Press Releases
STATE CORONER’S FINDING ON DEATH RELATED TO COVID-19 VACCINATION
17 February 2023
This article has been migrated from an earlier version of the site and may display formatting inconsistencies.
The State Coroner has ruled on 15 February 2023 that the death of a 28-year-old Bangladeshi male, who passed away 21 days after COVID-19 vaccination, was a medical misadventure. The cause of death was certified as myocarditis. The State Coroner also found that on the balance of probabilities, it was likely to be related to COVID-19 vaccination.
2. Under the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme provided by the Ministry of Health (MOH), a one-time financial assistance of $225,000 will be extended to his family. MOH is working with the Ministry of Manpower to extend assistance to his family and facilitate their application.
3. He received his first dose of Moderna/Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine on 18 June 2021, and passed away on 9 July 2021 after collapsing at his workplace earlier that day.
4. To date, more than 17 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Singapore through the National Vaccination Programme, and this is the first death related to COVID-19 vaccination locally.
5. According to the latest vaccine safety update by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), the incidence of myocarditis remains rare with reporting rates of 0.1 per 100,000 doses (or 0.0001%) for the bivalent vaccines; and 1.1 per 100,000 doses (or 0.0011%) for the primary vaccination series of the monovalent vaccines.
6. As a precautionary measure, since September 2021, vaccinated persons are advised to avoid strenuous physical activity or exercise for two weeks after vaccination to mitigate the potential risk of myocarditis. Persons 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.
7. MOH, the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination and HSA will continue to monitor vaccine-related serious adverse events closely.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH
17 FEBRUARY 2023