Authorities in New Zealand announced on Monday that they had linked the death of a 26-year-old man to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccination after the man developed myocarditis, a rare inflammation of the heart muscle, after receiving his first dose of the vaccine.
According to Bloomberg, a preliminary post-mortem examination determined that the man's death was most likely caused by myocarditis, an uncommon adverse effect of the vaccine that causes the heart muscle wall to swell.
The death is New Zealand's second to be connected to a known but uncommon side effect of the vaccination, following the report in August that a woman died after receiving her doses.
"Based on the available information, the board determined that the myocarditis in this individual was most likely caused by vaccination," a COVID-19 Vaccine Independent Safety Monitoring Board disclosed in a statement.
Additionally, the board stated that "the benefits of vaccination with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine continue to vastly outweigh the danger of such uncommon side effects."
The World Health Organization has noted that some COVID-19 vaccinations may cause "a very unusual signal of myocarditis." The WHO said majority of myocarditis occurrences are in young males aged 16 to 24.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that they are actively monitoring instances of myocarditis but continue to recommend that everyone aged 5 years and older have a COVID-19 vaccination.
"The Board believes that the circumstances surrounding these cases do not alter or impact existing knowledge about myocarditis, and that the benefits of vaccination with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine continue to vastly outweigh the risk of such uncommon side events," it stated.
A Pfizer representative said the company was aware of the New Zealand mortality report, and was monitoring all other reports of suspected adverse effects, and remained to feel the vaccine's benefit-risk profile was favorable.
New Zealand's vaccine safety board has also reported that two more persons, including a 13-year-old, died of suspected myocarditis following injections.
Further information was required before concluding that the child's death was caused by the vaccine, while the death of a man in his 60s was unlikely to be caused by the vaccine, it stated.
Elsewhere, Thailand is considering restoring obligatory quarantine for foreign tourists due to fears about the spread of Omicron, after the country's health ministry announced the first instance of local transmission of the coronavirus strain on Monday.
Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the public health ministry will recommend eliminating a quarantine waiver for vaccinated travelers and reverting to hotel quarantine and the "sandbox" scheme, which enables free mobility inside a particular zone.
