UPDATE 1-Britain to cover COVID-19 vaccine side effects under damages scheme

(Writes through with details from government statement, background)

Dec 3 (Reuters) - Britain could pay 120,000 pounds ($161,676) to individuals who suffer from any severe side-effects of COVID-19 vaccines, the government said on Thursday, ahead of a rollout of Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine in the country following emergency approval.

The Department of Health and Social Care said it would add COVID-19 to the list of diseases in an existing scheme to cover liabilities - the Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme (VDPS) - and that although vaccines would be deployed only after stringent checks, this was a "precautionary step." (https://bit.ly/3mEuZ3I)

Compensation for any possible side-effects from a COVID-19 vaccine has been the subject of much debate in recent months, as drugmakers and governments around the world have worked in record time to develop and approve vaccines against the illness which has created global havoc.

Britain said it would continue to monitor the safety of Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine after the country on Wednesday became the first in the Western world to approve a vaccine following emergency use authorisation (EUA) by its regulator.

However, the EUA does not include liabilities, unlike a conditional approval granted by Europe.

The health department said that in order to qualify for payment under the scheme, a link between the vaccine and the disability being claimed must be established, and the severity of the disability must be at least 60% disablement.

VDPS was set up in 1979 under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act and covers diseases including meningitis, HPV, and tuberculosis. In the past, it has covered smallpox and swine flu as well. (https://bit.ly/2KZCB2N) (https://bit.ly/33GyIXa)

($1 = 0.7422 pounds) (Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru and Josephine Mason in London Editing by Chris Reese and Bernadette Baum)