A man in his 40s with a history of high blood pressure was found dead in Denpasar today, a couple of days after he reportedly received a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca.
The man, identified as MAM, was found dead and alone in the room he rented at a boarding house (kost). Though MAM usually occupies the room with his family, they had been away for the last few days, according to reports. MAM’s body was found when a friend visited him this morning, who said the deceased had a history of high blood pressure.
Officials in Bali have yet to put out a statement regarding the matter, but reports from local media outlets quoting the chief of the village where MAM lived said that he got his vaccine shot on Saturday.
“The victim named [MAM] is 42 years old and originally from Gorontalo. Previously he was vaccinated on Saturday, May 22, 2021,” Batu Bintang village chief, Nyoman Mahardika, said.
Nyoman said the AstraZeneca vaccines were used for the village.
Also Read — AstraZeneca vaccines in Bali are not from suspended batch: health official
The potential link between MAM’s death and the AstraZeneca vaccine has yet to be established by health authorities at this point.
Indonesia recently recalled nearly half-a-million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for analysis amid concerns of severe side effects. However, the National Commission on Post-Immunization Accidents (Komnas KIPI) said that as of last Friday, there have been no deaths related to any COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia.
“The results of investigations on suspected deaths due to the Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines showed that they were unrelated to the vaccines, but were due to underlying illnesses,” the commission said in a statement.
Those illnesses include heart disease, impaired kidney function, diabetes, and uncontrolled hypertension.
