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People suffering from serious side effects due to their COVID-19 vaccine can apply for financial help starting today (March 17), the Ministry of Health (MINSA) said.
The Ministry explained that their applications are under the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Program for COVID-19 vaccination (VIFAP) and must be submitted with medical information detailing the serious side effects of the treating physician.
An independent clinical panel will then examine all applications to study the severity of the effects and their relationship to the vaccine received.
If a person experiences side effects from the vaccine, the amount of the one-time goodwill payment will be based on the severity of the side effects. Those who require hospitalization and medical intervention and then recover will receive S $ 2,000.
As for those who need to be admitted to high dependency or intensive care rooms and later recover, they will be awarded S $ 10,000.
However, if someone dies or suffers a permanent serious disability due to the vaccination, they will receive S $ 225,000.
On January 28, the Health Ministry had already disclosed the two highest payment levels, but not the lowest level of S $ 2,000.
Yesterday, the Ministry said that the financial disbursements are delivered to strengthen the support provided to those who suffer serious side effects as a result of vaccination.
“The VIFAP is not intended to reimburse medical costs,” he explained, adding that it actually offers additional financial assistance later in life in addition to existing government healthcare financial schemes such as grants, MediShield Life, MediSave and MediFund.
The program is for all Singapore citizens, permanent residents, and long-term pass holders who have received the COVID-19 vaccine in the country.
“Vaccination is essential to keep us and our loved ones safe from COVID-19, and it is a key factor in getting us back to normal. While the COVID-19 vaccination is voluntary, we strongly advise Singapore residents and long-term residents who are medically eligible to come forward for vaccination when their turn comes, ”the Health Ministry said.
Reading the previous news, netizens were quick to express their hesitation in taking COVID-19 vaccines.
Writing their thoughts on The Straits Times Facebook page, online users noted that the government itself is not confident that the vaccine is safe for everyone, but continues to encourage the public to get the vaccine.
Others said the government will never offer payments to those who suffer serious side effects from the vaccine, as doctors will point out that the side effects were caused by other medical problems and not by the vaccines.
One user stated that she was hospitalized for 34 days after receiving the vaccine and that she suffered from weak legs and was unable to walk, run or swim as before.
“My case went from doctor to doctor, until I wrote this time of writing this comment, it would not be linked to the vaccine,” she wrote, adding that other people have reached out to her after suffering similar weakness in the legs after receive the vaccine.
He also said that payments for serious side effects are “totally unknown in reality.”
Separately, several countries have suspended use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine for fear that it could have caused recipients to develop blood clots.
In recent news, the Dutch government stopped use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after 10 cases of potentially vaccine-related blood clots were reported in the Netherlands.
Ireland and the Netherlands became the latest countries to discontinue the use of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine as a precaution. Denmark, Norway and Iceland have also stopped their jab throw.
AstraZeneca said on Sunday (March 14) that there was no evidence of an increase in blood clots from the needle stick after the results of 17 million doses were analyzed.
The drug company said the 15 incidences of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and 22 pulmonary embolism events reported among those who received the vaccine were “much lower than would be expected to occur naturally in a general population.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have said there is no evidence that use of the jab should be discontinued.
