Japanese Woman Dies of Brain Hemorrhage Three Days After Receiving COVID-19 Vaccine

Vaccines Arrive At Tokyo Hospital As Japan Prepares For Its First COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign

(Photo : Photo by Kimimasa Mayama - Pool/Getty Images)
TOKYO, JAPAN - FEBRUARY 16: A Tokyo hospital staff checks condition of Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine with delivery staff at the hospital on February 16, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Japan's vaccination campaign will start with health-care workers at 100 hopitals across the country, according to the Ministry of Health.

Three days after getting inoculated by Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, a woman from Japan who is in her 60s died of a brain hemorrhage. On Tuesday, Japan's Health Ministry announced the death of the woman, however, they did note that there is no significant link between the vaccine and the woman's death.

Japanese Woman Dies of Brain Hemorrhage

The woman who died of brain hemorrhage is the first death reported in Japan after a vaccination. Based on reports, she got her COVID-19 vaccine on Friday and was suspected to have suffered a brain hemorrhage on Monday, three days after she got the shot.

In a statement, Japan's Health ministry quoted Dr. Tomohiro Morio and stated that in the woman's cause of death, brain hemorrhage is common among people in their 40s to 60s. He also added that based on samples acquired from overseas; there is no plausible link between the COVID-19 vaccine and brain hemorrhages, The Strait Times reported.

Moreover, the ministry added that there is still a need to further probe the incident and make assessments in future working groups. They also stated that there is a huge possibility of this being a coincidental case.

Meanwhile, officials of Pfizer in Japan were not immediately able to comment on the incident. Back in November, the pharmaceutical company has emphasized that its vaccine's efficacy was consistent in different ethnic groups and age groups. It also prided itself on the fact that its vaccine has no major side effects.

On February 17, Japan was the last of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations to commence its vaccination drive. At the moment, it has so far received three shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Fox News reported.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was just approved in Japan last month. It was also the first vaccine to be approved in the country which is currently stepping up the vaccination efforts in view of the 2021 Summer Olympics.

Man Dies After Receiving COVID-19 Vaccine In HK

On the other hand, another death after getting the COVID-19 vaccine was reported in Hong Kong. It prompted health officials to launch investigations. On Tuesday night, the Department of Health of Hong Kong announced that a 63-year-old male died a couple of days after getting a dose of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine.

According to the International Business Times, the identity of the victim was not released, but it was reported that he experienced difficulty in breathing two days after getting the Sinovac coronavirus shot and was rushed to the hospital. The man then suffered from a cardiac arrest and the doctors were not able to resuscitate him, even after multiple attempts.

As of the moment, Hong Kong officials are probing into the case by reviewing the medical records of the deceased. Authorities have also warned the public that they are still investigating if there is a possible connection between the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine and the death of the man.

The fast development of the effective and safe COVID-19 vaccine has been praised by global health authorities. However, people who have underlying health conditions have been told to seek medical advice before getting the shot.