Vaccination cases assessed

April 21, 2021

The Expert Committee on Clinical Events Assessment Following COVID-19 Immunisation assessed four death cases with history of vaccination during its meeting today.

 

Between April 5 and 18, the Department of Health received four death reports with history of COVID-19 immunisation from the Hospital Authority (HA).

 

The cases involve four men aged between 54 and 92. Based on the preliminary autopsy findings, the committee considered there was no evidence to indicate an association between the deceased's outcome and vaccination.

 

The first case involved a 92-year-old man who had hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, atrial flutter, ischaemic stroke, hyperlipidaemia and renal impairment.

 

He passed away on April 5 and had received a dose of Sinovac 18 days before his death.

 

Based on the preliminary autopsy findings, the death was due to left haemothorax and ruptured dissecting aneurysm of the aorta.

 

The second case involved a 58-year-old man who was a chronic smoker. He passed away on April 8 and had received a dose of Sinovac 23 days before his death. The autopsy findings revealed that he died of coronary artery disease. 

 

The third case involved a 72-year-old man who had a history of chronic renal failure and was on regular haemodialysis. During a haemodialysis hospital visit on April 16, he suddenly went into cardiac arrest and passed away. 

 

He received a dose of Sinovac 23 days before his death. Provisional causes of death were haemodialysis catheter related sepsis and hyperkalaemia.

 

The last case involved a 54-year-old man who was a smoker. He passed away on April 18 and he received a dose of Sinovac 16 days before his death.

 

Based on the preliminary autopsy findings of hypertensive heart disease, the committee considered that there was no evidence indicating an association between the deceased's outcome and vaccination, adding that a full autopsy report was required in order to conclude the causality assessment.

 

In addition, the committee conducted a causality assessment of two pregnant women. Both aged 32, they received treatment in the HA due to miscarriage and fetal death. 

 

After reviewing the relevant clinical information and pathology results, the committee concluded that there was no evidence indicating an association with vaccination and noted that the concerned hospital would further investigate the cause of the fetal death.

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