A support group set up for those who have been injured or bereaved due to the Covid-19 vaccine say they are “astounded” that an awareness event planned by the group has been “prevented from taking place” by Stormont MLAs.
Vaccine Injured and Bereaved Support Northern Ireland (VIBS-NI) launched in August at an event held in the Europa Hotel in Belfast. The group say they are in the process of preparing a number of events to be held over the next year.
One of the events they have organised is an awareness event, to be held in the long gallery of Parliament Buildings at Stormont, which they say would bring together those who have been injured or bereaved due to the Covid-19 vaccine, alongside policy makers and legislators, including politicians and department officials.
They say the event hopes to “raise awareness of what people go through in a daily basis” after suffering a vaccine injury or bereavement. The group plan to have the event on Monday, 20th November.
However, rules around booking an event at Stormont mean organisers must secure three signatures from MLAs, including both the unionist and nationalist designation. VIBS-NI say they have secured signatures for the event to take place from a number of unionist MLAs, who are willing to sponsor the event.
The group say that for reasons which are unclear, no nationalist MLA has been prepared to sign to sponsor the event, which means that at this stage, it will not be able to take place. The group say MLAs from the SDLP have informed them that it is their party policy not to sign for such an event to take place at Parliament Buildings.
In a statement provided to Gript, the group said: “ VIBS-NI are absolutely astounded that an event that will benefit people impacted by medical injury, raise awareness of their suffering and to inform policy makers, has been prevented from taking place and effectively blocked by the SDLP and Sinn Fein.
“We have met and supported people from all walks of life, with different political philosophies and differing religions and none, it doesn’t and won’t make a difference to the support we deliver. There are many people injured by the Covid vaccine who feel isolated, alone and ignored.
“The attitude of these political parties and their treatment of people, many of whom may well have supported them in the past, is exactly the treatment that vaccine injured and bereaved have come to expect these past few years. It is horrendous.”
The group is calling on political parties to support the event to “ensure their constituents’ voices are heard.” They are calling on the SDLP specifically to remove their policy and allow their members to sign to sponsor the event.
“Likewise, we call on Sinn Fein to sign to ensure this event can take place,” VIBS-NI said on Friday. “We are a non-sectarian support group helping people from all backgrounds. We refuse to be a political football.
“People who have been injured or bereaved by the vaccine need support and assistance; they should not be ignored or cancelled.”
The organisation highlights three deaths confirmed by the Coroner related to Covid vaccination in Northern Ireland.
Gript have seen a copy of the Coroner’s letter, obtained by VIBS-NI, which states:
“There are three deaths reported to the CSNI for the period requested relating to the deaths that were reportable to the Coroner under the 1959 Act, where the Covid-19 vaccination was mentioned in the formulation of the death, and where the coroner’s case has been closed.”
This month in the UK, the official Covid inquiry heard that people injured or bereaved by Covid vaccines felt compelled to “speak in code online over censorship fears.”
The inquiry’s chair, Baroness Hallet, was told during a hearing that NHS workers were apprehensive about speaking out about side effects they had suffered from the jab, over fears they would face punishment from bosses for doing so.
As reported by The Telegraph, Anne Morris KC, representing VIBUK, told the hearing: “Censorship is a very real issue for the vaccine injured and bereaved.”
DELAYS TO VACCINE DAMAGES SCHEME
In Ireland, there has been criticism over delays to a plan for a vaccine-damages scheme.
In June, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly was asked in the Dáil whether the department was considering the creation of a no-fault vaccine injury compensation scheme, something which exists in other jurisdictions.
In response to the question from Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh, Minister Donnelly said that his Department, along with the HSE, were working “continuously” to “monitor and improve patient safety, reduce incidents of harm and to minimise risk.”
However, he told the Green Party TD that the resources needed to progress the scheme had been directed towards the public health response to Covid-19.
“Regarding a vaccine damage compensation scheme, during the pandemic, all available Department of Health resources were devoted to the Public Health response. This has meant that work in this area could not be progressed. Further scoping work is required to inform decision-making in this area. This remains under consideration by my Department,” Minister Donnelly said.
“With respect to vaccination, patients concerned with a possible side-effect or adverse reaction following a vaccination should, in the first instance, consult with their medical practitioner who can refer them as necessary to appropriate services following clinical assessment,” he added.
As far back as last September, Moloney and Co. Solicitors, a firm representing people claiming to have suffered serious adverse side effects from vaccines in Ireland, said the delay in establishing the scheme was “disappointing.”
“Many people who are suffering on-going symptoms and illness following vaccination have been left in a very vulnerable position because of the lack of a comprehensive compensation scheme. While vaccines are safe and have allowed us to resume normal life there can sometimes be very rare adverse reactions to them and many countries have established Vaccine injury compensation schemes,” solicitor Liam Moloney said.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) – which monitors the safety of Covid vaccines – states: “EMA and EU Member States continuously monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines to ensure any possible risks are detected and managed as early as possible.
“The vast majority of known side effects are mild and short-lived. Serious side effects may occur, but they are very rare. Fatal outcomes have been reported in very few of these rare cases.”