The death of a 72-year-old woman on June 4, a day after she had received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was due to ischaemic heart disease, both Sengkang General Hospital (SKGH) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) clarified on June 19.

According to MOH, this is the term given to heart problems caused by narrowed heart arteries.

The joint statement was released in the wake of a Facebook post put up on June 16 by the woman's son, Andrew Tan, in which he asked if the cause of his mother's death could have been linked to the vaccine shot.

According to a coroner who conducted an autopsy on the body, long-standing blockage of blood vessels which supplied blood to the heart had been found, which could not be caused by vaccination, MOH added.

There were also no indications that there had been an allergic reaction to the vaccine.

The Coroner is legally separate from and independent of the Ministry of Health, and determines the definitive cause of death.

What happened on June 4?

According to SKGH, the woman was conveyed to the hospital around 8.39pm on June 4, after she collapsed at home.

The hospital's emergency department team commenced immediate resuscitation.

However, she passed on despite their best efforts.

MOH highlighted that she was assessed by healthcare personnel to be suitable for the vaccine.

She was also well when she was observed for 30 minutes on-site after receiving the jab, as part of the ministry's protocol.

Both SKGH and MOH have since extended their condolences to the family.

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