A Utah mother is suing AstraZeneca, the drug manufacturer of the COVID-19 vaccine, claiming that she was left permanently disabled after participating in the clinical trial.
Brianne Dressen, who was initially in good health, developed severe neurological symptoms shortly after receiving the vaccine.
She experienced arm tingles, blurred vision, a headache, ringing ears, and vomiting, which later progressed to a neurological condition called paresthesia.
Dressen was diagnosed with post-vaccine neuropathy by National Institutes of Health neurologists.
She accuses AstraZeneca of breaching their contract by failing to provide adequate compensation for her medical bills and lost wages.
Despite signing a consent form stating that the company would cover medical treatment costs, Dressen claims AstraZeneca only offered her a one-time payment of $1,243.30.
Over 50 individuals have already filed a class-action lawsuit against the drug manufacturer in the UK with similar allegations.
A spokesperson for AstraZeneca declined to comment on Dressen’s lawsuit but emphasized the vaccine’s safety profile and the benefits of vaccination outweighing the risks of rare side effects.
While some of her symptoms have improved, Dressen alleges she is “still disabled” and has become a shadow of herself, is unable to work or parent the way she once did.
“I did everything they asked of me. I honored my obligations to them. They have not honored any,” Dressen said.
“When they needed me, I was there, I cooperated. When I needed them, they were nowhere to be found.”
More than 50 people have already filed a class-action lawsuit against the drug manufacturer in the UK, alleging they were left with ailments from the vaccine.
An AstraZeneca spokesperson declined to comment on Dressen’s pending litigation.
“From the body of evidence in clinical trials and real-world data, the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine has continuously been shown to have an acceptable safety profile and regulators around the world consistently state that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of extremely rare potential side effects,” a spokesperson told Bloomberg Law in a statement.
