Recent death of 16-year-old boy not linked to Covid-19 vaccine, says MOH

SINGAPORE – The recent death of a 16-year-old boy was not linked to vaccination, the Ministry of Health clarified in a Facebook post on Wednesday (July 14).

It added that it was aware of “speculation in Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp chat groups” featuring an obituary that led to the conjecture that the teenager had died from a “vaccine-related severe adverse event”.

That is why there was a need to clarify that the boy’s demise referenced in these posts and messages were not vaccine-related, MOH added.

MOH had said on July 7 that it is investigating the possible causes behind a 16-year-old boy suffering cardiac arrest after a strenuous session of weightlifting, with the Covid-19 vaccine being a possible factor.

The Straits Times has contacted MOH to clarify if these are separate incidents.

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