Australian government services minister Bill Shorten finally called time out for “fringe operators who spread misinformation” about COVID vaccines. He told The Age on September 18, 2022 that less than 50 Australians received compensation for adverse COVID vaccine reactions to date. This was therefore “a miniscule percentage of the total number of doses administered” showing they are safe.
Adverse COVID Vaccine Compensation Rate Just 0.00007%
Government minister Bill Shorten described how his department received a ‘miserly total’ of just 2,833 claims for adverse reactions. However, only 1.6% of these proved valid, with a further 23 claims out on offer of settlement. The claimant must have spent at least $1,000 treating a qualifying adverse condition to be considered.
Those 46 payments now represent a total $3.4 million, or an average of $30,000 each. The compensation covers moderate to severe reactions, on a no-fault patient compensation-payment basis.
Minister Bill Shorten says these figures show the vaccines are overwhelmingly safe, and people should stop trying to spread fear in the community. That’s because “safe and effective vaccines are the best way to prevent against death, hospitalization and severe illness as a result of COVID-19 infection.”
‘No Time for Fringe Operators Spreading Misinformation’
The Australian government services minister hit out hard against false claims of adverse COVID vaccine reactions. “I have no time for fringe operators who spread misinformation. And prey on people’s fears and anxieties for cynical political purposes,” he reiterated.
Professor Robert Booy is an infectious diseases pediatrician at University of Sydney. He encourages people with vaccine side effects to report them in the first few days. “We should continue to follow-up people who report side effects,” he recommends. “Which they think might be related to vaccination – both immediate and long-term side effects too.”
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