Ottawa Adds $36 Million to Vaccine Injury Fund

Vaccine Injury Fund in Ottawa Receives Additional $36 Million

April 24, 2024 TruthUSA

The federal government has increased funding for its Vaccine Injury Support Program by $36.4 million over the next two years.

The recently introduced federal budget allocates $19 million for the program in 2024 and an additional $17 million in 2025.

The Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP) was established in June 2021 after the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines to ensure that Canadians who suffered “a serious and permanent injury” from any Health Canada-authorized vaccine could access financial support fairly and promptly.

VISP is applicable to all individuals vaccinated in Canada except for those vaccinated in Quebec, which has its own program. The management of payments has been outsourced to the private-sector company Oxaro, formerly known as RCGT Consulting Inc.

According to a statement from Health Canada to The Epoch Times, the federal government initially set aside $75 million for the first five years of the vaccine injury program, including Quebec’s program.

As of December 2023, VISP has paid out $11.2 million in compensation to applicants. Out of the 2,233 applications received by the program, 1,825 were considered admissible, 1,032 are in the process of gathering medical records, 138 claims have been approved by the Medical Review Board, and 164 applications are awaiting eligibility review.

Vaccine Injuries

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Vaccine-Injured Canadians Frustrated by Compensation Program’s Delays, Lack of Communication

There have been 58,712 “adverse events” reported after COVID vaccination, with 11,702 classified as “serious” and 47,010 as “non-serious,” according to statistics from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) last updated on Jan. 5, 2024.

There have also been a total of 488 reports of death post-vaccination, although Health Canada states that these deaths are “not necessarily related to the vaccine.”

Several Canadians who utilized VISP shared their frustration with The Epoch Times regarding the program’s long wait times, lack of communication from staff, and inadequate payouts. These individuals also mentioned interactions with others who were dissatisfied with VISP’s procedures.

Health Canada informed The Epoch Times that the determination of Canadians’ eligibility timelines depends on the “nature and complexity of the claim,” and that all claims are individually evaluated by medical professionals.

The health agency added that if a “probable” link to the vaccines is identified through analysis, the severity and duration of the injury will dictate the amount of financial assistance.

Moreover, the spokesperson stated that claimants have the option to “appeal if they disagree with the decision,” made by the experts. The panel of physicians reviewing appeals comprises different members than those who made the initial determination.

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