Teen’s death can’t be definitively linked to Covid vaccine
A coroner has been unable to determine if the death of a teenage Wellington boy of myocarditis was related to the Covid-19 vaccine he received 10 days before.
The 13-year-old was found to have died from myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) but there were other viruses found in the boy’s heart tissue and, in a finding released yesterday, Coroner Robin Kay could not say what had caused the inflammation.
The boy, who had been fit, healthy and active, did not have any other health issues. His identifying details have been suppressed.
The boy had been to school as normal on October 27, 2021, before returning home to do chores, have dinner and socialise with his family and watch a movie.
He told his mother he felt warm before going to bed. His mother said she was a light sleeper and said she would have woken if the boy had got up.
The next morning his father went to check on him as he had not got up and found him face down on his bed, with an arm outstretched and rigid. He saw some blood from his nose and froth around his mouth.
An ambulance was called while his father did CPR, but he was pronounced dead.
A pathologist found two minute areas of inflammation in the boy’s heart
Coroner Kay said the pathologist’s report noted that myocarditis could occur from viral infections of the heart, or as an auto-immune reaction following a viral infection, or following vaccination.
The boy had received his second Covid-19 vaccination 10 days prior to his death and had not displayed any reaction to it.
The coroner said the report noted there was an increased risk of myocarditis in overseas studies of people who had received the vaccine, particularly in males under 30.
Tissue samples were sent to the Cardiac Inherited Diseases Group to screen for genetic abnormalities and Medsafe and the Centre for Adverse Reaction Monitoring were notified.
Coroner Kay said the pathologist was unable to say the death was as a result of an infection or an immunologic reaction from the vaccine.
“The report identifies that this is a complicated case where death was caused by a tiny amount of inflammation that unfortunately occurred in a crucial part of his heart, and that there were two major risk factors for this – a recent Covid-19 vaccination and viruses known to cause myocarditis in the tested tissue.
“Although the presence of myocarditis and the detection of viruses known to cause myocarditis suggests, but does not prove, a viral cause; the Covid-19 vaccination given 10 days before he died cannot be definitively excluded as causing or contributing to the myocarditis.”
The coroner said the boy was extremely unfortunate that the microscopic amount of myocarditis in his heart was located in parts that are involved in the creation and passage of electrical signals that make the heart beat.
“I am satisfied to the required standard that he died of an arrhythmia caused by the myocarditis.”
He said sadly, despite the amount of expert evidence obtained, it was not possible to identify the cause of the myocarditis.