The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has today (Tuesday 14 January 2025) published its second Every Story Matters record which summarises the UK public’s experiences of Covid-19 vaccines and therapeutics during the pandemic.
Tens of thousands of contributors have shared their stories with the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, which form themed records to help inform its investigations.
The latest record is published on the opening day of three weeks of public hearings for the Inquiry’s fourth investigation: Module 4 ‘Vaccines and Therapeutics’. The Inquiry is investigating the development of Covid-19 vaccines and the implementation of the vaccine rollout programme across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as issues relating to the treatment of Covid-19 through both existing and new medications.
Every Story Matters records assist the Chair, Baroness Heather Hallett, in reaching conclusions and making recommendations for the future. The first Every Story Matters record, ‘Healthcare’, was published in early-September 2024.
The Inquiry’s second Every Story Matters record brings together contributors’ vaccination and therapeutics experiences. The record, a product of the largest public engagement exercise ever undertaken by a UK public inquiry, sets out a wide range of experiences of the pandemic including:
- people who felt immense relief that a vaccine, produced and distributed during the pandemic, meaning life could potentially return to ‘normal’
- those who remain concerned about how quickly it was developed and are still cautious, or even sceptical, about its benefits versus its risks
- those who felt they had been given little choice during the pandemic about whether or not to take the vaccine and perceived social or work pressures to seek a vaccine
- contributors who still feel glad they had chosen not to take a vaccine while others celebrated that they had
- individuals who experienced negative consequences of Covid vaccines including debilitating injury, or significant side effects, some of which are ongoing
- people who felt their concerns had not been properly addressed by experts or the medical profession
- those who expressed the view that there had not been, and still was not, enough information about vaccines and any potential side-effects, and this vacuum of information left space for rumours, conspiracy theories and ongoing worries
Every Story Matters is a vital part of the Inquiry. Its records ensure that all our work, and the Chair’s final conclusions, will be informed by people’s real-life experiences. We have always promised to be a UK-wide public inquiry - almost 9,500 conversations at our 22 public events right across the country are testament to that, as are the 53,000 stories submitted via the Every Story Matters website.
Every Story Matters’ value lies in capturing the themes of all the experiences that have been shared with us, quoting people’s stories in their own words and, crucially, in ensuring people’s experiences are part of the Inquiry’s public record.
Future Every Story Matters records will focus on the care system, work, family life and other aspects of life during the pandemic. I would encourage everyone with a story to share it with us. To find out more visit everystorymatters.co.uk.
The Inquiry would like to convey its deepest gratitude to all those who continue to share their invaluable experiences with us.
The latest Every Story Matters record is the product of almost 34,500 people’s stories submitted online to the Inquiry. It also reflects the themes that emerged from 228 detailed research interviews, while the Inquiry’s researchers also drew together themes from Every Story Matters listening events with the public in towns and cities across the United Kingdom. To date, the Inquiry has spoken to almost 9,500 members of the public at 22 events held in locations from Llandudno to Luton, Oban to Exeter and Enniskillen to Folkestone, with many people sharing often very moving and personal recollections of the pandemic. More Every Story Matters public events are planned for the coming months.
The new Every Story Matters record recounts how some people welcomed the speedy development and rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, while for others the pace generated feelings of unease:
When it was confirmed that the vaccine was available, the first thing I felt was, personally, it brought me hope, because I was in a hopeless situation at that time, and that’s why I wanted to be first on the list. It felt like there was light at the end of the tunnel, that was very reassuring.
I think it’s fair to say that the speed at which it came out did leave a little bit of reticence with some people. It was rolled out very quickly, where other vaccines have taken years to get to market. So there was naturally a little bit of I think general fear.
Many people recount how they learned of the development or rollout of vaccines in different ways, with a lack of consistency of messaging causing confusion or anxiety:
I remember going for my first Covid vaccine, having a leaflet given to me, and thinking, ‘this is the first time I’ve seen some of this information, and actually I don’t feel like I’ve really had time to digest fully what this means, and I’ve got to go and have my injection in a second’. The proper information, it felt like that came too late.
There was a lot of information coming from different places. I didn’t really trust anything that was in the media, but my faith community, there were updates from my faith community around the vaccine. They had done a lot of research into it. And I trusted that.
Some frontline workers have told Every Story Matters about their experiences of accessing vaccinations:
My staff felt very undervalued when they were not eligible initially for the vaccine.
As carers, why weren’t we vaccinated at the same time as the people that we’re looking after?
I felt pressured to be honest. I didn’t get a letter or a text message. I had a phone call off of one of my managers, I think. It was just pressure. It’s not a nice feeling to have – and I don’t think you’d find that in many instances when it’s to do with your health in general, because you make those decisions by yourself don’t you? You don’t normally have anyone else included.
Every Story Matters contributors recall their experiences of the mass vaccination programme that rolled out across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland:
When I got to the centre it was all very well organised and the volunteers and the staff, the nurses, doctors, they were all so helpful and cheerful which was really good. There was no sense of doom really. It was like, you’re all here for this vaccination and we’ll just get on with it
When the time came to start being vaccinated, we found that our small, isolated village played against us, we’d have to take long bus journeys or multiple buses to get to the vaccination centre, coming into contact with more and more people.
The vaccine appointment process was totally inaccessible to screen readers as it used a map for one process and a calendar for another
Some clinically vulnerable Every Story Matters contributors were aware of therapeutic options available, but experiences accessing therapeutics were mixed:
We need to look now at the total chaos surrounding clinically vulnerable people trying to access antiviral treatments when they catch Covid. There are absolute horror stories within this group of being told when catching the virus to contact their GP, who knows nothing, NHS 111, who ask them to then ring the GP, or to attend an A&E department with unmasked patients and medical staff.
In a few cases, contributors spoke about experiencing adverse reactions to vaccines:
The aftermath of my vaccine injury was predominantly physical, with debilitating symptoms that left me unable to work for an extended period. This not only affected my wellbeing but also had a significant financial impact due to the loss of my job and the lack of support during this critical time.
I have suffered a lot not just physically from this adverse event, but also mentally. There is a huge stigma with vaccine injury that is deeply unfair to those affected. Nobody wants to hear about it, some try and find any other reason they can to explain my illness.
Every Story Matters works with numerous groups and organisations. The Every Story Matters team at the Inquiry is extremely grateful and would like to acknowledge the following for their invaluable contribution to the new record. They include:
- Age UK
- Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru
- Clinically Vulnerable Families
- Covid19FamiliesUK
- Disability Action Northern Ireland
- Khidmat Centres Bradford / Young in Covid
- Mencap
- Muslim Women’s Council
- Race Alliance Wales
- Royal College of Midwives
- Royal College of Nursing
- Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)
- Scottish Covid Bereaved
- Scottish Vaccine Injury Group
- Self-Directed Support Scotland
- Sewing2gether All Nations (refugee support group)
- SignHealth
- UKCVFamily
- The Bereaved, Children and Young Peoples’, Equalities, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland forums, and the Long Covid Advisory group