Liability for vaccine side effects

Question for written answer  E-000344/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Ivan Vilibor Sinčić (NI), Mislav Kolakušić (NI)

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-COV-2 virus, the Commission decided to participate in a joint procurement procedure and to distribute vaccines from different manufacturers to all EU Member States.

MEPs were given the opportunity to see the contracts between the Commission and pharmaceutical companies for the purchase of vaccines, but only for a very short period of time, and without being allowed to photograph, scan or photocopy anything. Furthermore, they could not tell anyone about what they had found out or share the information with the public. This approach has further exacerbated the opacity of the process and fuelled scepticism and mistrust.

Besides the mistrust and opacity, the issue of liability for vaccine side effects has not been addressed either. Since we live in a democracy, citizens have the right to know where the buck stops.

• 1.If patients do experience side effects as a result of receiving the vaccine, who can the patient hold liable and call on to provide compensation?
• 2.Is it the pharmaceutical companies, medical staff who carried out the vaccination procedure, the national ministries of the Member States encouraging vaccination, the Commission or someone else?