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Best Shopping Deals 5:28PM Sunday, July 23rd, 2023 In the know quiz Sydney Today 11 °/ 18 ° SET YOUR LOCAL WEATHER Sign Up Log In * My account * Sign Out * National * BREAKING NEWS * POLITICS * CRIME * COURTS & LAW * NSW & ACT * Politics * Crime * Courts & Law * QUEENSLAND * Politics * Crime * Courts & Law * VICTORIA * Politics * Crime * Courts & Law * SOUTH AUSTRALIA * WESTERN AUSTRALIA * NORTHERN TERRITORY * TASMANIA * World * BREAKING NEWS * PACIFIC * ASIA * NORTH AMERICA * US Politics * SOUTH AMERICA * AFRICA * MIDDLE EAST * EUROPE * UK Politics * CORONAVIRUS * Australia * Global * Economy * Health * Closures * Lifestyle * HEALTH * Health Problems * Mental Health * Wellbeing * Diet * FITNESS * Inspiration * Weight Loss * Exercise * PARENTING * Pregnancy * Babies * Kids * Teens * School Life * FOOD * Eat * Drink * Restaurants & Bars * Food Warnings * RELATIONSHIPS * Dating * Sex * The Sealed Section * Marriage * Family & Friends * FASHION * Fashion Shows * Designers * Fashion Trends * Celebrity * BEAUTY * Face & Body * Cosmetic Surgery * HOME * Interiors * Outdoors * DIY * Pets * REAL LIFE * True Stories * Good News * News Life * LIFESTYLE VIDEOS * HOROSCOPES * Travel * TRAVEL IDEAS * Cruises * Luxury * Adventure * Short Breaks * Ski & Snow * Road Trips * Food & Drinks * DESTINATIONS * Pacific * Asia * North America * Europe * New Zealand * Africa * Middle East * Central America * South America * TRAVEL ADVICE * Tips & Tricks * Flights * Accommodation * Money * Airports * AUSTRALIAN HOLIDAYS * NSW & ACT * Northern Territory * Queensland * South Australia * Tasmania * Victoria * Western Australia * TRAVEL VIDEOS * Entertainment * CELEBRITY LIFE * Hook Ups & Break ups * Celebrity Photos * Celebrity Kids * Celebrity Deaths * Royals * CELEBRITY STYLE * Red Carpet * TV & RADIO * TV Shows * Reality TV * Streaming * Radio * Morning Shows * Current Affairs * Flashback * MOVIES * Upcoming Movies * New Movies * Movies Reviews * MUSIC * Music Festivals * Tours * BOOKS & MAGAZINES * Books * Magazines * AWARDS * Oscars * Golden Globes * Grammys * ARIAS * Logies * Emmys * ENTERTAINMENT VIDEOS * Technology * ONLINE * Social Media * Security * Internet * Hacking * GADGETS * Mobile Phones * Tablets * Cameras * Wearables * HOME ENTERTAINMENT * TV * Computers * Audio * GAMING * SCIENCE * Space * Archaeology * Human Body * Animals * ENVIRONMENT * Climate Change * Sustainability * Natural Wonders * INNOVATION * Inventions * Design * MOTORING * Motoring News * New Cars * Luxury * HiTech * Car Advice * On the Road * TECHNOLOGY VIDEOS * Finance * WORK * At Work * Careers * Leaders * BUSINESS * Breaking News * Technology * Banking * Travel * Retail * Mining * Manufacturing * Media * Other Industries * MONEY * Costs * Investing * Budgeting * Wealth * Tax * ECONOMY * Australian Economy * World Economy * Interest Rates * Federal Budget * REAL ESTATE * Selling * Buying * Renting * Sydney & NSW * Brisbane & QLD * Melbourne & VIC * Adelaide & SA * Perth & WA * MARKETS * Australian Markets * World Markets * Australian Dollar * SMALL BUSINESS * SUPERANNUATION * FINANCE VIDEOS * Sport * AFL * NRL * CRICKET * Cricket Live Scores * TENNIS * MOTORSPORT * F1 * V8 Supercars * Moto GP * SPORTS LIFE * Champions * History * AMERICAN SPORTS * NBA * NFL * FOOTBALL * A-League * EPL * BOXING * UFC * GOLF * BASKETBALL * RUGBY * Wallabies * HORSE RACING * Expert Opinion * Tips * NSW Racing * VIC Racing * QLD Racing * SA Racing * WA Racing * Punter's Life * CYCLING * MORE SPORTS * SPORT VIDEOS * More * BEST OF SHOPPING * Sales and Deals * Home * Electronics * Beauty * Fashion * Travel * Sports * Gifts * COUPONS & DEALS * Lifestyle * Health * Health Problems EXCLUSIVE ‘WAITING TO DROWN’: COVID VACCINE INJURY CLASS ACTION FILED AGAINST FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Gareth O’Gradie, a previously healthy father-of-two, was forced to make an “extreme” decision after a horror diagnosis left doctors stumped. Frank Chung @franks_chung 6 min read April 27, 2023 - 6:45AM ‘They're not being heard’: Liberal MP advocates for Australians with COVID vaccine injuries Liberal MP Russell Broadbent is advocating on behalf of the thousands of Australians who have experienced an adverse reaction after getting a COVID-19 vaccination. Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause UP NEXT Deceptive text scam leaves victim with empty bank ... 