Request

"Please can you confirm the amount in Great British Pounds (£ GBP) that has been paid out for all Vaccine Damage Payment claims made against all types of Covid-19 vaccines?

Ideally, this will be provided as an Excel document containing all of the following information:

1. Number of successful claims

2. Payment amounts in GBP (£) split by claim, manufacturer, and a total to date

3. Nature of injury - specifically fatal or non-fatal and further information where possible

4. Claims split by Covid-19 vaccine manufacturer: Pfizer; AstraZeneca; Moderna; Johnson & Johnson; Other/Unmentioned

5. Age of claimant, where possible"

On 20 December 2022, we answered your request, providing information in answer to questions 1 to 4, and offered the information for question 5 in age brackets to prevent identification of claimants.

On 27 December 2022 you clarified your request as follows:

"Thank you very much for your reply. As per your comment on the age query, yes please, could the data be split into the following age brackets:

0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85+"

Response

A copy of the information is attached, together with the information previously provided. As advised in our previous response, all figures are correct as of 5 December 2022, and relate to COVID-19 vaccines only.

All claims are assessed on an individual basis and not all circumstances are straight forward, they are assessed on their own merits.

Please be aware that we have decided not to use the age brackets provided as for many of those brackets the total number of patients falls below five. We have therefore provided different brackets to prevent this. This is because the patients could be identified, when combined with other information that may be in the public domain or reasonably available. Online communities exist for those adversely affected by vaccines they have received. This further increases the likelihood that those may be identified by disclosure of this information.

This information falls under the exemption in section 40 subsections 2 and 3A (a) of the Freedom of Information Act.

This is because it would breach the first data protection principle as:

a) it is not fair to disclose claimant 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 claimant.

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

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

Breach of Patient confidentiality

Please note that the identification of claimants is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. A claimant who has been identified could make a claim against the NHSBSA or yourself 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

Data Queries

If you have any queries regarding the data provided, or if you plan on publishing the data please contact nhsbsa.foirequests@nhs.net ensuring you quote the above reference. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact nhsbsa.communicationsteam@nhs.net. 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: http://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 2022” This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence:

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

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.