3 minors who died after COVID-19 vaccination succumbed to diseases

The three minors who died after they received their COVID-19 vaccine jabs succumbed to diseases and not because of their inoculation against the coronavirus, the Department of Health said on Friday.

Citing initial reports, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the minors died due to non-COVID-19 pneumonia, tuberculosis, and dengue.

“Lagi po natin tatandaan na hindi lang po ang bakuna ang maaring maging cause nitong ating sinasabing pagkamatay matapos mabakunahan,” Vergeire said in a media briefing.

[Let us remember that the vaccine may not be the sole reason behind this.]

“Base sa initial reports natin, itong tatlong tao na nakagroon ng bad outcome na ito o namatay after receiving their vaccines died of other disease,” she added.

[Based on our initial reports, the three individuals who died after receiving their vaccines died of other diseases.]

The Food and Drug Administration has previously explained that any untoward medical event that occurs after immunization and may not necessarily be due to the usage of the vaccine.

Data showed that the most common reports include an increase in blood pressure, fever, headache, pain on the vaccination site, malaise, chills, muscle pain, cough, dizziness, and tiredness.

Meanwhile, Vergeire said that the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance unit as well as the Adverse Events Following Immunization Committee are still conducting case investigation and causality assessment. 

“But again, I would like to repeat and reiterate, hindi pa po tapos ang causality assessment na isinasagawa ngayon ng ating mga eksperto from our Regional Adverse Events Following Immunization Committee,” she said.

[But again, I would like to repeat and reiterate, the causality assessment that our experts are conducting is not yet over.]

The Health undersecretary also expressed her condolences to the families.

“Unang-una po kinakalungkot po natin at nakikiramay tayo sa pamilya nitong nagkaroon ng mga pagkakamatay,” she said.

[We are expressing our condolences to the families.] -NB, GMA News