Request

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, I request that the following information is made available relating to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS):

1. The total number of claims made to the VDPS following a suspected adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccines. From the vaccine roll out on 8th December 2020 until latest available data date.

2. As (1) but broken down into vaccine brands - ie Astrazeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, Jansen etc

3. As (1) but broken down into 10 year age band; Age 0-9 Age 10-19 Age 20-29 etc etc 

4. The total number of successful claims made to the VDPS following a suspected adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccines. With the total broken down into 10 year age bands.

5. The total number of claims made to the VDPS following a suspected adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccines, involving a fatal event. Including a breakdown by 10 year age bands.

6. The total number of claims made to the VDPS following a suspected adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccines, where the claimant was found to have been damaged by the vaccine - but did not meet the 60% 'seriously disabled' criteria as they were not deemed injured enough.

7. The total number of claims made to the VDPS since it was first implemented. Please also provide a breakdown of the total claims that involved the COVID-19 vaccines and all non-COVID-19 related vaccines.

Our response

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested.

All data is as of 31 January 2025. All data relates to claims received by the NHSBSA and those transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 1 November 2021. All figures provided for questions 1 to 6 relate to COVID-19 vaccines only. Figures provided for question 7 relate to both Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 vaccines.

Fewer than five

Please be aware that I have decided not to release the full details where the total number of individuals falls below five. This will be shown in the data by an asterisk (*).

This is because the individuals could be identified, when combined with other information that may be in the public domain or reasonably available.

This information falls under the exemption in section 40 subsections 2 and 3 (a) of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This is because it would breach the first data protection principle as:

a - it is not fair to disclose individual’s personal details to the world and is likely to cause damage or distress.

b - these details are not of sufficient interest to the public to warrant an intrusion into the privacy of the individual.

Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40

Breach of confidentiality

Please note that the identification of individuals is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. An individual who has been identified could make a claim against the NHSBSA for the disclosure of the confidential information. The information requested is therefore being withheld as it falls under the exemption in section 41(1) ‘Information provided in confidence’ of the Freedom of Information Act.

Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/41

Question 1 - The total number of claims made to the VDPS following a suspected adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccines. From the vaccine roll out on 8th December 2020 until latest available data date.

18,551 claims have been received by the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS).

Question 2 - As (1) but broken down into vaccine brands - ie Astrazeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, Jansen etc

Of the 18,551 claims that have been received by the VDPS:

• 6,383 relate to AstraZeneca
• 4,377 relate to Pfizer
• 607 relate to Moderna
• 1 relates to Janssen
• 1 relates to Novavax
• 7,182 are ‘Unidentified/Unclear’

Please note, the "Unidentified/Unclear" figure includes ongoing assessments where the vaccine type has not yet been determined, completed claims where a vaccine manufacturer was not provided and was not determined as part of the assessment, as well as claims relating to more than one vaccine manufacturer, historic DWP claims with no vaccine manufacturer recorded etc.

Question 3 - As (1) but broken down into 10 year age band; Age 0-9, Age 10-19, Age 20-29 etc etc 

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested, and a copy of the information held is attached.

Question 4 - The total number of successful claims made to the VDPS following a suspected adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccines. With the total broken down into 10 year age bands

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested, and a copy of the information held is attached. Some figures have been replaced with an asterisk (*) as the information is being withheld under the exemptions explained above.

Question 5 - The total number of claims made to the VDPS following a suspected adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccines, involving a fatal event. Including a breakdown by 10 year age bands.

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested, and a copy of the information held is attached. Some figures have been replaced with an asterisk (*) as the information is being withheld under the exemptions explained above.

Question 6 - The total number of claims made to the VDPS following a suspected adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccines, where the claimant was found to have been damaged by the vaccine - but did not meet the 60% 'seriously disabled' criteria as they were not deemed injured enough.

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested.

445 claims were unsuccessful because, although the claims met the criteria for causation, the independent medical assessor recommended that the vaccine has not caused severe disablement.

Under the VDPS, severe disablement means at least 60% disabled, based on Schedule 2 of The Social Security (General Benefit) Regulations 1982:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1982/1408/schedule/2.

Question 7 - The total number of claims made to the VDPS since it was first implemented. Please also provide a breakdown of the total claims that involved the COVID-19 vaccines and all non-COVID-19 related vaccines.

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds some of the information you have requested.

Please note, the DWP did not record the vaccine type against each claim. Therefore information prior to 1 November 2021 is not held by the NHSBSA as it was not transferred to us from the DWP.

The total number of claims to the VDPS, including those of which transferred from the DWP on 1 November 2021, is 25,940.

Of those 25,940 claims:

• 6,507 relate to DWP completed Claims
• 18,551 relate to Covid-19
• 150 relate to Adult Flu
• 732 relate to Other

Data Queries

Please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data.

Reusing the data and copyright

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at:

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2025” Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.