South Korea’s Disease Control and Prevention Agency has launched an investigation into the cause of the deaths of two people days after receiving the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
Eurasia Diary reports citing RT that the two individuals, who weren’t related and had pre-existing conditions, passed away on Tuesday and Wednesday after falling ill shortly following receiving their vaccination.
A 63-year-old nursing home resident, who was previously diagnosed with cerebrovascular disease, developed fatal blood poisoning and pneumonia after experiencing a severe fever.
The other victim was an individual who was in their 50s and had a history of cardiac disorder and diabetes. They suffered several heart attacks a day after taking the vaccine.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency only confirmed that it was investigating what caused the deaths. However, they did not confirm the victims or provide any further information about their investigation.
AstraZeneca declined to comment, with a company spokesperson in Seoul saying they had no statement to make at this time.
South Korea has previously advised that individuals 65 and over should not receive the vaccine, as they believe there is not enough data to prove it is safe and effective for that age group.
However, no concerns have been raised by health officials in the country for individuals with pre-existing conditions.
The South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved the use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine for use on February 10, with inoculations starting on February 26. As of Tuesday evening, 85,904 people had received at least one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in South Korea.
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At least two patients in South Korean hospitals died on Wednesday after receiving AstraZeneca vaccines against coronavirus, according to local media.
The first patient who was under treatment in a hospital in Goyang, just outside of the capital Seoul's northwestern border, was vaccinated on Tuesday, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Admitted to the hospital for heart and diabetes problems after the vaccination, the patient began to show symptoms of heart failure and difficulty in breathing by the afternoon but recovered under emergency care. The symptoms, however, recurred Wednesday morning, the report said.
Another 63-year-old patient in Pyeongtaek, some 44 miles south of Seoul, died on Wednesday morning, four days after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine, the agency quoted health officials as saying.
The man with the cerebrovascular disease had shown heavy symptoms, such as high fever and severe pain, since the day of vaccination last Saturday, and was admitted to a hospital on Tuesday after his condition worsened.
Local health officials said they have yet to determine whether the patient suffered side effects from the vaccine.
The country started administering Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines on Friday.
South Korea reported 444 more coronavirus infections during the past 24 hours, raising the total caseload to 90,816 while 1,612 people lost their lives due to the disease, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University.
