Singapore Compensates Hundreds Injured or Killed by COVID Shots
The government of Singapore has paid out nearly $1.9 million in financial assistance to 413 people who have suffered serious adverse reactions or died after getting a COVID-19 shot as of Dec. 31, 2022. The money was paid out under the country’s Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Program (VIFAP), according to Singapore’s Ministry of Health.1 2
Of those individuals who received compensation, the individual or families of three were awarded a “Tier 1” payout of $225,000 each because they either died or were permanently disabled following COVID vaccination. Among the vaccine injured is a 16-year-old boy who suffered a heart attack and collapsed after a weightlifting session in a gym six days after getting a first dose of Pfizer/BioNTech’s Comirnaty messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID biologic on June 27, 2021. The teenager was admitted to a hospital intensive care unit (ICU) and underwent inpatient rehabilitation.1 3 4 5
According to a report by The Straits Times in August 2021, the teenager was diagnosed with myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and the Ministry of Health said that the condition was “likely a serious adverse event caused by the vaccine which may have been aggravated by the youth’s strenuous lifting of weights and high consumption of caffeine through energy drinks and supplements.”3 4
VIFAP Created to Provide Financial Support for Those Harmed by COVID Shots
The VIFAP, which was established in 2021 by the Ministry of Health, is meant to provide an “additional layer of financial support” for people who are harmed by a COVID shot. It is not designed to reimburse patients for associated medical expenses they incur after becoming vaccine injured.4 5 The ministry stated:
Individuals who experience side effects after their COVID-19 vaccination can continue to receive support through applicable healthcare financing schemes, such as MediShield Life and subsidies at our public healthcare institutions. Persons with private insurance may wish to check with their insurance provider on their coverage details.5
While Tier 1 of the VIFAP provides the highest amount of compensation for the most serious adverse reactions linked to the COVID shots, there are two other tiers (Tier 2 and Tier 3) that also offer financial assistance for injuries that result in less severe health problems. Tier 2 provides a payout of $10,000 to those admitted to a “high dependency” hospital ward or ICU following a COVID vaccination but subsequently recover. Tier 3 provides a payout of $2,000 to patients who require hospitalization and medical care after receiving a COVID shot but subsequently recover.2 4 5 6
To qualify for funding from the VIFAP, a person must be a Singaporean citizen, be a permanent resident of Singapore or have a long-term work visa and who received a COVID shot in the country. All applications to the program are evaluated and compensation is determined by an independent clinical panel whose members are appointed by the Ministry of Health.1 2 6
Singapore was among the first countries in the world to approve the use of Comirnaty on Dec. 14, 2020 and the first country in Asia. At the time, the product was still known as BNT162b2.7 8
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