03:44 Unmute Loaded: 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Remaining Time -0:00 Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Video Autoplay Log in Premium Feature Switching off the video autoplay is available only to news.com.au subscribers. If you are a subscriber, please log in and access the video settings again. 1x Playback Rate Captions * captions settings, opens captions settings dialog * captions off, selected Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Play Mute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded: 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently playing liveLIVE Remaining Time -0:00 1x Playback Rate Picture-in-PictureFullscreen 5 news.com.au05:34 ‘THEY’RE NOT BEING HEARD’: LIBERAL MP ADVOCATES FOR AUSTRALIANS WITH COVID VACCINE INJURIES 05:34 ‘They’re not being heard’: Liberal MP advocates for Australians with Covid vaccine injuries YOU JUST WATCHED YOU ARE WATCHING video title Watch again Continue watching SHARE Related content NOW PLAYING Resume ‘They're not being heard’: Liberal MP advocates for Australians with C... 05:34 UP NEXT * 03:44 Deceptive text scam leaves victim with empty bank account Cancel * 01:21 Matildas claim record-breaking victory over Ireland Cancel * 02:12 Phoenix breaks record of days above 110 degrees Cancel * ... * ... * ... * ... Liberal MP Russell Broadbent is advocating on behalf of the thousands of Australians who have experienced an adverse reaction after getting a Covid vaccination. Up Next Cancel Video paused due to user inactivity Continue watching? Yes Liberal MP Russell Broadbent is advocating on behalf of the thousands of Australians who have experienced an adverse reaction after getting a Covid vaccination. More from health problems TRAGIC NEW BLOW FOR MUM OF TEO’S MIRACLE GIRL MAN’S SYMPTOMS FLU-LIKE BEFORE SHOCK DEATH MEASLES CASES PROMPT URGENT WARNING EXCLUSIVE For Gareth O’Gradie, the 20-centimetre scar on his chest serves as a constant reminder that his life will never be the same after the Covid vaccine. The Melbourne teacher — a previously healthy father-of-two who was into running, footy, cricket and tennis — had part of his heart removed in February last year as an “extreme” last resort, after seven months bedridden and in constant pain. Mr O’Gradie, 41, developed severe pericarditis — inflammation of the lining around the heart — soon after receiving his first Pfizer vaccination in July 2021. “Six days after [the vaccination] I had sudden-onset chest pain, shortness of breath, fever, chills, sweats,” he said. “I’d never known what a heart attack would feel like, but that’s the type of thing I expected.” He was rushed to hospital and soon diagnosed with vaccine-induced pericarditis. Over the subsequent months, unable to work, he spent 90 days in and out of hospital and was placed on a raft of different medications and therapies, to no avail. “It came back quite badly in February 2022 and I was in hospital for 35 days — that’s when the surgery took place,” he said. “In the end I had open heart surgery to remove the pericardium, which had become inflamed and stuck to my heart. It’s extreme. All the heads of different departments, cardiology, rheumatology, cardiothoracic, all had conferences to say, ‘We’ve tried this, what is the next step for this recurrent pericarditis we can’t control the pain for?’ It wasn’t an easy decision. They said, ‘Nothing’s working — this is what we can offer.’” Gareth O’Gradie suffered a severe reaction to Pfizer. Picture: Supplied He underwent open heart surgery in February 2022. Picture: Supplied Mr O’Gradie is one of the three lead applicants on a landmark Covid vaccine injury class action lawsuit filed in federal court on Wednesday. He is one of many Australians unhappy about his treatment by the federal government’s Covid vaccine claims scheme. Anthony Rose, 46, another lead applicant, has experienced incapacitating fatigue and debilitating neurological symptoms following Moderna — but without a definitive link to the vaccine or even a proper diagnosis, he is on his own. “I’m just treading water waiting to drown, basically,” said Mr Rose. The former construction management worker and amateur martial artist began experiencing “severe stabbing chest pains” within 24 hours of his vaccine in October 2021, which progressed into “serious neurological issues” over the next two