Cause of cardiac arrest of 16-year-old who received Covid-19 vaccine still under investigation, Health News & Top Stories

SINGAPORE – Covid-19 vaccine is a possible factor explaining why 16-year-old boy suffered cardiac arrest last week after a strenuous indoor weightlifting session, but there are other possible causes and they are also being investigated.

The boy had lifted a weight that was almost double his body weight, “a pretty exceptional activity to do in the gym,” Singapore medical director Kenneth Mak said Wednesday (July 7th).

The boy had also taken supplements, noted associate professor Mak. Investigations are still ongoing to determine the cause of the cardiac arrest.

“The specialists at the hospital are keeping their eyes open for all the different possibilities, and this is indeed one of the possibilities that it could be due to inflammation of the heart muscle,” said Professor Mak.

“It could be related to the vaccination, but it’s one of the many possibilities they pursue.”

He said tests were underway, such as the supplements the boy was taking, to determine the cause of the cardiac arrest. But these tests take time and there is no further information at this point, he said.

Professor Mak was answering journalists’ questions during a virtual press conference of the Covid-19 multi-ministerial working group.

The Health Ministry said on Monday that the 16-year-old collapsed after a weightlifting session six days after his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech / Comirnaty Covid-19 vaccine.

On Monday, he was in critical condition in the intensive care unit of the National University Hospital (NUH).

Meanwhile, after a review of local and foreign data, the Covid-19 Vaccination Expert Panel and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on Monday recommended that people avoid strenuous physical activity after receiving one of their vaccination doses against Covid-19 mRNA. .

On Wednesday, Professor Mak said the expert panel took into account the review of the HSA data that was completed recently, prior to the boy’s incident.

“By this time, (HSA) had already determined that there was a growing signal for myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscles affecting heart function) in young people,” he said.

“They noticed that for the first time, compared to previous data, some of these cases of myocarditis also occur after the first vaccination.”

Doctors have been advised to closely monitor patients who report chest pain, shortness of breath, and abnormal heart rhythms.

Prof Mak said they should investigate the possibility that these patients may have myocarditis after vaccination.

He added that after reviewing the data locally and abroad, the expert committee and the HSA still believe that it is beneficial that vaccination is offered to all who are eligible for vaccination, taking into account the risks and benefits.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the main priority of the Ministry of Health and the hospital was to ensure the well-being of the child and that the results of the investigations would be released on time. come.