Will vaccines affect life cover?

In a statement, MLC Life Insurance said Australians should feel reassured to “get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they are eligible to protect themselves and the wider community from severe disease”.

“MLC Life Insurance wishes to assure all customers that, despite social media speculation to the contrary, their cover will be unaffected by receiving either the Astrazeneca or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine,” the insurer said.

“Importantly, there are no specific exclusions for making a claim if a customer suffers an adverse reaction to a vaccine approved for use by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.”

MLC Life added that customers’ cover would also not be affected if they chose not to receive the vaccine at this time.

More than 130,000 MLC Life clients were now eligible to receive the AstraZeneca jab, which had been restricted to usage for those aged over 50 due to links to a rare blood clotting disorder.

The news comes following similar recent comments from the FSC who spoke out against speculation that customers would invalidate their insurance if they received a vaccine and got an adverse reaction from it.

“To be clear – the COVID-19 vaccine is not experimental treatment. Receiving approved treatment from a qualified medical professional at an approved medical facility is not a self-inflicted injury,” the industry body’s chief executive, Sally Loane said earlier this month.

“One of the main reasons why people hold life insurance policies is to provide peace of mind for themselves and their families. The FSC would like to reassure Australians that when they get vaccinated, their life insurance will be there for them, completely unaffected.”