Woman dies hours after receiving Covid-19 vaccine in Queensland
A woman has died in a Queensland nursing home hours after she reportedly received her first coronavirus vaccine.
Queensland Police confirmed the 82-year-old woman died on Wednesday and that her death was not being treated as suspicious.
The woman was living at the Yurana aged care facility in Springwood in southeast Queensland and received her vaccine around 10am today, the Courier Mail reported.
It is not yet clear if the woman's death was linked to the vaccine as she had a range of other health issues, including lung disease.
A police spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia a report will be prepared for the coroner.
Blue Care has been contacted for comment.
On Thursday morning, National Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said "at this stage there are no signs of any causal link".
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More elderly deaths expected, CHO says
In a statement, Australia's Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said it is "inevitable" elderly people who get the vaccine will die soon after.
"Sadly more than 1000 people pass in aged care every week. It is inevitable, as the head of the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) has noted, that this will include people who have been recently vaccinated," he said.
"The medical experts and the TGA will review the specifics of such cases and reach a conclusion based on the facts.
"It can be expected that older and more frail people in an aged care setting may pass away due to progression of underlying disease or natural causes, this does not mean the vaccine has contributed to this."
He added the TGA is monitoring Covid vaccinations in elderly patients all over the world and is in contact with regulators across the globe.
"The TGA will continue to monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines as they are rolled out in Australia and internationally," he said.
"As with any other reported case it is investigated although at this stage there are no signs of any causal link.
Over 855,000 people across Australia have been vaccinated in the federal government's rollout, despite the government promising four million jabs by the end of March.
The Commonwealth has also delivered over 111,000 vaccines to people in aged care and disability care.
Premier downplays vaccine death link
The Queensland premier says she has full confidence in the Covid-19 vaccine rollout after an elderly woman with a pre-existing medical condition died hours after receiving the Pfizer jab.
Annastacia Palaszczuk says she still has confidence in the vaccine drive but a Therapeutic Goods Administration probe into the woman's death is needed.
"Everyone has confidence in the vaccine rollout because we need to make sure that people get vaccinated," she told Nine's Today program on Thursday.
"We have been in this pandemic and people want to see a light at the end of the tunnel."
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