Portuguese nurse dies two days after taking Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine: Report

A nurse in Portugal lost her life two days after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The incident has caused a stir across the world amid concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. According to Daily Mail, the 41-year-old health care worker named Sonia Acevedo suffered a "sudden death" at her home on January 1, two days after being inoculated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Acevedo's father, while speaking to the local media, said his daughter was absolutely fine after receiving the vaccine jab and did not show any symptoms before her "sudden death" on New Year's Day. 

Read: 'Not Rooted': US FDA Warns Against 'premature' Changes In Dosing Strategy Of COVID Vaccine

Side-effects from vaccine ruled-out

Acevedo worked with the paediatrics department at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology in Porto, Portugal. Acevedo had been administered the COVID-19 vaccine shot on December 30. Acevedo's father has said that he wants answers regarding what caused his daughter's sudden death because she was doing absolutely fine before her demise. Experts have ruled-out vaccination side-effects as the cause of her death. A post-mortem was expected to be carried out on January 4 or 5. 

Read: Kazakhstan Producing 3 COVID Vaccines, Ready To Talk For Ordering India’s Vaccine: Envoy

Acevedo, who was the mother of two children, had changed her profile picture hours after getting vaccinated, where she could be seen wearing a facemask and the caption read, "COVID-19 vaccinated". According to the report, Acevedo lived with her family but died at her partner's home on January 1. Acevedo's daughter said her mother had told her about mild pain in her arm near the injection area but did not display any other symptoms. 

Read: BioNTech-Pfizer: No Data To Suggest COVID-19 Vaccine Will Work If Second Shot Is Delayed

Acevedo was vaccinated at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology, which received the first batch of vaccine on December 28. By December 31, the institute had administered the COVID-19 vaccine shots on 538 professionals, about 24% percent of total staff members. The institute has said that the cause of Acevedo's death is being looked into and only after the autopsy report further conclusion will be made. Portugal's health ministry has reportedly been informed about the death. 

Read: Israel Excluding Palestinians Colonies From COVID-19 Vaccine Programme: Report