Australia COVID-19 Vaccine Injury Payouts Could Reach $77 Million: Budget

A staff member prepares a Pfizer vaccine for clients at the St Vincent's COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic in Sydney, Australia, on July 1, 2021. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

The Australian government could be paying up to AU$77 million (US$49.35 million) in vaccine injury claims over the next year, according to recently released budget estimates.

In the current 2021–2022 financial year, the government has paid out just $937,000 after several hundred applications were accepted under Australia’s COVID-19 Vaccine Claims Scheme, according to the Portfolio Budget Statement for the Department of Social Services (not the Health Department).