Tinnitus, facial palsy, abnormal uterine bleeding... path opens for compensation for COVID-19 vaccine side effects

[Financial News] People who developed conditions such as abnormal uterine bleeding, facial nerve palsy, or tinnitus after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine will now be able to have their side effects formally recognized and apply for compensation.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on the 17th, the COVID-19 Vaccine Injury Compensation and Review Committee decided to reclassify vaccine-related conditions that had previously been eligible for "support" as eligible for "compensation."
The 13 conditions newly added to the compensation list are cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and Janssen), capillary leak syndrome (Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and Janssen), Guillain–Barré syndrome (Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and Janssen), immune thrombocytopenia (Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and Janssen), acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine), venous thrombosis (Janssen), erythema multiforme (Pfizer Inc. and Moderna), transverse myelitis (Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Janssen, Pfizer Inc. and Moderna), cutaneous small-vessel vasculitis (Janssen), tinnitus (Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and Janssen), facial edema after filler injection (Pfizer Inc. and Moderna), facial palsy (Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Janssen, Pfizer Inc. and Moderna), and abnormal uterine bleeding (all vaccines).
In the case of myocarditis and pericarditis, only recipients of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines had been eligible for compensation until now, but Novavax recipients will also be included.
Last year, the government and the National Assembly enacted and implemented the Special Act on Compensation for Damage from COVID-19 Vaccination.
Before the special law took effect, the government had provided compensation only for 12 conditions that were clearly recognized as causally linked to the vaccine. With the law in place, it said it would create broader opportunities for relief under more relaxed standards.
Under the new measure, cases that were previously judged by the review panel as conditions of "suspected relevance" can now apply for reconsideration.
If a case becomes eligible for formal compensation, recipients can receive not only medical expenses but also fixed caregiving allowances.
The KDCA said, "We will actively support the review process so that deliberations can proceed in accordance with the provisions of the special law."
mkchang@fnnews.com Jang Min-kwon Reporter