Florida woman sues HHS over denied COVID-19 vaccine injury compensation

A Florida woman has taken legal action against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Jeanne Materese filed a lawsuit on February 2, 2023, claiming the agency failed to include COVID-19 vaccines in a key compensation programme after she suffered severe side effects from her jab in 2021.

Materese received a COVID-19 vaccine in August 2021. Shortly after, she developed a rare but serious condition affecting platelet formation and blood clotting. Her lawsuit argues that this injury should qualify for compensation under the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP).

The VICP covers injuries linked to vaccines listed on the Vaccine Injury Table. Materese's legal team, from the Sarasota firm mctlaw, states that COVID-19 vaccines were recommended for routine use in children by 2021. This recommendation triggered a two-year deadline for the Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to add the vaccine to the table.

According to the lawsuit, Kennedy did not meet this obligation. Materese formally notified him of the alleged breach on November 25, 2022. She is now asking a federal court to order Kennedy to include COVID-19 vaccines in the table, allowing her and others to seek compensation for injuries.

The case centres on whether COVID-19 vaccines should have been added to the VICP's list by 2023. If successful, the ruling could enable Materese and others with similar claims to pursue financial support for vaccine-related injuries. No official figures on COVID-19 vaccine claims under the VICP have been released since August 2021.