Singapore sees first Covid vaccine death

The Ministry of Health (MOH) in Singapore announced the death of a 28-year-old Bangladeshi man, likely related to a Covid-19 vaccine. He died away 21 days after receiving the Moderna/Spikevax vaccine. The State Coroner has confirmed that the cause of death was myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle.

The MOH has also stated that the man’s death was a “medical misadventure” with the State Coroner’s official report suggesting the likelihood of the vaccine being a cause;

“On the balance of probabilities, it was likely to be related to Covid-19 vaccination”.

This is the first death related to Covid vaccination in Singapore.

Despite the unfortunate incident, the MOH has reassured the public that the incidence of myocarditis remains rare with reporting rates of 0.1 per 100,000 doses for the bivalent vaccines and 1.1 per 100,000 doses for the primary vaccination series of the monovalent vaccines. The ministry reminded the public that there has only been one death despite millions of vaccines given.

“To date, more than 17 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in Singapore through the National Vaccination Programme.”

The family of the deceased will receive a one-time financial assistance of S$225,000 (about 5.8 million baht) under the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme provided by MOH. The ministry is also working with the Ministry of Manpower to extend assistance to the family and facilitate their application.

Since September 2021, vaccinated individuals are advised to refrain from intense physical activity or exercise for two weeks after vaccination as a precautionary measure to reduce the possible risk of myocarditis.

“People with chest discomfort, abnormal heartbeats or any other symptoms that arise after vaccination, should seek medical attention promptly. This will enable early diagnosis and appropriate medical management of any rare severe adverse events that may occur after vaccination.”

The Expert Committee on Covid Vaccination and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) will be observing vaccine-related serious adverse events closely. The latest vaccine safety update by the HSA has shown that the incidence of myocarditis is rare, and the MOH is confident in the safety of the vaccines.