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The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says it will take over administering the federal vaccine injury program from a third-party company after questions about the program’s operation.
The decision comes weeks after the federal health department launched an investigation into the company, Oxaro, and started looking for alternative ways to deliver the program.
The Vaccine Injury Support Program was announced in December 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide compensation for those injured after taking a Health Canada approved vaccine.
Health Minister Marjorie Michel’s office confirmed that a funding agreement with Oxaro will end on March 31, 2026, and the government will then take over the program, according to Global News. The minister’s office said more details will be shared when they are available.
The decision to change the administration of the program follows criticism that included a letter from four Conservative MPs calling for a meeting of the Standing Committee on Health to address media reports about the program.
The July 14 letter was signed by MPs Dan Mazier, Burton Bailey, Helena Konanz, and Matt Strauss.
The letter referenced media reports that 1,700 injury claims remain unresolved out of 3,100 applications, with the MPs saying they found it “deeply concerning” that Ottawa was considering renewing the contract with Oxaro.
The MPs also questioned why the Liberal government had awarded a $50 million contract to a company with “no meaningful expertise in the field.”
The Epoch Times attempted to reach Oxaro but did not hear back by publication time.
The federal vaccine injury program officially launched on June 1, 2021, defining vaccine injury as a “severe, life-threatening or life-altering injury that may require in-person hospitalization, or a prolongation of existing hospitalization, and results in persistent or significant disability or incapacity,” including death.
Online program statistics indicate that 3,317 applications had been received as of June 1 and that 234 applications have been approved by a medical review board and more than $18 million paid out for claims since the program began.
Applicants who are deemed eligible can receive tax free payments to cover income loss, uncovered medical expenses, injury indemnities, death benefits, and funeral expenses.
A government briefing note in June said that according to Oxaro, applications can take 12 to 18 months to be processed. As of June 20, nearly $81 million had been allocated to Oxaro for administration costs and claim payments.
Chandra Philip is a news reporter with the Canadian edition of The Epoch Times.