During 2022, Norwegian Patient Injury Compensation (NPE) experienced a large influx of cases from young women who had experienced menstrual disturbances after taking the corona vaccine. Some women reported heavy bleeding that lasted for several months. For Ida, the bleeding started in the summer of 2021, not long after she had given birth to her second child. – I received the first dose shortly after the birth and the doctor initially thought that the bleeding had something to do with the birth, says Austgulen when news meets her at home on Askøy. In September, she took the second dose in line with the recommendations. – Then the bleeding continued. It started with two weeks on and two weeks off. Bleeding was heavy and painful and placed great limitations on my life, says Austgulen. The ailments Ida Austgulen experienced subsided after a year. Photo: Leif Rune Løland / news You have been successful When the bleeding was at its most intense last year, she decided to apply for compensation, and after a while the answer came. She was awarded NOK 2,500 in compensation. – I have not been so concerned about the money. For me, it was first and foremost the recognition that was important, and that they believed that my ailments were due to the vaccine, she says. Austgulen is one of nine women who have received compensation for menstrual disorders after the corona vaccine from NPE. The compensation will cover expenses for, among other things, doctor’s visits and tampons. Listed as a side effect In October last year, heavy menstrual bleeding was listed as a side effect of corona vaccines with the European Medicines Authorities (EMA) after several women had reported unusually heavy bleeding. In Norway, the Norwegian Medicines Agency keeps track of reported side effects. At the end of last year, after more than 12 million doses had been administered, they had processed almost 15,000 side effect reports about menstrual disorders. 810 of these messages are classified as serious. So far, NPE has received 159 claims for compensation for menstrual disorders. Figures from the NPE show that: 15 have been refused 9 have been upheld compensation varies from NOK 500 to NOK 32,000 135 cases not processed Covering expenses for tampons Acting director at NPE, Anne-Mette Gulaker, says that NPE covers specific extra expenses in those cases where the ailments are temporary. Acting director at NPE, Anne-Mette Gulaker, encourages women who experience heavy bleeding to apply for compensation if they think it is due to the corona vaccine. Photo: William Jobling / news – There may be expenses for pads and tampons or perhaps expenses for a broken mattress due to heavy bleeding, says Anne-Mette Gulaker. Gulaker further says that NPE often finds that more applications come in after media reports, as last autumn. – It is important that those who wonder if they have a side effect after the vaccine submit an application, says Gulaker and explains that they carry out a specific assessment of each individual case before they possibly grant approval. 1,000 vaccine cases Last year, 693 people applied for compensation after the corona vaccine, and so far NPE has received around 1,000 applications. Just under half of the applications have so far been processed. 73 per cent have been refused and 27 per cent approved. The most common ailments that have given the right to compensation are inflammation of the pericardium, skin rashes, blood clots and menstrual disorders. Compensation applicants are often refused because either they have not suffered financial losses as a result of the side effects, or it turned out that the ailments were not caused by the vaccine, but something else entirely. The payouts vary from a few hundred Swedish kroner to over a million kroner. Was scared Ida Austgulen admits that she was scared when the bleeding didn’t stop, and feared that she was seriously ill. – These ailments were so bad that it was difficult to be with the children. I was partly bedridden, and I feel that the year of suffering almost slipped by in the dark, says Austgulen. After long-term treatment with mini-pills and hormonal IUDs, the bleeding gradually stopped. Now everyday life is back to normal. – Fortunately, it was temporary. Now I really just want to put it behind me, she says.
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Received NOK 2,500 in compensation after menstrual problems – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
