MOH debunks claims teen died from Covid-19 jab; death in obituary making rounds in chat groups ‘not vaccine-related’

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) has debunked claims that a teenager had died of an adverse reaction from a Covid-19 vaccine after an obituary made its rounds in chat groups.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday (July 14) evening, the ministry said that it was aware of speculation on Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp chat groups featuring an obituary, leading to conjecture that a teenager died from a severe adverse event related to the coronavirus vaccine.

“We wish to clarify that the demise mentioned in these posts and messages was not vaccine-related,” it said.

“We urge the public not to spread unsubstantiated information which may add to the family’s grief or cause public alarm unnecessarily.”

The purported obituary in question included a photograph of a boy, born in 2005, and stated that he died on July 10.

It also stated the dates, times and venues of the wake and funeral.

MOH said on July 5 that it was investigating the case of a 16-year-old who suffered a suspected cardiac arrest six days after receiving his first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

The boy received his first dose on June 27. He collapsed on July 3 after a strenuous gym workout.

He was warded in the intensive care unit at the National University Hospital, MOH also said.

On July 7, director of medical services at MOH Kenneth Mak said that the hospital looking after the teenager was “doing its utmost to provide the best of care and it has been keeping the family updated regularly about what it's doing at this point in time”. 

The ministry said that it was investigating the cause and looking into whether health supplements might have contributed to the collapse.​​

TODAY has asked MOH for an update on the boy’s condition.