A public awareness event held at Stormont has heard claims that those who have suffered adverse reactions to Covid vaccines are being ignored by their political representatives.
The event, held on Tuesday at Parliament buildings, was organised by the advocacy group VIBS NI (Vaccine Injured and Bereaved Support group), and heard from a range of speakers, including North Antrim DUP politician, Paul Frew, and from Antrim couple, Sharon and Kenneth Kelso, who believe their daughter Ruth (23) died due to complications from the COVID vaccine.
Mr Frew said that he had heard from up to 100 constituents who reported suffering adverse reactions to Covid vaccinations. The Antrim MLA said that while he initially welcomed the Covid vaccine rollout, he started asking questions about possible adverse reactions when he was approached by a group of female constituents.
To date, there have been 5,166 reports of adverse reactions to the Covid vaccine made by people from Northern Ireland to the UK’s Yellow Card scheme, while over 21,000 such reports have been made to the State regulator in the Republic.
The State regulator, in its latest report, said that a total of 14,081 reports related to mRNA vaccines – licensed under Moderna and Pfizer BioNTech – (Comirnaty® and Spikevax®). 6,738 reports related to Adenoviral vector vaccines – licensed under AstraZeneca – Vaxzevria® and Jcovden® [previously Janssen]).
A further 356 reports were received where the brand of Covid vaccine was unknown or not specified, while 7 reports related to a recombinant adjuvanted spike protein vaccine (Nuvaxovid®).
In the report, the State regulator notes that “whilst not experienced by everyone, all vaccines have some side effects, the vast majority of which are mild to moderate in nature.”
There have been four confirmed vaccine-related deaths in Northern Ireland, confirmed by the Coroner’s Office.
In Northern Ireland, the figures were released by the Medicines and Healthcare products Authority Regulatory under Freedom of Information. The Yellow Card scheme accepts reports from patients – including self-reporting – and from healthcare professionals.
“My journey started like all politicians, welcoming new medicine, the opportunity to take new medicine. I had my questions and my doubts about lockdown philosophy. I was asking questions; I was being a thorn in the side but we were all told that this vaccine would unlock the country and free the people. It didn’t. We continued along the path of lockdown,” Mr Frew said.
The MLA spoke about how VIBS NI (vaccine injured bereaved support) had hoped to hold an event inside Stormont, but failed to secure the cross-party sponsorship needed to do so.
“We have been trying to hold a meeting in the long gallery where all sorts of charities meet on a daily basis to raise awareness.”
The MLA claims that leadership within Sinn Fein and the SDLP have refused to sponsor the meeting, and have told their MLAs not to sign for an event for the vaccine injured.
“That is absolutely shameful,” he said. “But we have kept all the receipts. We keep pushing on and on, so that you guys, instead of standing out in the cold, can sit down in comfort and raise your issues with politicians, with health officials, the CMO, and the Health Minister. They go to all sorts of events but yet they won’t meet you.”
“We all know as we move on that there are vast numbers of people who have been impacted, to a lesser or larger degree in this country,” he said of the Covid vaccine rollout.
“The yellow card scheme is only a part of that story,” he said. “Because most of the people who I have met who have been vaccine injured didn’t report their symptoms to the yellow card scheme. Some of them didn’t even know it existed. They weren’t advised by their GPs or medical practitioners to do so,” he said.
The unionist politician claimed there had been a “blanket silence” from medical practitioners regarding adverse incidents.
“Many of them [doctors and medical practitioners] who have spoken to me privately have said they are afraid to speak out. The politicians behind us here don’t really want to address the truth, even though they know it.”
Mr Frew further claimed that “many politicians” with seats in Stormont had assisted vaccine injured people, and had tried to give them a clear pathway of care.
“They may not know the scale or the numbers, but they know that there are people who have been injured by a vaccine.”
Mr Frew said that the nature of the joint office meant that a meeting had not been held between the group and politicians.
He claimed that Michelle O’Neill of Sinn Fein “refuses” to give Emma Little-Pengelly a date and a time to meet with the group. He said that incoming Health Minister Mike Nesbitt is also yet to confirm a date to meet.
“We’ll keep knocking on his door until he gives us that meeting,” he said. Mr Frew said that those injured by Covid vaccines shared similar struggles to those who had suffered because of the infected blood scandal and the Post Office scandal in Britain.
“All of these scandals break, and when they break, it’s nearly like a flipping of the coin,” he said.
