"Unconscious State 5 Minutes After Pfizer Vaccination... It's Unfair"

On the morning of the 3rd, a medical staff member is aliquoting the Pfizer vaccine at a vaccination center set up at Jungnang Cultural and Sports Center in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Choyoung] The family of a man in his 90s who collapsed and fell into a coma after receiving the Pfizer vaccine has posted a national petition expressing their grievances.

On the 9th, a post titled "My father is lying in the hospital ICU due to side effects after the first Pfizer vaccine dose" was uploaded on the Blue House national petition board.

The petitioner explained, "My father collapsed in cardiac arrest about 14 minutes after receiving the first Pfizer dose at around 9 a.m. on June 4," adding, "He is currently in a brain-dead state, unable to breathe on his own, and is receiving life-sustaining treatment in the ICU."

He claimed, "The hospital gave a ridiculous opinion that the causal relationship with the vaccine is unclear," and added, "Considering the series of events that occurred at the vaccination site, it is clearly an accident related to the vaccine, so concluding that it is unrelated to the vaccine is something no citizen can accept."

He lamented, "My father, who was pulling weeds in the garden until the day before and went out briefly to get vaccinated, is now lying unconscious in a cold hospital room," and said, "If there is any fault, it is only that he faithfully received the vaccine following the government's and health authorities' vaccination recommendations."

A petition posted by the family of a patient in their 90s who fell into a coma after vaccination. Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board capture

The petitioner appealed, "The government should thoroughly check whether there were any deficiencies in emergency treatment or response at the vaccination site and whether there are parts of the system that need improvement," and added, "We hope that accurate investigations and measures will be taken so that citizens can trust the government and actively participate in national quarantine efforts."

In response, the Chungnam Province health authorities stated, "At present, there is no conclusion on whether there is or is not a causal relationship with the vaccine," and explained, "Next week, a private rapid response team will conduct a primary evaluation of causality and send the results to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, which will make the final judgment."