10 dead in Germany within 4 days of Covid-19 vaccine inoculation; probe ordered

After the deaths of 10 people who passed away soon after having been inoculated against the novel coronavirus disease, Specialists from Germany's Paul Ehrlich Institute are looking into it. Brigitte Keller-Stanislawski, the head of the institute's department of the safety of medicinal products and medical devices, said on Thursday.

READ | COVID-19: Two WHO Team Members To Wuhan Test Positive, Being Retested In Singapore

The deceased were aged between 79 to 93, all with antecedent diseases. The time between vaccination and death ranged from several hours to four days, according to the medical expert.

"Until yesterday we had nine cases; we have to wait for the data from Lower Saxony [about another alleged case], then there will be 10. We are talking about patients in extremely grave condition, with multiple diseases, who were receiving palliative treatment. I have already said that we are studying these cases ... Based on our current data we assume they died from their main diseases, coinciding in time with the vaccination," Keller-Stanislawski said at a press conference.

READ | COVID-19: UK Travel Ban On South America, Portugal Over New Variant Fears

Germany's Vaccination Campaign 

Using the vaccine developed by the companies Pfizer and BioNTech, Germany launched a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 in late December. Till this date, 842,000 people have received the vaccine. Those over 80 are the first ones to get vaccinated followed by the residents and staff at nursing homes as well as medical personnel.

The institute also reported six anaphylaxis (severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction) cases. So far, including 51 severe ones, there have been 325 cases of side-effects allegedly related to the vaccine. Those results are within expectations and correspond to the US vaccination statistics, Keller-Stanislawski stated.

READ | Pope Francis, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Receive First Dose Of COVID-19 Vaccine

READ | COVID-19: Queensland Planning To Use Mining Camps As Quarantine Facilities For Travellers

(With ANI Inputs)