Coronavirus: Hong Kong vaccination drive will continue as expert panel believes chronically ill man’s death not linked to Sinovac jab
- Expert committee monitoring side effects of vaccines reaches preliminary conclusion that death of 63-year-old man not related to mainland-made jab
- Co-convenor Professor Ivan Hung suggested the patient died of a heart attack and respiratory failure triggered by excessive fluid in the lungs
After a special meeting of the Expert Committee on Clinical Events Assessment Following Covid-19 Immunisation, co-convenor Professor Ivan Hung Fan-ngai said on Wednesday evening that members had reached the unanimous conclusion after assessing the case of the 63-year-old man, who suffered from diabetes and coronary artery disease.
Hung suggested the patient had died of a heart attack and respiratory failure triggered by excessive fluid in the lungs, but added that they would still have to wait for a comprehensive postmortem report before making a final conclusion.
Dr Lee Cheuk-kwong, also a co-convenor of the expert committee, said a detailed postmortem report would be ready in about two weeks, after which a further assessment would be made. He noted that the patient had not been managing his illnesses well prior to receiving the vaccine.
Hung said: “As the expert committee has made a judgment that the death has no direct link to the vaccination, we can tell you the vaccination programme will carry on.”
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The assurance came as the city confirmed 14 new Covid-19 infections, all locally transmitted and eight of them untraceable. Hong Kong’s infection tally now stands at 11,046, with 200 related deaths.