Vaccine Not Linked To Any Recent Death, Experts Find

A panel of experts has concluded that none of the seven deaths recorded among people who had received Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines since inoculations began last month could be linked directly to the jab.

Three of those who died were aged over 70, three in their sixties while one was 55.

Professor Ivan Hung said preliminary investigations found a number of the patients had blocked heart blood vessels which led to their deaths.

He noted that heart-related problems are common in Hong Kong, and kill an average of 16.7 people per day.

The expert said people with cardiovascular diseases should still be encouraged to take the vaccines if their condition is stable.

“We only refer to patients who have symptoms... for example, chest pain or shortness of breath, we would suggest these patients to defer their vaccination until they have controlled their current illnesses,” he said.

Hung also said there was not enough evidence so far to link the Sinovac vaccine to two instances where patients had suffered Bell’s palsy – a type of facial paralysis – after receiving the jabs.

But he noted that the timing of the onset of symptoms makes it more unlikely that the injections were to blame, noting that overseas experience shows vaccine-related cases of Bell's palsy usually develop four to eight weeks after inoculation.

“These cases presented bell’s palsy within a day, so the time frame is a little bit unusual. As a result, we cannot confirm whether it’s due to the vaccine itself, or whether it’s due to an infection,” he said.

The government on Monday also issued new guidelines recommending whether individuals who suffer from specific medical problems should receive either the Sinovac or BioNTech vaccines.

Authorities say the mainland-produced Sinovac should not be given to patients who have had a history of allergic reactions to vaccines; suffer from a range of neurological conditions including transverse myelitis and Guillain-Barre; who are pregnant or breastfeeding; or have ‘uncontrolled’ and severe chronic illnesses.

It also lists out a long list of conditions or medical situations where patients are encouraged to first consult their doctors before receiving the jabs, including everyone under 18 years old, or have any ‘acute’ diseases.

There is only one item in the list of patients for whom the German-made BioNTech should not be given – which is anyone with a history of allergic reaction to the ingredients of the vaccine.

The list for those who are encouraged to consult their doctors is of a similar length to the Sinovac guide.

Authorities also decided on Monday to open up Hong Kong’s territory-wide vaccination programme to the bulk of the population, saying anyone above the age of 30, study abroad, or are foreign domestic helpers, are now welcome to book appointments for inoculations starting on Tuesday morning.