2 deaths in one week after Covid-19 vaccine; links uncertain

Hong Kong – Two days after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine shot, a 63-year-old man in Hong Kong passed away, although it is uncertain if there was a direct link between the death and the vaccine, announced the Department of Health.

Several media outlets reported the man had received China’s Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine on Feb 26. Hong Kong’s Department of Health also revealed that the man developed acute breathing difficulties and died on Feb 28, reported todayonline.com on Wednesday (March 3).

The government agency did not reveal which vaccine the man received and said it had contacted the Hospital Authority for more information on the incident.

In a separate incident, a woman in her 60s passed away from a brain haemorrhage three days after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Tokyo, said Japan’s Ministry of Health on Tuesday (March 2). The agency added that there might not be a link between the condition and the vaccine.

The incident marks the first reported death in Japan following a vaccination.

Tomohiro Morio, a doctor advising the government, told the ministry, “The brain haemorrhage that is suspected as a cause is relatively common among people from their 40s to their 60s, and at this time, based on examples overseas, there does not seem to be a link between brain haemorrhages and the coronavirus vaccine.”

“It may be a coincidental case, but there is a need to gather more information and make an assessment in upcoming working groups,” he added.

On Feb 16, a 72-year-old Singaporean man was taken to the intensive care unit after suffering a cardiac arrest. The Ministry of Health stressed that his condition had nothing to do with his being given the Covid-19 vaccine earlier that day.

The Director of Medical Services, Associate Professor Kenneth Mak, announced on Jan 22 that there had been reports of adverse events from several people who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

He added that most adverse events are very mild, based on reports from the countries that have launched vaccination programmes. These side effects include pain, swelling, redness, and muscle soreness after the vaccine was administered.

“There are some who have reported fatigue, more generalised muscle aches, and fever. Many of these symptoms, in fact, reflect the body’s immune system responding to the vaccine dose that has been injected in them,” said A/Prof Mak.

“And there will be some that may have more serious side effects, which include allergic reactions of a variety of different grades of severity.”

To date, there are two approved Covid-19 vaccines in Singapore — Moderna’s vaccine and Pfizer-BioNTech. Both consist of two jabs, taken 28 days and 21 days apart, respectively.

It has been reported that the efficacy rates of Moderna’s vaccine and Pfizer-BioNTech’s are about 94 per cent and 95 per cent, respectively./TISG

Read related: 72-year-old man sent to ICU following Covid-19 vaccination; MOH confirms cardiac arrest wasn’t caused by vaccine

72-year-old man sent to ICU following Covid-19 vaccination; MOH confirms cardiac arrest wasn’t caused by vaccine