Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for writing to me about my work concerning adverse effects following a Covid-19 vaccination.
Many concerned members of the public who are taking an active interest in this issue are not my constituents. If you are in this category, please ensure that you put pressure on your own MP to become involved.
For those of you who have contacted me with your own personal experience of harm or bereavement following a Covid-19 vaccination, please accept my utmost sympathy. Many of you have contacted me to thank me for my work, or to pass on relevant information to me. Thank you also very much for this correspondence.
I write to provide you with an update of the latest developments.
In response to my Adjournment Debate concerning the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 in early March, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid, agreed to meet with me and Jeremy Wright MP, to discuss these issues. Whilst the meeting was very brief, the Minister committed to responding to my many outstanding requests for information, and I enclose the letter I received from him in response of 30 March.
Unfortunately, the Minister does not provide much detail about his proposals for reform of the existing Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme, nor has he provided much detail about the lack of adequacy of the government’s provision of relevant data.
It is positive, however, that he has identified the “growing international body of evidence supporting an association or link between the vaccines and certain adverse events” and that this evidence “means NHSBSA [NHS Business Services Authority] is now in a position to begin the evidence gathering process on the VDPS COVID-19 claims”.
I have also sought to introduce a Bill to place a duty on the Secretary of State to improve the diagnosis of Covid-19 vaccine harm, improve financial assistance for those affected, and report to Parliament on the eligibility criteria. A copy of what I said in support is here. Because the current session of Parliament is about to end, any actual Bill will have to be delayed until the new session.
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Maria Caulfield, has agreed to meet with me to discuss these issues further on 19 April, which I hope will be constructive and will provide some well-needed answers. It is a matter of regret that the Department for Health and Social Care has still not responded to many of my written questions. I shall be pressing the Minister for full answers.
I much appreciate your encouragement and support and shall endeavour to keep you informed of any progress.
With best wishes,
Sir Christopher Chope OBE MP