Who tampered with Joseph’s vaccine record?

Changes made to Joseph McGinty’s (14) online vaccination registration following his death

Photo by Ed Us on Unsplash

Details in Joseph McGinty’s online record of vaccination were accessed and altered on two separate occasions. The national vaccination registration system is hosted and managed by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Joseph (14) collapsed and died on September 13 2021. He received his Pfizer vaccine 24 days earlier on August 20.

The McGinty family’s legal team pushed for answers on this topic from two separate witnesses, one of whom represented Pfizer.

Joseph’s file was altered within a week of Pfizer becoming aware of the inquest into his death.

The family’s Senior Counsel (SC) Michael O’Connor raised the issue first with former General Manager of the Saolta regional vaccination programme, and subsequently with Pfizer’s Vaccine Director, Dr Gillian Ellsbury.

The first change made to Joseph’s Covax file occurred on Feb 10 2022 at 3.08am and the file was accessed again on November 28 2022 at 6.10am.

Mr O’Connor SC instructed by solicitor Rita Kilroy of Lavelle Bourke Solicitors, put it to Dr Ellsbury that the timing of the changes made to Joseph’s file coincided with Pfizer’s becoming aware of the case.

“There were witnesses here yesterday from the operators of the vaccine and neither were able to explain why changes had been made to the system.

“Are you able to help us with that Dr Ellsbury? It’s a system called Salesforce that was operated by the immunisation team in Ireland under the HSE,” Mr O’Connor SC said.

“I’m curious that one of those changes was made shortly before the Coroner was written to and I’m wondering if Pfizer wrote to the HSE and looked for information about this case, that might have caused that change?”

“That’s not a system we have access to and I’m not aware of anybody contacting it,” Dr Ellsbury said.

“Neither can you out rule it, you don’t know,” Mr O’Connor SC said.

The Coroner interjected then, pointing out that Covax is not Pfizer’s record.

“What I am asking is, if Pfizer had contacted the HSE looking for information on this particular case and his vaccination records in November 2022, around the same time that Pfizer wrote to the Coroner?”

“I don’t know the answer,” Dr Ellsbury said.

(Pfizer became aware of the inquest through Media reports in November 2022)

The previous day (July 19 last) the inquest heard evidence from Frank Harburn, former General Manager of the Saolta regional vaccination programme, who outlined the process involved in registering a child for a covid 19 vaccine through the national Registration Portal. He worked in the role from January 2021 until August 2022.

Mr O’Connor SC asked Mr Harburn about the changes made to the Covax system in relation to Joseph McGinty’s vaccination record.

“Can you explain to me the changes made on Feb 10 2022?” Mr O’Connor asked.

“I assume these were changes made to the national system. It’s a national system it is hosted and managed by the HSE,” Mr Harburn said.

“That change occurred at 3.08am. It’s an unusual entry,” Mr O’Connor said.

“I don’t know why that change occurred,” Mr Harburn replied.

Mr O’Connor said on November 28 2022 there was another change made. Mr Harburn said he wasn’t sure why the change was made.

“I don’t know why it was changed to non-applicable.”

“Who in your organisation would know that?” Mr O’Connor asked.

“Whoever updated it. I wasn’t there on the day,” Mr Harburn said.

Asked if he had come across any other cases of encephalitis following vaccination, Mr Harburn said if there was a serious adverse reaction he would have heard about it in his work meetings.

“Swelling of the brain, encephalitis wasn’t something that came up at these meetings?”

Mr Harburn replied no.

Mr O’Connor asked if there was anything else he felt should be disclosed to the Coroner.

“Given a child has passed away and his parents are entitled to full disclosure, because that would be important,” Mr O’Connor said.

“No nothing that I am aware of,” Mr Harburn said.

The CoVax platform is the national portal of private information which includes details recorded as part of the registration process. Details include name, age, address, PPS number and vaccine details such as batch number and brand. The system is a national database using software hosted and managed by the HSE.

The CoVax system performed multiple tasks as part of the government’s vaccine roll out through vaccination centres. These included obtaining online consent, scheduling appointments and checking medical eligibility. The system allowed HSE/ government to monitor process of administering COVID-19 vaccinations across Ireland.

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