Utah Woman Sues AstraZeneca Claiming Covid Vaccine Left Her Permanently Disabled
Brianne Dressen, a 42-year-old former teacher from Utah, has initiated legal action against AstraZeneca, claiming that participation in the company's Covid vaccine trial left her with a severe neurological condition. Dressen volunteered for the trial in 2020, but within days of receiving the vaccine, she began experiencing intense sensations of pins and needles throughout her body. Diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy linked to the vaccine, Dressen has been unable to work, engage in athletic activities, or parent her children as she used to.
In her lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in Utah, Dressen alleges that AstraZeneca breached its contract by failing to cover her mounting medical bills. She asserts that the company agreed to pay for medical treatment for research-related injuries but has not upheld this commitment.
Despite refusing a $1,200 payout from AstraZeneca that would limit its liability, Dressen faces medical and legal expenses running into tens of thousands of dollars. The US trial, involving 32,000 participants, found the AstraZeneca vaccine to be 79% effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19, although the FDA did not approve its use in the United States.
AstraZeneca, while declining to comment on the ongoing litigation, has maintained that patient safety is a priority and that its vaccine has an acceptable safety profile. The company cited that over six million lives were saved globally in the vaccine's first year of use.