Leinster House: TD's reveal adverse reactions post C-19 vaccines
Censored topic opened up for debate at momentous meeting for Irish vaccine injured
Two TD’s revealed adverse reactions they suffered post covid vaccination at a meeting in Leinster House last night. The AV room meeting, facilitated by Aontú, provided a platform for people suffering vaccine injuries to share their stories.
TD’s Peadar Toibin and Richard O’Donoghue said they suffered reactions to their vaccines, while three members of the vaccine injured group ‘Irish CV Clan’ took to the podium to share the catastrophic effects they have suffered due to their covid jabs.
A Personal Assistant to Barry Henaghan TD spoke about his adverse reaction to the swine flu vaccine, Pandemrix.
Ten TD’s and two senators attended the event, along with James Gilmartin, personal assistant to Marian Harkin TD and Minister of State for Higher Education.
TD’s agreed that a cross party group is to be formed to push for a covid vaccine compensation scheme in Ireland and open up the previously heavily censored topic to wider debate.
Independent Ireland TD Richard O’Donoghue revealed how both he and his wife suffered adverse reactions to the covid vaccine. He said he didn’t want to take the shot but his wife, who was going through treatment for cervical cancer, asked him to.
“She had asked me to take the vaccine, I was against taking the vaccine myself personally because I didn’t trust it. But (afterwards) my wife said to me, if her life depended on it, she would never take another vaccine herself, because of some of the reactions she got to it herself.”
The Limerick based TD said he suffered a transient ischemic attack, (TIA) also known as a mini-stroke, a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain due to a clot, post vaccine. Clots are a recognised adverse effect of the covid shots.
“I ended up getting a TIA myself, afterwards, which is unexplained and now I am on aspirin to keep my blood thinned because of clots. So people did get adverse reactions to it. They did. People need to be looked after. I am a hundred per cent behind Peadar on this and I will work on cross party support on this to see if we can get some recognition for you and the help that you need,” he said to the panel.
Peadar Toibín, who facilitated the meeting, told how he suffered Bell’s Palsy - a condition that causes paralysis of the facial muscles (also a known side effect) - after his Pfizer vaccination.
The Aontú party leader said it was ‘quite incredible’ that those fighting to have their situation acknowledged are doing so in the midst of such grave ill-health.
“One of the saddest difficulties around this is the invisibility of it all in the public system and I think the difficulty of it is that you have been caught between two extremes and as a result, people have been reticent to get involved so I am delighted that you have been given an opportunity to speak here,” he said.
Mayo TD Paul Lawless told of a young constituent in his area who was injured post jab and noted the difficulties facing those in similar situations.
“It must be so frustrating to be given - the run-around - is probably a fair expression. I know a family in Mayo with a young girl, who is a teenager and who had so many lengths to go and it is so frustrating for the family so I will work our leader Peadar Toibin and a cross party group to put more of a spotlight on this,” he said.
The young deputy commended the three members of Irish CV Group who addressed the meeting, detailing their own injuries and the catastrophic effects on their lives, noting their ‘professionalism in articulating stories that are so important to get out there.’
“The word we all associate with our situation is abandonment,” Siobhan O’Leary replied.
A medical scientist at Mayo University Hospital, Siobhan suffered a severe adverse reaction to her covid vaccine, which she documented in detail on this Substack in 2023. Siobhan stood at the podium in the AV room and recounted how she felt ‘hopeful but uneasy’ standing in line alongside her hospital colleagues for the Astra Zeneca vaccine.
“My apprehension was based on a Newstalk discussion I’d heard before Christmas regarding two participants in the Astra Zeneca clinical trial, one who had passed and the other who had blood clotting issues. I had checked the CDC, WHO and HSE websites for adverse reactions and listened to government and NPHET advice. All of these trusted expert recommendations said the vaccines were safe so I pushed my apprehensions aside and stood in line.
“Less than an hour later I experienced nausea and inappropriate tachycardia (racing heartrate). By that night intense cardiorespitory and neurological symptoms like I had never experienced before flooded my body. The following day, our department pathologist had me admitted to A&E,” she said.
Mother of three Janet Collins told the meeting that she took the vaccine to protect the vulnerable, herself and the people she loves, in particular her husband who was undergoing cancer treatment at the time.
“I was eager to be protected and for society to open up and return to normal,” she said.
Janet said she now feels like she is still living in lockdown.
“Within minutes of my vaccine I had tightness in my throat. The next day I had significant hives on the injected arm. I experienced burning down my arm, into my legs, feet, hands. I developed widespread pins and needles, deep unrelenting fatigue, pressure headaches and persistent skin issues. My blood pressure and heart rate became erratic. My health deteriorated rapidly and no one could explain why.
