Scandal in the GDR: Hepatitis-C vaccination causes suffering and calls for help

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Nowadays, vaccination is of crucial importance for public health, but sometimes vaccinations can lead to unforeseen consequences. A sad chapter in history took place in the GDR at the end of the 1970s when almost 7,000 women were vaccinated with hepatitis-C viruses during and after their pregnancy. This anti-D immuneprophylaxis should protect women from life-threatening complications, but caused serious health problems that continue to this day.

The state representative for the processing of the SED dictatorship in Saxony-Anhalt, Johannes Beleites, is committed to recognizing and adequate compensation for the women concerned. Many of the women suffer from physical and psychological consequences, which were reinforced with them by dealing with the state. At the time, the state tried to cover up the case and isolated the women concerned from their families. They were often kept on quarantine stations for months and were only allowed to see their children through the window.

These women still struggle with the consequences of the incorrect vaccination, which is regulated by the anti-D aid law of 2000. The compensation depends on the degree of damage and can include monthly payments of up to 1,088 euros. Johannes Beleites and the federal victim representative Evelyn Zupke are committed to improving the law to offer women more financial security and to avoid recurring health examinations.

The women concerned not only fight with the health consequences, but also with bureaucratic hurdles. Your degrees of damage are often wrongly downgraded, which can lead to a reduction in your pension payments. An improved treatment method for hepatitis C, which can press the virus load below the detection limit, is often not taken into account by the offices, which leads to further financial losses for those affected.

The history of anti-D immunifylaxis in the GDR is a dark chapter of medical history that still has an impact on the women concerned today. It is important to recognize your suffering and provide appropriate support to restore your dignity and health. Johannes Beleites and Evelyn Zupke are committed to ensuring that the victims of medical injustice no longer have to suffer and receive the support they earn.

- Nag