weeks. “Basically blacking out, collapsing, getting severe head pressure,” he said. Neurological tests were unable to pinpoint the cause of his symptoms which continue to this day, leaving him out of work and on the brink of homelessness. According to Mr Rose, he can handle three to four hours per day of light activity such as walking around the house and talking before “my brain just shuts down”. Anthony Rose, right, has been unable to work since late 2021. Picture: Supplied His neurological symptoms haven’t been linked to the vaccine. Picture: Supplied “I’ve only got a limited amount of function then it just completely shuts down with seizure-like activity — tics, tremors, my legs go, speech goes, vision goes,” he said. “I’ve done everything — all sorts of red light therapies, hyperbaric chambers, functional neurologists where they had me on all sorts of machines — I’ve exhausted every medical avenue.” The father-of-two was rejected for compensation and “dumped on Jobseeker”. “If rent goes up or anything changes in the slightest I’m basically homeless,” he said. “As far as being a parent it’s devastating. All our options for a prosperous future are gone. I’ve sold everything, that got us 18 months, now I’m at the point loans are defaulting, everything’s gone.” For Mr O’Gradie, joining the class action was about getting “reasonable recognition and compensation” for himself and others like Mr Rose who are still suffering. The drastic surgery has resolved the pericardial pain but he has been effectively left with a permanent disability, and severely immunocompromised due to his current medications. “I no longer have a sac around my heart,” he said. “The pericardial sac regulates the amount of blood that flows into the heart, sort of stops it from overflowing, so I have severe shortness of breath and fatigue still which affects what I can do with my family. I can’t do sport, I’m never going to play footy again. I can’t do my old role. We’ve managed to get by but long-term … what’s going to happen to me? It’s a bit of a worry.” ‘I’m just treading water waiting to drown.’ Picture: Supplied The class action, organised and crowd-funded by Queensland GP Dr Melissa McCann, takes aim at the Commonwealth government and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) — along with a number of senior public servants — alleging negligence, breach of statutory duty and misfeasance in public office. The suit alleges that the respondents approved the vaccines “with no proper or reasonable evidentiary or logical basis to reasonably determine the vaccines to be safe, effective and possessing a positive risk-benefit profile”. “The action will argue that the Therapeutic Goods Administration did not fulfil their duty to properly regulate the Covid-19 vaccines, resulting in considerable harm and damage to Australians,” Natalie Strijland from NR Barbi Solicitor said in a statement. Ms Strijland said the action “arises upon the basis that the government did not truly establish that the vaccines were indeed safe or effective for use by the Australian public, and the claim now proceeds upon the basis that the government in fact acted negligently in approving the vaccines and also by failing to withdraw them after approval based upon the known evidence”. “Australians who have experienced a serious adverse event following Covid-19 vaccination are invited to step forward and register for this class action,” she said. A spokesman for the Department of Health and Aged Care said, “The department is aware of a proceeding commenced today in the Federal Court of Australia by applicants represented by NR Barbi Solicitor Pty Ltd. As the matter is before the court it is not appropriate to comment further.” A vaccination hub in Logan, south of Brisbane. Picture: Dan Peled/NCA NewsWire According to Dr McCann, nearly 500 people have already provided details of their injuries and expressed interest in joining the action, which she said was necessary as the existing compensation scheme had failed Australians. The scheme has left thousands of people suffering vaccine injuries still waiting for a decision, and has been widely criticised as being overly complex, difficult to access and too narrowly focused on a small number of officially recognised side effects. As of April 12, Services Australia had received 3501 applications and paid 137 claims totalling more than $7.3 million. Another 