“While trying to care or my husband through his treatment and care for our children at a very stressful time I found myself barely able to function. Struggling to walk my dog for more than a few minutes. Each morning I’d wake up and hope to feel better, but instead I just deteriorated,” she said. Her GP referred her to Beaumont Hospital, where she has been passed from specialist to specialist.
“Neurology, immunology, cardiology, hematology. Some were kind, others not so much,” she said.
Limerick based primary school teacher Karen Erswell said her entire life changed the day she received her covid shot.
“I had a severe reaction to my first and only dose of covid 19 vaccine. Within the hour, I had extreme headache and an internal burning sensation through my body. The next day I woke with hives, purple skin, burning sensations and swelling from head to toe,” she said.
She was admitted to A&E the day after her vaccine and treated for a suspected clot in her lungs. She is currently under the care of Professor Jack Lambert and three neurologists, a respiratory consultant, a gynaecologist and several other specialists. She now takes 19 prescribed medications daily along with inhalers and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG - immune system antibodies) infusions twice monthly at the Mater Private. She said IVIG is the only intervention that has improved her symptoms, ‘reducing pain, restoring energy and offering stability.’
“It has literally helped give me back pieces of my life,” she said.
Karen broke down in tears as she described how her treatments scheduled for next week had been cancelled because private insurance companies pulled the funding.
“Not because it is ineffective but because it is expensive and I am truly heartbroken. So I stand here today to urgently ask the government and HSE to intervene. If insurance companies won’t fund this treatment then the state should,” she said.
“Living vaccine injured feels like a life sentence for a crime I didn’t commit. Trapped in a body that is breaking, while the world looks away,” she said. “It’s like dragging my body through concrete while my mind tries to think through fog.”
Senator Sharon Keoghan asked if there was any data in relation to the scale of vaccine injuries available from the HPRA. Aontú repesentative Mairead Toibín, who organised a public meeting on this issue on Dun Laoighaire last month, replied citing Cork Coroner Philip Comyn’s recommendations at the inquest into the death of Roy Butler, who suffered a massive brain bleed and died five days after his J&J vaccine.
The Coroner issued three recommendations that ‘all appropriate (health) bodies consider whether an information campaign should be undertaken firstly to inform the general public of the need to report adverse reactions to vaccines.
Mr Comyn advised that ‘the general public need to be informed as to whom they should report these adverse reactions to and the HSE and all medical and professional bodies be reminded of the need to ensure such adverse reactions are noted and reported promptly to the relevant authorities.’
Ms Toibín noted that those filing adverse reports are being asked to fill in seven pages of data, which is making the process ‘more difficult.’
“The Coroner said that there should be an information campaign run on the role of the HPRA for the public because we get the most accurate information on any drug from the most reporting and that is something that is easily done. All of that would encourage people to report adverse effects,” she said.
Janet Collins further replied to Senator Keoghan that the HPRA statistics currently are at more than reported 22,000 reactions and she said ‘it is widely accepted that less than 10per cent of people report their adverse reactions.’
Barry Heneghan TD for Dublin Bay North offered his full support to the group.
“I think it is ridiculous that you have had to wait, you should have had this sorted out straight after it happened so you have my full support,” he said.
Independent TD for Galway West Noel Grealish thanked the speakers for what he ‘learned here today.’
“I know it’s not praise you want, it is action. It is very important that you stood up here today. One of the questions I have is how many people in Ireland are affected by this covid vaccine?”
The panel replied that number is not known. Deputy Grealish said he wants to sit down with Peadar Toibín and ‘go through the detail of the cases’ and he mentioned Deputy Paul McAuliffe and former TD Denis Naughton as advocates of the cause.
“Listening to you, we have to do something,” he said.
The list of politicians in attendance at the meeting in Leinster House is:
TD's
Peadar Toibin (Aontu)
Noel Grealish (Ind)
Richard O'Donoghue (Independent Ireland)
Barry Heneghan (Ind)
Gillian Toole (Ind)
Paul McAuliffe (FF)
Paul Lawless (Aontú)
Mattie McGrath (Ind)
*Michael Healy Rae (Ind) and Danny Healy Rae (Ind) *attended early and left early
Senators
Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
Sharon Keoghan (Ind)
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Previously:
“During covid
those injured by covid organised by Aontu
Super reporting Louise. Incredible to read vaccine injuries being taken seriously within Dáil Éireann, finally. May this open the conversation and break the silence. Well done to all involved.
Great article, Louise! Thank you.
Is this a sprinkling of light at the end of the tunnel?