New Zealand Authorities Link 26-year-old Man's Death To Pfizer's Covid Vaccine

(RTTNews) - New Zealand authorities on Monday said they had linked a 26-year-old man's death to Pfizer's (PFE) Covid-19 vaccine after the man died probably due to myocarditis after taking his first dose.

This is the second death in New Zealand that has been linked to a known but rare side effect from the vaccine. In August, a woman had died after taking the vaccine.

"With the current available information, the board has considered that the myocarditis was probably due to vaccination in this individual," a Covid-19 Vaccine Independent Safety Monitoring Board said in a statement.

"There were no reported symptoms prior to the vaccine and the symptoms of myocarditis developed in the days immediately following his first vaccine dose," the statement added.

The man also did not seek any medical advice or treatment for his symptoms. Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle that can limit the organ's ability to pump blood and can cause changes in heartbeat rhythms. Myocarditis is a treatable condition, if identified, and outcomes are better the earlier that treatment is started.

Moving ahead, the New Zealand authorities said that "the circumstances of these cases do not impact or change the known information on myocarditis, and the benefits of vaccination with the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 continue to greatly outweigh the risk of such rare side effects."