New Zealand Will Continue To Use Pfizer-BioNTech Jab Despite Woman's Death Linked To The Vaccine

New Zealand has announced the first death it believes is linked to Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine. The information was released by the Health Ministry following an investigation by an independent Covid-19 vaccine safety monitoring board into the death of a woman after receiving the vaccine.

However, the woman—whose age hasn't yet been disclosed by the authorities—died of myocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart muscle, according to an independent vaccine safety monitoring board. It also added that there were also other medical issues that could have "influenced the outcome following vaccination".

According to European regulators, myocarditis is a "very rare" side effect of the vaccine, and the benefits outweigh the risks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States earlier said that the authorities are actively investigating the reports of people developing myocarditis after receiving the mRNA vaccine developed by the American company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.

CDC says: "The severity of cases of myocarditis and pericarditis can vary. For the cases reported after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination, most who presented to medical care have responded well to medications and rest." Additionally, it says: "CDC and its partners are investigating these reports of myocarditis and pericarditis following mRNA Covid-19 vaccination."

Even though the official cause of the woman's death in New Zealand hasn't yet been determined, the Covid-19 Vaccine Independent Safety Monitoring Board has claimed that in this case, myocarditis was "probably" caused by vaccination.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Health in New Zealand: "This is the first case in New Zealand where a death in the days following vaccination has been linked to the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. While CARM has received other reports of deaths in someone recently vaccinated, none are considered related to vaccination."

Currently, the woman's death is under investigation and a coroner will make a decision soon. Officials have not revealed any other information about the woman. Meanwhile, New Zealand said that it would continue using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the country.

Due to a community outbreak of the extremely infectious Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, New Zealand is currently on lockdown. The country is also speeding up the vaccination program while using only Pfizer-BioNTech jabs.

More than 3.3 million doses of the two-dose vaccination have been given out so far, enough to immunise roughly 23 per cent of the population.

As reported, the board said: "The benefits of vaccination with the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine continue to greatly outweigh the risk of both Covid-19 infection and vaccine side effects, including myocarditis. The Pfizer vaccine is highly effective in protecting against serious illness and death from Covid-19, and we remain confident about using it in New Zealand."