Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

VA won't pay benefits to Marine injured by vaccine
McClatchy Newspapers ^ | 30 Aug 2009 | David Goldstein

Posted on 09/01/2009 6:28:01 AM PDT by BGHater

It wasn't a bullet or roadside bomb that felled Lance Cpl. Josef Lopez three years ago after nine days in Iraq.

It was an injection into his arm before his unit left the states.

The then 20-year-old Marine from Springfield, Mo., suffered a rare adverse reaction to the smallpox vaccine. While the vaccine isn't mandatory, the military strongly encourages troops to take it.

However, it left Lopez in a coma, unable for a time to breathe on his own and paralyzed for weeks. Now he can walk, but with a limp. He has to wear a urine bag constantly, has short-term memory loss and must swallow 15 pills daily to control leg spasms and other ailments.

And even though his medical problems wouldn't have occurred if he hadn't been deployed, Lopez doesn't qualify for a special government benefit of as much as $100,000 for troops who suffer traumatic injuries.

The hangup? His injuries were caused by the vaccine.

"I could have easily died, or not been able to walk because of that," Lopez said. "It destroyed my world. It was pretty traumatic to me."

Officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs, which oversees the benefit program, said they're following what the agency has determined to be Congress' intent.

"It's for traumatic injury, not disease; not illness; not preventive medicine," said Stephen Wurtz, deputy assistant director for insurance at the VA. "It has nothing to do with not believing these people deserve some compensation for their losses."

(Excerpt) Read more at mcclatchydc.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: 111th; agenda; congress; marine; military; smallpox; va; vaccine; veterans
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-23 last
To: Shimmer1
I usually get treated quite respectfully.

You won't from me after claiming my nephew's experience was an isolated incident and dismissing his and my service in previous threads.
21 posted on 09/01/2009 11:44:22 AM PDT by TSgt (I long for Norman Rockwell's America.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Shimmer1
Remember this?

He’s apparently AF, what do you expect him to really know of Marine recruit treatment?

Lady, I lived this hell with my nephew last year and didn't think he was going to make it. The Marines have completely turned their back on him.
22 posted on 09/01/2009 11:47:25 AM PDT by TSgt (I long for Norman Rockwell's America.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: MikeWUSAF

You have a nasty attitude, and not just to me, but that’s just you, apparently.
I bet your nephew thinks you whine too.


23 posted on 09/01/2009 1:07:40 PM PDT by Shimmer1 (Navy blue)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-23 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson