Toxic Substances Detected in Autopsy of High School Student Who Died After Flu Vaccination... Bereaved Family Pleads for Justice

Police Investigate Possible Suicide
High School Student's Older Brother: "Psychological Pressure and Stress Minimal After Entrance Exams"
16,000 Agree on Blue House Petition

Screenshot of the Blue House National Petition Board

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The autopsy results from the National Forensic Service revealed that a teenage high school student in Incheon, who died two days after receiving a flu vaccine, had ingested a large amount of poison.

Based on this, the police are focusing their investigation on the possibility that the deceased student made an extreme choice. However, the bereaved family expressed disbelief in the autopsy results and appealed for a thorough investigation on the Blue House's public petition board.

According to the police on the 27th, the Michuhol Police Station in Incheon, which is investigating the case, received the autopsy report from the National Forensic Service indicating that a lethal amount of sodium nitrite was found in the stomach of the deceased student, identified as A. Sodium nitrite is highly toxic and can lead to death if ingested in large quantities.

A received a free flu vaccine on the 14th of this month but died two days later on the 16th. This led to speculation that A’s death was related to the flu vaccine.

However, the National Forensic Service notified the police that "A’s cause of death is unrelated to the vaccination." The police confirmed that A had purchased sodium nitrite and are investigating the circumstances of death with a focus on the possibility of suicide.

In response, the family denied the possibility of A’s suicide. On the same day, a petitioner claiming to be A’s older brother posted on the Blue House public petition board titled "Please clear the injustice of my younger brother’s death."

In the petition, he wrote, "The National Forensic Service says there is no connection to the flu, but I cannot believe that it had no influence on his death," and added, "The police are focusing on suicide because it does not seem to be homicide or an accident, but my brother was among the top students in school and had completed his university entrance exams, so his psychological pressure and stress were minimal." He also appealed, "I want to clear the injustice surrounding my only younger brother."

As of 12:30 PM on the same day, the petition had received support from over 16,000 people.