Authorities Probe Deaths After BioNTech Vaccination

Health authorities on Saturday said they were looking into the deaths of two people days after they'd received the BioNTech coronavirus jab, though they didn't think the deaths were caused by the vaccinations.

The Department of Health said a woman, 58, died a week after receiving her jab. She was admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital on May 7 with chest pain and shortness of breath and passed away the next day.

"Provisional cause of death was aortic dissection and there was no clinical evidence to indicate association with Covid-19 vaccination," a spokesman said.

The second case was a man, 61, who collapsed at his workplace on May 7, two days after he'd been inoculated. He was then taken to the United Christian Hospital, where died the same night.

A hospital examination revealed he had ventricular fibrillation, the spokesman said, and again authorities didn't think his death was linked to the vaccination. His provisional cause of death was acute myocardial infarction.

The cases have been referred to the coroner and the department will also pass them on to an expert committee for a causality assessment.