Health authorities in Portugal today are described as “on the alert” following the so far unexplained death of a 41-year-old pediatric operational assistant two days after she received her first dose of the Covid vaccine.
The woman, so far unidentified beyond her age and professional situation (see update below), died in bed on New Year’s Day.
According to tabloid reports her body was discovered by her partner when he returned home from a trip to the shops.
The partner “called for help and a VMER (medical reanimation team) was dispatched. Efforts ensued to resuscitate the victim “without success”.
The woman was one of 538 health professionals at Porto’s IPO cancer hospital who received their first jabs of the BioNTech/ Pfizer vaccine last Wednesday.
In a statement to the press, the hospital has confirmed the woman “received the vaccine on December 30, no undesirable effect having been notified, neither at the moment of vaccination nor on the subsequent days. Clarification of cause of death will follow the habitual procedures for these circumstances”.