New Zealand reports first death associated with Pfizer jab

New Zealand reported the first recorded death associated with the Pfizer / BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine after a woman suffered from rare side effects leading to myocardial inflammation, the Ministry of Health said.

Death news comes when the country fights the outbreak of the Delta variant after nearly six months in the absence of the virus. It was then reviewed by an independent pane that monitors vaccine safety.

“This is the first case in New Zealand where deaths in the first few days after vaccination are associated with the Pfizercovid-19 vaccine,” the ministry said in a statement without revealing the age of the woman. rice field.

The Vaccine Oversight Commission added that myocarditis, a rare but known side effect of Pfizer vaccines, is the cause of death.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today said there were no reported deaths in young adults associated with this rare side effect.

To date, 2,574 preliminary cases of cardiac inflammation have been reported in the United States, of which 1,282 occurred after Pfizer injection and 557 occurred after Modana vaccination.

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the muscles of the heart that limits the ability of organs to pump blood and can cause changes in heart rate rhythm.

In response, Pfizer recognized that there may be rare reports of myocarditis after vaccination, but said such side effects were extremely rare.

“Pfizer takes very seriously the possible adverse events associated with the vaccine,” he said.

“We carefully monitor all such events, collect relevant information and share it with regulators around the world.”

At the same time, the New Zealand Ministry of Health said other medical problems could have affected post-vaccination outcomes.

However, he added that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks of side effects.

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“The benefits of vaccination with the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine continue to significantly outweigh the risks of both Covid-19 infection and the side effects of the vaccine, including myocarditis.”

New Zealand has tentatively approved the use of Pfizer / BioNTech, Janssen and AstraZeneca vaccines, but only Pfizer-manufactured vaccines have been approved for public release.

In a national blockade that came into force this month to limit the spread of the Delta subspecies, 53 new cases today made a total of 562 New Zealand infections in the current outbreak.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Oakland would remain under alert level 4 blockage for another two weeks.

Ardan said at a news conference that regulations in the Northland region, the northernmost part of the country bordering Auckland, would be relaxed, warning Level 4 to Level 3 on Thursday midnight.

Australian states warn that Covid-19 hospitalizations will peak in October

Intensive care unit cases in Australia’s New South Wales peaked in October as Covid-19 infections accumulated, and Australia’s most populous state prime minister is today with a record daily new He said he had reported an infection.

New South Wales, the epicenter of Australia’s current outbreak, has declared a record 1,290 new cases as the country struggles to contain the highly contagious delta mutant.

Prime Minister Gladys Berejikrian said the state was preparing for additional hospitalization before rising vaccination rates began to ease pressure.

“We expect the worst month for the intensive care unit, and the worst time is October,” Ms. Beregikrian said in the capital city of Sydney.

“We’re in the middle of a pandemic, so we need to manage things differently, but we’ll deal with it.”

The Covid-19 hospital in New South Wales has 840 people, 137 in the intensive care unit, and 48 in need of ventilation.

The state reported four more deaths today, with Covid-19 killing 1,003 in Australia. This was the last of the 20 great power groups to cross that milestone.

One of the four was the first known death of an Aboriginal man. An unvaccinated 50-year-old man lives in western New South Wales, where vaccination rates are particularly low, and is concerned that more deaths may occur there.

A record 1,375 new Covid-19 cases have been reported nationwide.

Australia has used a strict blockade and quarantine system to keep coronavirus infection and mortality lower than most comparable countries, but Delta variants are now putting pressure on medical services. I am.

According to government data, over 33% of people over the age of 16 have been vaccinated twice, well below most comparable countries.

Part of the cause was a change in health advice regarding the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is the backbone of the national immunization program, after the rare occurrence of blood clots in some recipients.

According to Reuters analysis, the pace of vaccination in Australia has risen to more than 250,000 per day on average over a seven-day period, the fastest rate ever.

Australia’s second most populous state, Victoria, received 73 new Covid-19 cases the day after Prime Minister Dana Andrews announced that he would extend the blockade as daily infections peaked in a year. I reported.