Japanese gov't to pay families P20 million if their loved one dies from the COVID-19 vaccine
In a bid to increase confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine, the Japanese government has dangled a sizable compensation package to be given to families if a relative dies after taking the jab.
According to a report from Kyodo News, the country’s health ministry will give 44.2 million yen (or about P20 million) if a family member dies due to side effects brought by the vaccine.
In addition, the government will also shoulder funeral costs of up to 209,000 yen (P96,000).
A yearly compensation of 5.6 million yen (P2.3 million) will, meanwhile, be given if it can be established the vaccine caused a long-term disability.
The health ministry has been reported to offer the compensation mechanism for a long time for other vaccines, but it has been highlighted amid the country’s ongoing vaccination efforts against COVID-19.
Japan launched last week its vaccination efforts initially targeting 40,000 medical workers across a hundred hospitals throughout the country. No side effects have been reported from the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to date.
In the Philippines, the lack of an indemnification mechanism delayed the delivery of a supposed 117,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines that was initially expected to arrive Feb. 15.
Today, Feb. 28, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act. Aside from authorizing the procurement of vaccines for the national and local government, it also establishes a P500 million Indemnity Fund to compensate people who may suffer adverse effects or die due to the vaccine.