(Adds Pfizer response; paragraphs 6-8)<\/p>\n
By Praveen Menon<\/p>\n
WELLINGTON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - New Zealand reported its first recorded death linked to U.S. drugmaker Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, the health ministry said on Monday, after a woman suffered a rare side effect leading to inflammation of her heart muscle.<\/p>\n
The news of the death comes as the country battles an outbreak of the Delta variant after nearly six months of being virus free. It followed a review by an independent panel monitoring the safety of the vaccines.<\/p>\n
\"This is the first case in New Zealand where a death in the days following vaccination has been linked to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine,\" the ministry said in a statement, without giving the woman's age.<\/p>\n
The vaccine monitoring panel attributed the death to myocarditis, a rare, but known, side effect of the Pfizer vaccine, the ministry added.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
In response, Pfizer said it recognised there could be rare reports of myocarditis after vaccinations, but such side effects were extremely rare.<\/p>\n
\"Pfizer takes adverse events that are potentially associated with our vaccine very seriously,\" it told Reuters.<\/p>\n
\"We closely monitor all such events and collect relevant information to share with worldwide regulatory authorities.\"<\/p>\n
The health ministry said other medical issues at the same time could have influenced the outcome after vaccination.<\/p>\n
But the vaccine's benefit outstripped risks from side effects, it added.<\/p>\n
\"The benefits of vaccination with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine continue to greatly outweigh the risk of both COVID-19 infection and vaccine side effects, including myocarditis.\"<\/p>\n
New Zealand has provisionally approved use of the Pfizer\/BioNTech, Janssen and AstraZeneca vaccines, but only the Pfizer produced vaccine has been approved for rollout to the public.<\/p>\n
Monday's 53 new cases took New Zealand's tally of infections in the current outbreak to 562, amid a nationwide lockdown enforced this month to limit spread of the Delta variant.<\/p>\n
(Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Clarence Fernandez)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
See the rest here:<\/p>\n
UPDATE 2-New Zealand reports first death linked to Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine - Yahoo Finance<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" (Adds Pfizer response; paragraphs 6-8) By Praveen Menon WELLINGTON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - New Zealand reported its first recorded death linked to U.S. drugmaker Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, the health ministry said on Monday, after a woman suffered a rare side effect leading to inflammation of her heart muscle. Continue reading