Covid-19: Sierra Leone probes woman's death after vaccination
A health worker shows a vial of the AstraZeneca jab against the coronavirus, during a vaccination campaign at the El-Arjate prison near the capital Rabat, on May 26, 2021.
What you need to know:
- The 50-year-old health worker at Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH) reportedly died on June 22, a day after she had taken her first dose of the vaccine.
Health authorities in Sierra Leone are investigating a possible connection between a woman’s death and one of the Covid-19 vaccines being administered there.
The 50-year-old health worker at Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH) reportedly died on June 22, a day after she had taken her first dose.
Sierra Leone is administering two types of vaccines: the UK-manufactured AstraZeneca and China's Sinopharm.
The Health ministry issued a statement on the matter, but did not specify the one the woman took.
“The Ministry of Health and Sanitation takes any potential side effect of the vaccine very seriously and is conducting, in collaboration with NaCOVERC (National Covid-19 Emergency Response Center), further investigations to determine whether this incident is related to the administered Covid-19 vaccine,” it said.
It added that the woman had “chronic” asthma, suggesting that this could have been the cause of her death.
The incident caused an increase in anti-vaccination campaigns, particularly on social media, which has been inundated with audio and video messages discouraging people from taking the vaccine.
Some have asked the government to stop the vaccination process.
Vaccination drive
Sierra Leone started vaccinating its population on March 15 and has since administered 105,000 doses, data from NaCOVERC indicates.
The Health ministry said no incident associated with vaccines has been reported since then.
The country is grappling with a spike in the daily number of Covid-19 cases, with 103 recorded on Thursday.
To curb the virus, the government said evidence of inoculation would be required to access government premises.
There have been reports of chaotic scenes at vaccination centers across the country after a deadline issued for this elapsed.
The policy also provoked a debate and condemnation of what some people see as compulsory vaccination.
The government-owned Sierra Leone Commercial Bank was on Thursday forced to retract a notice to its staff threatening to terminate the services of employees who fail to take the jab.
