Speaking to the Northern Daily Leader (NDL), Missen's family said he was "fit and healthy" around the time he got the COVID-19 shot. However, his health soon deteriorated. A report by The Australian said Missen collapsed while running errands. The 55-year-old was rushed to Tamworth Hospital where he eventually died. A family member told the NDL that he "wasn't pointing the finger" at the vaccine.
Meanwhile, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) confirmed to 7NEWS that the agency is aware of Missen's demise. However, the TGA said it could not comment publicly on individual circumstances due to patient privacy.
In a statement, the regulatory agency said: "All reports … of death following vaccination are reviewed to assess the likelihood that the vaccine contributed to the event or medical condition that led to a fatal outcome." However, it clarified that "the reporting of an adverse event to TGA post-vaccination does not mean the event was caused by vaccination."
Meanwhile, the New South Wales Ministry of Health (NSW Health) said that it is notified whenever a serious or unexpected adverse event occurs. "NSW Health investigates these events and refers its expert panel findings to the TGA, which is responsible for assessing causality." However, the department also declined to comment on individual cases.
So far, no link between the vaccination and Missen's death has been established, but the case remains under investigation. TGA Head and Adjunct Professor John Skerritt said current evidence does not suggest a likely connection.
"Our job is to unravel whether or not there's any association with vaccination. So far, globally there is not an overall association other than … a very rare and specific syndrome."
Skerritt also posited that Missen may have received the AstraZeneca vaccine, one of the only two vaccines provisionally approved in Australia alongside the Pfizer/BioNTech shot. (Related: Aussie scientists cast doubt on low-efficacy AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.)
More cases of adverse reactions following AstraZeneca inoculation have been reported in Australia
Aside from Missen, another man from New South Wales suffered the same fate after getting vaccinated. The 71-year-old Sydney resident passed away after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. However, the man was also reported to have had multiple comorbidities.
Officials said there is "no conclusive evidence" that the adenoviral vector-based vaccine was connected to the man's death. The 71-year-old's death is now being investigated, and findings will be forwarded to the TGA.
Men were not the only ones to suffer from adverse reactions. Genene Norris from the New South Wales Central Coast died on April 14, six days after she got inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. The 48-year-old, who was also diabetic, developed blood clots a day after getting vaccinated on April 8. She was subsequently hooked to a dialysis machine in an intensive care unit until her passing. An investigation by the TGA's Vaccine Safety Investigation Group (VSIG) found that her case of thrombosis "was likely linked" to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
A total of five other cases of blood clots in Australia were linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was developed in partnership with the University of Oxford. A woman from Western Australia and a man from Melbourne – both in their 40s – also suffered from blood clots after getting injected. Both are still in hospital but have shown signs of recovery. (Related: Aussie Health Minister Greg Hunt hospitalized after getting the AstraZeneca coronavirus jab.)
Meanwhile, three Australians from different parts of the country developed blood clots between nine and 26 days post-vaccination. A 35-year-old woman from New South Wales, a 49-year-old man from Queensland and an 80-year-old from Victoria state were all hospitalized after receiving coronavirus vaccines.
The TGA commented on the latter cases on April 23: "The VSIG concluded that all three [cases] … were likely linked to vaccination. All three patients are clinically stable, have responded well to treatment and are recovering."
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