The fund, managed by the Estonian Health Insurance Fund, opened for applications on May 1 and compensation had not been paid to anyone by May 31.

Of the submitted applications, 31 have been rejected and 119 were submitted to the State Agency of Medicines for evaluation. Five have been analyzed and did not show a likely causal link with vaccination.

Some applicants have received their final answers but no conclusions can be drawn from the figures, said Riho Peek, the head of the Health Insurance Fund's finance department.

"The application process can take up to 150 days in total. The final responses to all applications submitted to date will not be available until September," he said.

Those applications which have already been rejected did not meet the criteria as side effects did not last for more than four months or are not considered serious enough.

The Health Insurance Fund recommends people carefully read the guidelines before submitting an application. If a successful claim is submitted, a one-off income tax-free benefit is paid out to the applicant.

To make a successful claim, the side effects must have lasted for at least four months or ended in death. The medical condition must be documented by a doctor. 

This year claims can only be made for the coronavirus vaccine, but the fund will be extended to cover all vaccinations from 2023.

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