We’ve heard some of the heartbreaking horror stories of complications and conditions from the COVID-19 vaccine here in the U.S. We could soon begin to hear them from our Aussie cousins.
Even in the vaccine police state that is Australia, inmates — sorry, citizens — are beginning to report their adverse reactions to the ‘Rona shot. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that over 10,000 people have filed claims with the Australian government over injuries and other conditions that the vaccine may have brought on.
The government is setting up an online portal for Aussies to report any adverse reactions. They will compensate vaccine victims for medical costs and lost wages.
The paper spoke to an attorney who said that the claims could be huge:
Shine Lawyers head of medical negligence Clare Eves said the amount of the claims “could be really significant” for people who experienced rare but serious adverse vaccine reactions, such as stroke and inflammation of the heart.
“Adverse events, even though they happen to a tiny proportion of people, for the people it does impact it’s really quite devastating,” Ms Eves said.
The Australian government noted that most of the over 78,000 people who have reported their injuries experienced mild side effects, and nine people have died from the vaccine. But the 10,000-plus who have had significant issues could have expensive claims.
Ms Eves said significant brain or cardiac injury could result in a claim in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
“When you’re dealing with something like a stroke, you could have someone who is a truck driver and can’t go back to work, or an accountant who can’t process big numbers anymore,” she said.
“In severe cases, people go on to have multiple strokes and may need 24-hour care.”
The total bill to the government could reach the $50 million mark.
The government is setting up panels to evaluate claims and determine how much to pay victims. Australia didn’t include vaccine injury compensation into this year’s budget, so claimants may have to wait until next year to receive any money.
Related: Queensland Prison Blues: Unvaxxed Australians Brace for More Restrictions
Back in August, the Herald downplayed the notion of reactions to the vaccine, because, hey, they may not even be caused by the shot:
Health authorities across the country are collecting and analysing global data on any negative reactions that occur after people are vaccinated. Officially, these are all called adverse events, not side effects, because they are not always directly linked to the immunisation itself.
In the meantime, those who haven’t lined up to receive their jab are being treated like persona non grata, denied access to many of the freedoms Australians take for granted. It’s not just happening Down Under; Austria is in the midst of a draconian lockdown of the unvaxxed.
Yet all we hear is praise for the vaccine, even as real people are suffering real adverse effects. And that’s because all that matters is the narrative.
