Widow claims vaccine led to garda husband’s death

THE widow of a Limerick garda who died after a long illness said she believes her husband contracted a fatal illness as a result of a vaccine he received before going on United Nations duty.

Garda Brendan Campbell, who was from Lisnagry, died on March 13 at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital four years after becoming ill.

Garda Campbell received a hepatitis B vaccine in June 2004 at the medical unit in Garda Headquarters in Dublin as he prepared to take up international policing duties with the UN.

His widow, Goretti, said that within 10 days Brendan was hospitalised and she believed his illness resulted from an adverse reaction to the vaccine he received.

“Brendan was angry in the beginning — he knew he was going to die but then he always said that money wasn’t going to heal him,” she said.

Garda Campbell, who was 49, received three vaccinations. The last one, hepatitis B, was the one his family believe led to his death.

Ms Campbell said: “He knew that his arm wasn’t right. Within five days he was displaying a temperature, flu-like symptoms, and within 10 days he was in hospital.”

As his condition failed to improve, Garda management called in an independent expert to review his medical file. In last September’s issue of the Garda Review, the Garda Representative Association stated “that in light of the findings of the expert that they appointed, they (Garda management) reconsidered their position and accepted that his serious condition was caused as a direct result of his official duty”.

No direct reference was made to the vaccination.

Ms Campbell said the family will not be taking a case against the Garda.

“The way Brendan looked at it was he wanted it to be known that there can be adverse side-effects from vaccinations,” she said. “If you research it you will see the amount of people who suffer various side effects is mind-boggling.”