AZ to be Sued Over 'Defective' Vaccine
The Telegraph
The team of reporters obtained documents which showed that a landmark legal action branded the jab “defective” in a test case which paves the way for a multi-million pound judgement.
The Telegraph told the story of Jamie Scott and his wife, Kate, who brought the test case.
Mr Scott - a father of two - suffered a significant permanent brain injury that has left him unable to work as a result of a blood clot after receiving the jab in April 2021.
The legal action was the first of dozens of other claims, which could be worth up to £80million in total.
The High Court action argued that claims over the Covid vaccine’s efficacy were “vastly overstated” The story also exposed for the first time that at least 144 people had died or been injured after receiving the Astrazeneca Covid19 jab, according to information obtained under data laws. The exclusive was followed up around the world by hundreds of outlets. Affected families were invited to appear across the broadcast media to tell their stories.
In the UK, the government faced questions about the support given to affected families. The Telegraph told the story of some of those who had died or been left seriously injured after having the vaccination, with many having to wait more than a year for any financial assistance.
In response, the former vaccine minister called on the government to examine the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme and MP's debated the issue in Parliament.
Later in the year, the Telegraph revealed how Astrazeneca had admitted for the first time in court documents that the Covid vaccine can cause a rare side effect, in an apparent about-turn. The exclusive stories held not only the government to account, but also a pharmaceutical giant. The reporters gave a voice to a group who feel they have been marginalised and “cast into the shadows”. The exclusive had just under 500,000 page views and was one of the Telegraph’s best performing stories of the year.
With thousands of online comments, readers commended the Telegraph for telling a difficult story in a fair and balanced way. Kate Scott, whose husband Jamie launched the test case said that the issue had been covered with “compassion and integrity”. Another reader commended the Telegraph on “thoughtful and very considered” journalism.