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HomeMedico-LegalSA gazettes vaccine compensation regulations despite outcry

SA gazettes vaccine compensation regulations despite outcry

South Africans who claim from the COVID-19 vaccine injury fund will give up rights to approach the courts to sue the government or health workers should they suffer severe injury from taking the injection. This is in terms of new regulations for the compensation fund in the event a person is severely injured by a COVID-19 vaccine, reportsBusinessLIVE.

Minster of Co-operative Governance Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has gazetted the regulations for the COVID-19 vaccine injury fund after allowing four days for comments, leading to an outcry by activists.

The government has secured millions of doses of vaccines from drug companies Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Pfizer, who both insisted on a no-fault compensation scheme run by the government as a prerequisite for supplying the vaccines. The companies will not be liable for any costs should the vaccines cause injury or death but instead the government will take on liability.

J&J specified that these regulations be set up by 30 April.

BusinessLIVE reports that the regulations state that the Ministers of Health and Finance must write further regulations on what injuries will be covered, how much will be paid, which vaccines will be covered and the type of claims that can be made.

An appeal panel will be set up with person in charge being a retired judge appointed by the Health Minister. The minister will appoint the remaining members of the appeal panel after consulting the judge.

 

Full BusinessLIVE report (Restricted access)

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