91-year-old death very unlikely due to vaccine: Switzerland

Swissmedic approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on December 20. (Representation)

Geneva:

There is no indication that the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine was responsible for the death of an elderly person in Switzerland just days after receiving the vaccine, Swiss authorities said Wednesday.

Regulatory authority Swissmedic and regional authorities in the central canton of Lucerne have confirmed reports that a 91-year-old, among the first to receive the vaccine in Switzerland last week, had died.

But a Swissmedic spokesperson insisted to AFP that the time of death on Tuesday at a retirement home in Lucerne, just five days after receiving the vaccine, “was a coincidence.”

“Investigations carried out by the cantonal health authorities and by Swissmedic have shown that, based on the medical history and the course of the disease, a link between death and Covid-19 vaccination is highly unlikely,” said Swissmedic in a press release.

The deceased was already suffering from several illnesses, the agency said.

“Neither the medical history nor the acute course of the disease suggests a direct causal link between the Covid-19 vaccine and death,” he said.

“Pre-existing illnesses” were listed as the natural cause of death on the death certificate, he said.

Swissmedic, which approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on December 20, said no unknown side effects had occurred since vaccinations began in the country a week ago.

Millions of people have already received the vaccine in a number of countries, and no deaths have been linked to the bites so far.

Pfizer and BioNTech said they were aware of the death and said “their hearts are with the bereaved family.”

The two companies also pointed out in a statement that “ serious adverse events, including non-vaccine related deaths, are unfortunately likely to occur at a rate similar to that of the general population of elderly and at-risk people who are currently priority for vaccination. “

(Except for the title, this story was not edited by NDTV staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)