There are currently more than 8,000 cases of victims applying for compensation from rare vaccine adverse reactions. However, from last year to the end of May this year, only 610 cases have been reviewed. The New Power Party criticized the central government's review process for being too slow and strict.
Miss Li, in her 40s, has only been able to rely on crutches to maintain her balance for the past year. She contracted Guillain-Barre Syndrome after being vaccinated last June, which causes weakness in her limbs and nerve pain. She applied for vaccine relief in February this year. So far, the reply she received from the central government is that they are still reviewing her medical records, with no conclusion in sight.
Miss Li, Suspected Vaccine Victim: “It's time-consuming applying for vaccine relief. The number of cases that pass the review and conclude that your symptoms are related to the vaccine is very rare. And then the amount of compensation is only tens of thousands of NT dollars.”
There are about 8,000 applications across the country from victims like Miss Li, but only 610 applications were reviewed from September last year to May 26 this year. At this rate, it would take four years to finish reviewing all the applications. Miss M, who was half paralyzed after receiving the BNT vaccine in October last year, does not even know her case number. She has also encountered obstacles in diagnosis and treatment.
Miss M, Suspected Vaccine Victim: “I hope they set up a related integrated clinic. Don't let others who get vaccinated end up as miserable as us. I don't even know which type of doctor to visit every time I go to the hospital.”
Chen Jiau-hua, Chairperson, New Power Party: “Why is this approval process so slow? The criteria for review and the time to collect medical records are definitely not technical issues.”
No representative from the Ministry of Health and Welfare was present at the meeting. They only offered a written response stating that applications will first be categorized. Death cases of those under the age of 60 and thrombosis cases with symptoms will be reviewed first. The frequency of review meetings has also been changed from once every two months to twice a month now. However, such a reply only made victims like Miss Li who did not meet the qualifications for primary consideration continue to wait with their aching bodies.
這一年來只能依靠拐杖維持平衡感，40多歲的李小姐，去年6月接種疫苗後，四肢無力外加神經痛，連工作都被迫停擺，最後才發現疑似是接種疫苗後所誘發的格林巴利症候群，但今年2月申請疫苗救濟，中央到現在得到的回覆仍是調閱病歷中，審查結果遙遙無期。
疑疫苗受害者李小姐表示：「在申請疫苗救濟的時候，它是一個曠日費時，而且我看那個疫苗救濟，它通過審核覺得你跟疫苗有相關的，那個案例是非常地少，然後賠償的金額都是那種幾萬塊。」
像李小姐這樣對疫苗有疑慮的受害者，全國大約有8000件申請案，但去年9月到今年5月26日，共審議610件，照這樣的速度要4年才能消化得完。去年10月接種BNT疫苗後身體半邊癱瘓的M小姐，到現在不但連案號都還不知道，診治上也到處碰壁、備受煎熬。
疑疫苗受害者M小姐說：「我希望能成立相關相關整合門診，不要讓其他打了疫苗以後，跟我們一樣變那麼慘的人，每次在就醫的時候，根本完全不知道該看哪一科。」
時代力量黨主席陳椒華表示：「為什麼要這麼慢？那個審查的標準，還有病歷的蒐集的時間，這個絕對不是技術上的問題。」
衛福部無人代表出席，僅書面回覆申請案件將會依類型先初步分類，把「60歲以下死亡案件」以及「症狀含血栓案件」先行排入審議流程，審議小組開會頻率也已經從2個月一次改為每月2次，但這樣的答覆，也只讓像李小姐這樣不符合首要審議資格的受害者，只能繼續拖著病痛的身體苦苦等待。