Home / Health / Paralyzed by Vaccine, Man Dies After Compensation Denial
Paralyzed by Vaccine, Man Dies After Compensation Denial
16 Jun
Summary
- A father died by suicide after being denied vaccine compensation.
- The Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme initially rejected his claim.
- An independent tribunal later overturned the decision, awarding compensation.
A man who became paralyzed due to a rare reaction to the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine died by suicide after being denied compensation. John Cross, a retired pharmacist who volunteered for the vaccine rollout, experienced rapid paralysis two weeks after his January 2021 vaccination.
His condition, initially diagnosed as Guillain Barre Syndrome and later as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), left him severely debilitous. Despite medical assessors linking his harm to the vaccine, the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) rejected his claim in the summer of 2023, stating he did not meet the 60% disablement threshold.
This rejection severely impacted his mental state. In October 2023, aged 65, he took his own life. His family then pursued an appeal in his memory.
An independent tribunal later reversed the decision, acknowledging causation and the 60% disability threshold. Last week, nearly three years after his death, his widow received the £120,000 compensation and an apology for the distress caused.
