Vaccine Not Linked To Any Recent Death, Experts Find

"); jQuery("#212 h3").html("

Related News Programmes

"); });

2021-03-15 HKT 21:30

Share this story

facebook

  • Ivan Hung says heart disease is the more likely culprit in the deaths of seven people who had recently received the Sinovac vaccine, but people with cardiovascular diseases should still be encouraged to get inoculated if their condition is stable. Photo: RTHK

    Ivan Hung says heart disease is the more likely culprit in the deaths of seven people who had recently received the Sinovac vaccine, but people with cardiovascular diseases should still be encouraged to get inoculated if their condition is stable. Photo: RTHK

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.

RECENT NEWS

StartmeupHK Festival And Hong Kong Fintech Week 2025 Merge For 10th Anniversary Milestone

Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) announced on 10 March 2025 that both of its flagship events, Hong Kong Fintech Week 2025 an... Read more

Ant AI-Powered Health Insurance Processes 7.25M Claims In 2024, 55%YoY Increase

In 2024, Ant Insurance, the online insurance brokerage platform of Ant Group, processed 7.25 million health claims, mar... Read more

Ping An Talent Uses AI For Job Matching, But Can Technology Make Recruitment Fairer?

Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. has launched its 2025 Spring Campus Recruitment, offering over 2,000 p... Read more

HKEX Partners With CMU OmniClear To Boost Post-Trade Securities Infrastructure

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) announced on 4 March 2025 that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding ... Read more

PAObank Secures Insurance Agency Licence, Partners With Ping An And FWD Hong Kong

PAO Bank Limited (PAObank) has received its Insurance Agency Licence from the Insurance Authority and signed strategic ... Read more

IFAST Launches Self-Service Accounts For Hong Kong Family Offices

Fintech solutions provider iFAST HK launches self-service accounts in Hong Kong, catering to the growing demand for ind... Read more