In March, a 72-year-old woman died a day after receiving her first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Now, the relatives of the deceased demand an investigation in order to find out whether the vaccination and her death correlate.
According to the World Health Organisation, the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh its risks, and the organisation continues to recommend the vaccine’s use.
Danish teacher dies 24 h after first jab
The woman’s widower, 74-year-old Trausti Leósson, said in an interview with RÚV that it is urgent to determine whether the vaccine was the cause for her death. Þyri Kap Árnadóttir, 72, the deceased Danish teacher, and her husband Trausti were both invited to be vaccinated with AstraZeneca on March 26.
Unclear whether vaccine is linked to death
After the vaccination, Þyri began to experience bone pain, difficulty sleeping and loss of appetite. She was better the next day and decided to take a bath because she was so cold, her husband stated. When he looked after her, Þyri was unconscious. She was immediately taken to Landspítali hospital where attempts were made for two hours to revive her but, unfortunately, it was without success.
Trausti told RÚV: “The scenario that caused her to die started after she received the injection. It was as if the vaccine had started a process. But whether it is possible to blame it directly on that, we do not know.”
Both have already received their invitation for their second shot, despite the fact that Þyri already died a day after her first injection.
WHO considers vaccine to be safe
The WHO states that the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 will not reduce illness or deaths from other causes, and declares that thromboembolic events occur frequently. Venous thromboembolism is the third most common cardiovascular disease globally. It is therefore possible that a thromboembolic event, which could lead to death, occurs without being directly caused by the vaccination itself.
On May 20, it was announced that an independent committee of doctors would investigate five deaths and five reports of blood clots following vaccinations. The Medical Director of Health, the Chief Epidemiologist and the Director General of the Icelandic Medicines Agency published the statement together.
Family of deceased wants the investigation to be public
The family of the deceased wants her death to be public in case the vaccine is to blame, so that people can refuse their vaccination. Her husband states that he is nevertheless not blaming anyone for his wife’s death and just wants to find out whether the vaccine has caused the death of his wife.
“No, I’m not blaming anyone,” he said. “I just want to get a result of this investigation and above all I want to hear in the media that there is an ongoing investigation, that the vaccine [AstraZeneca] is being investigated.”
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