California has launched an investigation into reports of a patient who died just hours after receiving a coronavirus vaccine with multiple local and state agencies involved.
The Placer County Sheriff's Office and Placer County Public Health department said that they had launched the probe after they received reports of the man's death late last week. The agencies said that they are still trying to find out if the vaccination had played any role.
"We aren't making any links to the vaccine. We ask the public to remain patient with us as this investigation continues so we can hopefully get more clarity," the Placer County Sheriff's Office and Coroner's Office said.
Coroners are reportedly set to schedule an autopsy and authorities said that they will inform the public of the findings when they become available. The victim had tested positive for the virus in late December.
The California Department of Public Health had recommended the temporary suspension of vaccinations. The agency is reportedly concerned about a specific batch of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine after it received reports of a higher-than-usual number of allergic reactions. It is not known if the man that died had received a vaccine from that batch.
Apart from the California health authorities, federal agencies are also reportedly investigating the case.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the use of Moderna's vaccine, along with a vaccine from Pfizer and BioNtech, after they were found to be effective against COVID-19. The federal health agency conducted several reviews and trails of the vaccines and found them to be "generally well-tolerated" during the trials involving tens of thousands of patients.
Earlier in the month, a 56-year-old physician died just two weeks after receiving a dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The patient reportedly died from a condition known as thrombocytopenia. The condition wasn't listed as a potential side effect of the vaccine during its clinical trials.
