The creation of a system for compensating for vaccine injuries reaches the government

The Estonian Government is developing a system for compensating post-vaccination injuries. According to an initiative proposed by Health and Labor Minister Tanel Kiik, a patient insurance and vaccine injury compensation system will be established. The proposal outlines the creation of patient insurance, a compulsory liability insurance for healthcare providers.

This will establish the principles and organization of this insurance, as well as the grounds and extent of compensation for harm. The goal is to improve patient protection and simplify the claim process. In cases of harm resulting from treatment, an insurer will assess the circumstances of the claim to determine if harm could have been avoided.

The compensation limit for an individual is up to €100,000 over a one-year period, with a total limit of €3 million per individual over a one-year period. The proposal also includes minimum requirements for managing adverse events, including a system for analyzing information to prevent incidents. The patient insurance system is slated to begin operation on July 1, 2024, with an annual cost to the state budget of €2.5 million.

Estimates, based on a comparison to the Finnish model, suggest approximately 500 individuals could be affected annually, with an average claim cost of €6,200. Furthermore, the proposal modifies the Healthcare Act to include compulsory vaccine insurance, designed to simplify the process of compensating individuals for serious health damage resulting from vaccination. This would apply if a serious health damage persists for at least four months, or if death occurs as a likely consequence of vaccination.

The regulation creates a mechanism for individuals who have sustained serious health damage following vaccination to claim compensation according to established criteria. Vaccine insurers will be required to pay premiums based on the number of vaccine doses distributed in Estonia, with costs covered by the Health Insurance Fund and the Medicines Board. The rules for vaccine insurance are scheduled to take effect on May 1, 2022, with retroactive compensation for COVID-19 vaccine-related injuries.

From 2023 onwards, the system will extend to other vaccines, including those in the immunization schedule, influenza, Japanese encephalitis, and travel vaccines. The Medicinal Board will assess the causal link between health damage and vaccination, a process currently underway. As of early December, 237 serious adverse events and four deaths have been linked to vaccinations, with a total of 6,405 reports received since vaccination against COVID-19 began on December 27, 2020.

The projected cost for 2022 is €1 million, including system administration and IT costs of €1.4 million. The system’s costs will be covered from insurance premiums starting in 2023.

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