‘Disabled’ patient files first US lawsuit over Astrazeneca vaccine
AN AMERICAN woman who took part in the US clinical trial of the Astrazeneca Covid vaccine is suing the company after she said it left her “permanently disabled”.
Brianne Dressen, a 42-year-old former teacher from Utah, claimed she developed a neurological condition after the vaccine trial in 2020. She is suing Astrazeneca for an alleged breach of contract, after she said it failed to provide care for her side-effects.
Her lawsuit is thought to be the first of its kind in the US, where the British-made vaccine was tested in clinical trials but never approved for use.
More than 50 people have filed a class-action lawsuit against Astrazeneca in the UK. The company asked the EU to withdraw its authorisation for its vaccine last week.
In court papers filed yesterday, Ms
Dressen claimed she signed an agreement with the company that promised to “pay the costs of medical treatment for research injuries, provided that the costs are reasonable, and you did not cause the injury yourself ”.
However, she said when she experienced a severe sensation of pins and needles across her body shortly after she received the jab in November 2020, Astrazeneca did not cover the cost of her medical care. She told The Telegraph she had been left unable to work after being diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy – a condition that causes numbness and pain owing to damaged nerves. Her condition was classified as “post-vaccine neuropathy” because of its link to the jab. “This thing took me out of my job – I’m still permanently disabled,” she said.
There is a documented link between the Astrazeneca vaccine and neurological conditions like peripheral neuropathy in some rare cases of patients who received the jab.
A study published in the journal Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports last year found a “greater than expected occurrence of severe neurological adverse events … following different kinds of Covid-19 vaccination” .
Utah law allows complainants who sue for breach of contract to claim for costs resulting from the breach and for damages – which could result in a significant payout for Ms Dressen. The US trial of the vaccine concluded that it was 79 per cent effective against Covid-19. It was never given authorisation for public use.
A spokesman for Astrazeneca said the company would not comment on ongoing litigation, adding: “Patient safety is our highest priority ...We are incredibly proud of the role the Astrazeneca-oxford vaccine played in ending the global pandemic.”