An elderly man collapsed and died in New York City on Sunday morning shortly after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, officials revealed Monday.
The man, who was in his 70s, fell as he left Manhattan’s Jacob Javits Convention Center just 25 minutes after receiving his shot, New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said in a statement.
On-site security and first responders raced to his side within seconds, but the man, who has not yet been named, was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly afterwards.
It’s currently unclear if the man’s death is linked to the vaccine, with an investigation now underway.
Adverse reactions to the vaccine are considered extremely rare, with those few cases most commonly linked to an allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis.
‘Initial indications are that the man did not have any allergic reaction to the vaccine,’ Zucker, however, said in his statement.
The man, who was in his 70s, fell as he left Manhattan’s Jacob Javits Convention Center (above) just 25 minutes after receiving his shot
Adverse reactions to the vaccine are considered extremely rare, with those few cases most commonly linked to an allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis (file photo)
The man’s sudden collapsing followed a mandatory 15-minute observation period, in which he ‘exhibited no adverse reactions or any distress,’ Zucker said.
The FDNY said the patient was taken to the hospital by Senior Care just before 11am Sunday, where he died shortly after arriving.
The identity of the man has not yet been revealed by officials. It’s also unclear which type of COVID-19 vaccine he received.
The Javits Center and Zucker’s office have not yet returned a DailyMail.com request for comment on the matter.
In his statement, Zucker stressed that he and other public health experts believe the vaccine ‘is safe, and together with continued vigilance including wearing a mask and social distancing, it will bring an end to this pandemic.’
‘I encourage all eligible New Yorkers to get vaccinated,’ Zucker continued.
The Javits Center opened as a mass-vaccination site in January and is one of several in the New York City area. It was originally used as a field hospital after the coronavirus pandemic first struck last spring.
Nearly one million people in New York City have so far been vaccinated, with 1.5 million residents having received their first doses statewide.
Across the US, the daily number of people getting vaccinated now well surpasses the numbers infected, with the country averaging 1.3 million shots per-day.
Nearly 42 million doses have so far been administered in total.
At least one dose of a vaccine has been administered to 31,579,100 million people, which equals to 9.6 per cent of the population.
Just over 9,147,000 Americans have now received both doses of a vaccine, amounting to 2.78 per cent of the population.
Source: Dailymail. co.uk