2263 claims are still in progress, 405 have been withdrawn and 696 deemed not payable. Dr McCann said the scheme was “not fit for purpose” and had left many vaccine injured Australians “abandoned with no support” after being promised “fair and accessible” compensation. As of April 16, the TGA has received 138,307 total adverse event reports from nearly 66 million doses administered, a rate of 0.2 per cent. The medicines regulator has identified 14 reports where the cause of death was linked to vaccination, from 985 reports received and reviewed. “There have been no new vaccine-related deaths identified since 2022,” the TGA said in its most recent safety report. “The TGA closely monitors reports of suspected side effects (also known as adverse events) to the Covid-19 vaccines. This is the most intensive safety monitoring ever conducted of any vaccines in Australia.” Queensland GP Dr Melissa McCann, left. Picture: Supplied The TGA said myocarditis and pericarditis were “usually temporary conditions, with most people getting better within a few days”, noting that the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) “continues to emphasise that the protective benefits of the vaccines far outweigh the rare risk of these side effects”. But Mr O’Gradie believes there has been “misinformation about the safety” of the vaccines from the government. “I think there has been some cover-up,” he said. “There was a lot of, you know, ‘We need to not scare the public as part of the vaccine rollout, so let’s not publicise these things.’ There was a large, intentional withholding of information — that doesn’t give people informed consent.” He stressed that he was “totally not or never have been anti-vaccine”. “I’m pro-science, I’m well educated,” he said. Mr Rose, meanwhile, said it was “nothing short of criminal” that the government “continued to push it” even as it received reports of serious reactions and even deaths. MORE COVERAGE ‘Fit, healthy’ 21yo dies after Moderna jab Vaccine injury payouts explode to $77m “The fact they’ve got a compensation scheme in the first place — why would you continue if you know there’s something happening?” he said. “It’s insanity.” frank.chung@news.com.au * * * We Recommend hear.com This Is The Highest Rated Hearing Aid In The US PromotedPromoted |hear.com Undo Online Shopping Tools Amazon Hates When Prime Members Do This, But They Can't Stop You PromotedPromoted |Online Shopping ToolsLearn More Undo Tommy Chong's CBD Tommy Chong: The Horrifying Truth About CBD PromotedPromoted |Tommy Chong's CBD Undo Flip Shop Flip Shop PromotedPromoted |Flip Shop Undo Health Insight Journal This New Device Is Leaving Neuropаthy Experts Spееchless PromotedPromoted |Health Insight Journal Undo More related stories Health Problems TRAGIC NEW BLOW FOR MUM OF TEO’S MIRACLE GIRL The mother of a 14-year-old girl who tragically died of a rare cancer that has affected much of her family has shared more devastating news. Read more Health Problems MAN’S SYMPTOMS FLU-LIKE BEFORE SHOCK DEATH The family of a man who died from a rare but highly contagious disease has urged people to stay vigilant, warning his symptoms were initially similar to the flu. Read more NSW & ACT MEASLES CASES PROMPT URGENT WARNING Two members of the same family became infected during an overseas trip, and visited a number of locations on their return. 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We may receive payment from third parties for publishing this content or when you make a purchase through the links on our sites. * Privacy policy * Relevant ads opt-out * Cookie policy * Terms of use Nationwide News Pty Ltd © 2023. All times AEST (GMT +10). Powered by WordPress.com VIP Sydney Today 11 °/ 18 ° SET YOUR LOCAL WEATHER Sign Up Log In * My account * Sign Out More stories to check out before you go Keep on reading celebrity life ‘No option’: Prince George video shows sad realityCOMMENT Group 3 Undo health Health chief issues alert as ‘highly contagious’ infection spreadsVictoria’s chief health officer has issued an alert about a “highly contagious” infection caused by an antibiotic resistant bacteria spreading in the state. Group 3 Undo beauty Aussie women are no longer hiding their pubic hairWomen aren’t just burning their bras, in 2023 they are breaking up with their waxers and throwing out their razors. 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