The Ministry of Health yesterday said that a pre-existing condition led to the death of a vaccinated boy from Moruca on October 4.
In a statement, the ministry said that following the death of the 13-year-old teenager, Joshua Henry from Kamwatta, Moruca, Region One on October 04, a high-level team from the Ministry of Health was dispatched to investigate the cause of death and the circumstances surrounding his death.
The statement said that a post-mortem was performed by a medical team led by Dr Nehaul Singh, Guyana’s Senior Pathologist on October 05. The team also included Dr Nancy Sitchao, a Pathologist and Dr Swarasite Persuad-Etwaria, Government Medical Officer. The post-mortem was witnessed by family members of the teen and the cause of death was identified in their presence.
“The findings indicate a pre-existing condition that led to the death of the 13-year-old. The pre-existing condition identified was a cerebral aneurysm. The post mortem findings indicate a ruptured cerebral aneurysm, leading to a cerebral haemorrhage”, the release said.
On examination, the site of the vaccination was not identifiable; there was no scarring or hematoma. There were no other post-mortem findings of relevance.
There was no word on whether samples were retrieved from Henry’s body for toxicological testing.
The ministry extended its condolences to the family of the boy. It said that the ministry and the Health Teams from Georgetown and Region One stand ready to provide all support to the family and community of Kamwatta.
The release did not address claims by a member of the family that Henry had not been accompanied by a guardian or parent, as required, to the inoculation neither did he wait for the mandatory period after the vaccination before leaving the site.
It is unclear whether the government intends to notify Pfizer of the death of the boy by haemorrhaging just hours after the administering of the second dose of the vaccine.
According to the Health Ministry, Henry was administered the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine around 2 pm on Monday. Henry, the ministry added, showed no reaction to vaccine and was allowed to proceed home.
Henry’s aunt, Thalica Peters related to Stabroek News on Monday that she was told that after taking the vaccine, her nephew returned home and sat in a chair.
“… His lip started to get black. He started to tremble and eventually, all the spot, the spot where they insert the vaccine, it get black and with that, in the split of a second all his finger nail and his whole body get black,” Peters said.
Before Henry could have been rushed to the hospital, Peters said he died. “He died home. By time they put he in the car was just to carry he [to the hospital] for the doctor to pronounce he dead.”
Prior to this, Peters said her nephew was healthy.
According to the ministry, Henry received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine three weeks ago “without any adverse effect.”
However, the aunt said she was told that Henry experienced a fever and some pain about his body after taking the first dose of the vaccine. That eventually went away, she added.
While the ministry is saying that Henry was kept for observation for twenty minutes after he received the second dose of the vaccine yesterday, Peters is claiming otherwise.
Peters said that Henry was at an uncle’s place on Monday when he learnt that a team of medical officials was present at the health centre to administer the vaccine to children.
As a result, she said he left and went home to inform his mother that he would be going to get his second dose.
“The boy [Henry] was at an uncle… it’s like a fence away from the health centre and he go home after which is like a two door away and tell his mother that these people come to give the vaccine and he going. So the mother said ‘yuh sure yuh will go?’ and he said ‘yes mommy, I will go’ because is he second dose and he take the book [vaccination booklet] and he gone,” Peters explained.
