COVID Injury-Court Cases Piling Up

Civil claims against the health department are piling up over injuries sustained after people got the COVID-19 vaccine. Some of these victims were forced by their employers to get the vaccination, even though they did not feel comfortable with it. Moreover, one of these victims suffered from underlying health conditions that were brought to her employer's attention more than once. The employer, Dis-Chem, is now also being sued.

Last week, Maroela Media reported on Desmond Milligan, who is suing the government for R31 million over injuries sustained as a result of the Pfizer vaccination.

Since then, several other victims have contacted Maroela Media with similar experiences after getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Most of them have lower-body paralysis, while others have constant body aches, loss of vision, and even kidney failure.

"I realise that such a court case is taking its toll, but I am willing to see it through. not just for myself but also for other people who the vaccination has harmed. They are not alone in this thing," Amarisca Oguz, one of the plaintiffs, told Maroela Media this past week.

In addition to the impact the vaccine injuries have on their income stream, they also affect their personal and family lives. According to the victims, the post-traumatic stress associated with it also has a huge impact on their mental health.

All the victims started showing symptoms shortly after the vaccination, which worsened over time.

Their concerns fall on deaf ears. Soretha Oosthuizen (43) from Pretoria is claiming R7 million in damages from the department, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), and her employer, Dis-Chem. She is in and out of the hospital after receiving a dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as part of the Sisonke vaccination programme on May 3, 2021.

Oosthuizen was a nurse but can no longer work. According to the court documents filed by Maroela Media, Oosthuizen told her regional manager that she was scared and unsure of being vaccinated because she did not know which ingredients the vaccine contained. She also informed the manager that she had a pacemaker and had previously suffered an epileptic seizure. The manager informed Oosthuizen she "would be okay" and instructed her to get vaccinated.

The court documents state that "the regional manager told Oosthuizen that she should be vaccinated because it could pose a threat to her employment with the specific employer." In response to a query, DisChem confirmed to Maroela Media that they are aware of the matter and are currently engaging in legal proceedings.

Oosthuizen received the dose on May 3, 2021, at Netcare Hospital in Milpark, Johannesburg.

Court documents state that "neither SAHPRA nor the company had Oosthuizen's informed consent to be vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine".

Before receiving the vaccination, Oosthuizen informed the nurse who vaccinated her that she was against the vaccination and informed the nurse of her medical history. However, medical officers on site gave her the green light to proceed with the vaccination.

Oosthuizen's colleague, who received the vaccination at the same time as her, also doubted the vaccination. This colleague went into anaphylactic shock minutes after the vaccination.

Soon afterwards, Oosthuizen also developed an allergic reaction. Her health condition worsened over the next few days and months. She showed symptoms of severe fatigue, chest pain, vision loss, and loss of bladder control. She began to lose feeling in her arms and legs four months after the vaccination, and her lower body was temporarily paralysed.

Today, Oosthuizen can walk again thanks to hours of physio- and occupational therapy. She does walk slower than before. "I'm still shaking at times and dropping my cup or falling over my feet. Due to the paralysis, my abdominal muscles became so weak that I had to have three surgeries to repair major abdominal fractures. Each time the bowel or bladder pinches into the openings, it causes emergency obstructions," says Oosthuizen.

Oosthuizen was also diagnosed with thrombocytopenia, a condition that occurs when the platelet count in the blood is too low. She also gets constant chest pain, and her eyesight is constantly deteriorating.

31-Year-old Oguz is from Pretoria and is claiming damages from the president, the department of health, and SAHPRA. She argues that the defendants failed in their constitutional duty to protect, promote, improve, and sustain the health of the public. She holds them accountable for "failing to inform the public of all the potential side effects of the vaccine".

Oguz claims that after receiving the first dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in 2021 and being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, she experienced social rejection as a young person. This is a rare condition that makes a person's immune system attack its own nervous system.

Oguz is sitting in a wheelchair today and has had to relearn how to move and use her fingers and hands again. She is determined to walk again in the future, and, with treatment and rehabilitation, she can now get up and walk slowly with a walking frame. She has been unable to work as a marketer since January 2022 and is struggling to find work again. She believes it's because of her disability. Oguz currently lives with her parents. "I'm tired. Apart from the pain I experience every day, I also have to overcome my shortcomings. I can't even go to the bathroom or shower by myself yet," Oguiz says.

In 2021, after Ruben van der Merwe was diagnosed with Wegener's disease (a chronic inflammatory disease of the blood vessels), he did not immediately think it could be due to the COVID-19 vaccine. When he encountered other victims who showed similar symptoms shortly after the vaccination, this became more and more of a probability for him.

Van der Merwe's kidneys started deteriorating over time, and he is now on dialysis every other day. The doctors first want to get his blood disease under control before he can be eligible for a kidney transplant. He has almost completely lost his middle vision and can no longer work as an IT specialist. He currently lives with his mother. "My body is weak every day, and I have to rest all the time. I still regularly get headaches and have trouble walking," he says.

In March 2021, after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccination, 63-year-old Christa Minnaar from Daspoort was concerned when she could no longer step into the clutch of her car. She also experienced severe back pain and began to lose control of her bladder. The general motor functions of her limbs progressively weakened. She is currently in a wheelchair and primarily depends on others to feed her. Her speech is also impaired, and, according to her husband, Neels, they can hardly understand her. Christa is a qualified ICU nurse. "She's being treated, but there's no significant improvement," Neels says. For Neels, it is especially sad that his wife can no longer sing, which she loved to do. They are also considering legal action.

In April this year, the human rights organisation Freedom Alliance South Africa (FASA), a non-profit organisation, filed court papers against SAHPRA and 23 other respondents over injuries linked to the Pfizer vaccine.

According to FASA, SAHPRA knew full well at the time that the Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19 was not as effective as argued and was well aware of the health risks posed by the vaccine.

According to Paolo Brogneri, founder of FASA, the organisation is now waiting for SAHPRA to respond to the court documents. They hope to receive feedback before the end of the coming week, as SAHPRA should have responded a few weeks ago. FASA hopes a court date will be set by March next year.