The government has committed to reform of the scheme that provides financial support for those injured or bereaved by vaccines.
It was a key recommendation of the UK Covid Inquiry, and has been a focus for campaigners.
One campaign group has welcomed the recognition that vaccine injury and bereavement is real and that the current scheme is not fit for purpose.
But it says it wants a clear commitment to action by ministers, rather than simply saying they will look further at what needs to be done.
The benefits of vaccination are well documented. The AstraZeneca Covid jab is credited with saving millions of lives worldwide. But some people have experienced harm.
In her fourth report, the chair of the Covid Inquiry, Baroness Hallett, called for better support for those affected.
More than 24,000 people have made Covid-related claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS), a form of financial support paid by the government, but just over 1% have resulted in one-off tax-free awards of £120,000.
The report called for "urgent" reform of the scheme, saying that it is "not sufficiently supportive".
One of the main campaign groups for those who were injured by the Covid vaccine is Vaccine Injured and Bereaved UK.
The group welcomed the government's acknowledgement that vaccine injury and bereavement were real and that the VDPS is not fit for purpose.
But in a statement it said that was not the same as committing to action.
"After more than five years of campaigning, and with the Covid-19 Inquiry explicitly calling for reform as soon as possible, we had hoped the Government would finally come forward with a clear commitment to action, not simply say it would look further at what needs to be done.
"We understand that work may be needed to develop the reforms, but there is a real difference between saying you will look at something and committing to deliver it.
"Today, we have no clear timetable, no certainty about what will change and no assurance about when families will finally see meaningful progress."
Source: BBC News, 16 October 2026
Related reading on the hub:
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment