistent or significant disability or incapacity, or where the outcome is a congenital malformation or death.”
Compensation includes: income replacement indemnities; injury indemnities; death benefits; coverage for funeral expenses; reimbursement of eligible costs such as otherwise uncovered medical expenses.
Total compensation is determined on a case by case basis and not disclosed.
Claims may be made by anyone receiving a vaccine in Canada after Dec. 8, 2020 and must be submitted within three years, with supporting medical documentation. An independent committee comprised of three physicians will review claimants’ medical records to determine if a probable link exists between the injury and the vaccine, according to the program.
Canada’s network of provincial public health agencies have issued 85.9 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Over 31.2 million Canadians (81.7%) have received at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
