30 million baht added to vaccine side effects compensation fund
The National Health Security Office had set up a 100 million baht fund to be used as compensation for vaccinated people experiencing side effects. Now the government has approved an additional 30 million baht to be made available as needed in the Loan Executive Decree in paying out those affected negatively by the vaccine. A previous poll showed 80% of Thais are hesitant to get vaccinated for fear of dealing with negative side effects.
Over 400 claims have already been processed with compensation paid out to people who reported negative side effects after receiving their vaccine, according to the deputy secretary-general of the NHSO. With the increase to 130 million in the compensation fund, 10% has been paid out already with 13 million baht being received by claimants.
People reporting side effects that require continued treatment will be compensated a maximum of 100,000 baht, while those who become disabled in a way that hampers livelihood such as losing a limb are entitled to up to 240,000 baht. A permanent disability or worse up to and including death will receive a maximum of 400,000 baht.
For comparison, the insurance policy included in Chulabhorn Royal Academy for their paid Sinopharm vaccines compensates up to 1 million baht for coma or death.
4% of the payouts went to families of people who died from the vaccine, though not even casual links between the vaccine and the deaths have been found in any autopsies for the deaths. 0.5% of the payouts went to people experiencing partial numbness, and the remaining 95.5% of cases filed had only mild reactions to the vaccine.
People experiencing negative side effects can request compensation by going to the hospital they received their vaccine and submitting an application. Alternately, claimants can submit the application at the provincial health office and one of the 13 NHSO regional offices throughout Thailand. There is a 2-year statute of limitations on filing claims after a person observes the illness or disability.
68 people who had reportedly previously been vaccinated have died, according to the Medical Sciences Department. They have conducted autopsies on 13 of those who died and have not found any instances of the death being linked to the vaccines. The remaining 55 are still under investigation.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
