Germans filed 209 claims against covid-19 vaccine makers

Emmanuel Thomas I Saturday, July 01, 2023

 

BERLIN – There are 209 claims for damages against producers of coronavirus vaccines pending in German courts, the newspaper Welt am Sonntag quoted the Health Ministry.

There are 209 claims for damages against producers of coronavirus vaccines pending in German courts, the newspaper Welt am Sonntag quoted the Health Ministry as saying on Saturday, with cases set to be heard this month.

This Monday, the Rottweil Regional Court will hear the lawsuit of a 58-year-old man against German vaccine maker BioNTech.

The man claims he has suffered from a massive deterioration of vision in his right eye as a result of the BioNTech/Pfizer jab. The Mainz-based company calls the man’s accusation baseless.

In January, a regional court in Bavaria dismissed a woman’s lawsuit against AstraZeneca. She had sued for damages and compensation after suffering severe health problems, which she attributed to a vaccination with the British drugmaker’s Covid-19 jab. The appeal against the decision is set to be heard by a higher court this month.

As part of their procurement deals with the EU, vaccine makers are not generally liable if their Covid-19 shots cause unexpected side-effects. The respective member states would take over the compensation as well as the legal costs of the firm.

According to a report by the European Court of Auditors, this does not apply if damage was caused, for instance, through gross negligence or non-compliance with manufacturing practices applicable in the EU.