Mr Frew said that the time would come when people who had suffered adverse reactions would be recognised by their politicians.
“It is a matter of time,” he said.
“I have met people with all kinds of symptoms, and I continue to fight day and night for those people so that they can have a voice, and so that we can get them a clear pathway to care,” Mr Frew said. He added that people also needed recognition as well as a “decent rate” of compensation.
“I am the only politician standing here today,” he said. “There are so many politicians behind me in this building who are actually culpable.”
Members of VIBS NI, speaking at the event, said that there had been a lack of informed consent around the vaccine rollout, and that the efficacy of vaccines had not been established.
One speaker said that attempts had been made to sweep people under the carpet, and said that there had been “serious propaganda” employed.
“Politicians need to step up to the mark and acknowledge everyone who got the vaccine, either by being coerced, or through serious propaganda.”
The organisation, in a direct address to Northern Ireland’s First and Deputy First Ministers, called for an investigation to be opened regarding informed consent.
“The main question is why people have not been told about confirmed death, suspected deaths, and serious adverse reactions prior to receiving these injections. We call upon the First and Deputy First Minister to open a full investigation into why our health department did not give individuals all the information prior to them signing consent forms and receiving these vaccines.”
Setting out a list of demands, VIBS NI also called for the setting up of “proper pathways” for injured people to access care.
“Stop gaslighting them – recognise them,” they said.
They also called on the current NI health minister to put a halt to the administration of Covid vaccines, as well as making it easier and faster for people to claim compensation. In addition, VIBS NI said they believe that compensation for injured and bereaved parties must be increased.
At present, there is a cap of £120,000, something the group believes is “not fit for purpose.”
“5,166 serious adverse reactions is not a laughing matter. These vaccines need to be halted, and they need to be halted immediately,” they said.
A number of people who say they have been injured or lost a loved one to the vaccine spoke at the two-hour long event, including Antrim couple Sharon and Kenneth Kelso.
Sharon and Ken believe their daughter Ruth died due to complications from the COVID vaccine. Ruth was only 23 at the time of her death.
The couple said that she had felt pressure to get vaccinated, and did so to attend a music festival in England. She died suddenly seven months later, with the official cause of her death recorded as Addison’s disease.
“We’re standing here on behalf of our daughter, Ruth,” the couple said.
Ken and Sharon believe their daughter Ruth died due to complications from the COVID injection. She was only aged 23. She had no previous health conditions, and her parents waited eight months for the full coroner’s report.
The coroner, in the report, said that Ruth’s adrenal glands had been destroyed and her death was recorded as being due to Adison’s disease. The couple believe that the administration of a vaccine dose should have been considered in the report.
They argue that Adison’s disease does not completely destroy a person’s adrenal glands. Sharon, a retired nurse, and her husband, say that the coroner did not take into account the fact Ruth had received one Pfizer vaccine despite having been given the information. They say they do believe the gland tissue should have been tested for the presence of a spike protein.
“That was not looked at or considered,” they said. Following the closure of Ruth’s case, the couple were referred back to their GP. The couple say that their GP assisted them in filling out a yellow card report on behalf of their daughter and to reach out again to the coroner’s office. While the Kelsos say they have done so, they told Gript that they have heard nothing back.
“We, to this day, have got no reply from the coroner’s office,” they said.
The event also heard from one young mother who says she has been diagnosed with a blood clot, as well myocarditis and pericarditis.
Justine said that while she had been due to go on holiday that morning with her two young sons, the holiday had been cancelled as her doctor had advised her against flying owing to the heart condition.
She said that while she had been advised to go home and rest post diagnosis, there had been no follow up with medics. Things remain a struggle, she said, due to breathlessness and continued spells in hospital.
“There is no follow up. I’ve had no follow up appointment. Where do I go? Another A&E for 16 or 17 hours to be told ‘No, just go home.’ Something really needs to be done here because we’re struggling, and where do we go. How do we get help?”
Justine said she had been promised “time and time” again by nationalist politicians for support. However, the young mum claimed this has not happened so far, meaning she has “lost faith” in the political system.
“I’m constantly, on a daily basis, struggling mentally, physically, emotionally. It’s just hit me in so many different ways.”
“Our politicians – those in the building behind us – are just ignoring us. Constantly ignoring us. And I just want answers as to why they coerced me into getting this vaccine. I’ve had enough now to the point where I’m about to crack.’