Death Unlikely To Be Linked To Covid Shot: Experts

An infectious disease expert said on Wednesday that it’s unlikely that the death of a 63-year-old Hong Kong man is linked to the Covid-19 vaccine he received.

Dr Leung Chi-chiu, a specialist in respiratory medicine, also urged the government to find out the exact cause of the death as quickly as possible and to reassure people the vaccine is safe, so that the public are not deterred from getting vaccinated.

The man died on Sunday, two days after getting a jab made by mainland company Sinovac.

But Leung noted that the patient, who had hypertension, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, did not have any sign of allergy after his vaccination on Friday, so there is no evidence to suggest the breathing difficulties he experienced two days later were linked to the jab.

“The vaccine has been an established technology. It only involves a local irritation effect and effect of stimulating the immunological system. There are no other significant pharmaceutical properties,” he said.

Leung said it would be rather unusual for the vaccine to cause a sudden deterioration in breathing in the absence of “acute anaphylaxis” – or a severe allergic reaction, rapid in onset.

He said there could be other causes for breathing difficulties, such as lung and heart problems.

Leung added that there had been reports of deaths after inoculation in other countries where people received coronavirus vaccines made by other drugmakers, especially among the elderly and people with chronic diseases, but none were found to be linked to the shots.

“This is a commonly observed phenomenon, because there' a substantial risk of sudden death due to various causes among the very old and those with chronic medical conditions,” he said.

“We have been seeing similar reports after various kinds of Covid-19 vaccines in different countries. But up to this moment, there is no single case where we can establish a direct link between the use of the vaccine and the sudden death.”

A government adviser on the city’s vaccination programme, David Hui, said the patient had high risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, and his heart rate slowed after being admitted to hospital.

He said an expert panel would meet on Wednesday to study the man's medical records, electrocardiography before resuscitation, and postmortem report.

He added that it is suitable for people with chronic diseases to have coronavirus vaccines as long as their health condition is stable.

Meanwhile, the president of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Hong Kong, William Chui, said people with chronic diseases could consult their family doctors if they are unsure whether or not to get the jabs.

He said the vaccination programme should continue, as stopping it would put more people at risk of getting infected with Covid-19.

A spokesman for Sinovac said the firm would proactively cooperate with the Hong Kong government’s investigations into the incident.