A 67-year-old Maldivian woman who was administered her first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccination last month, has passed away.
The council of Rathafandhoo island in Gaaf Dhaal atoll revealed that the woman had died while in home quarantine after travelling from the capital Malé City.
Speaking to RaajjeMV the island council stated that the woman received her first Covishield shot on February 25, in the capital city.
She is to have returned to the island on Thursday and had been in quarantine at the time of her death.
The woman did no show any symptoms of Covid-19, however, she did have a history of other health complications for which she was prescribed long-term medications.
Two others were quarantined with the deceased woman, who is to have reported that the woman collapsed inside the bathroom late Thursday. The woman had complained of leg pain when she was heading to the island and that they had consulted her with a doctor upon arrival. She did not attain any serious injuries due to the fall.
Relatives called the island council after she stopped breathing on Friday afternoon and she was pronounced dead when doctors arrived at the residence.
The cause of the woman’s death remains unclear.
This is the fourth death reported from persons who received the India-sourced Covishield vaccination.
Earlier this ongoing month, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) confirmed the death of a 45-year-old Maldivian man, who was administered the Covishield vaccination as well. However, HPA has noted that serious events including deaths may not necessarily be linked to the vaccination.
In February, an elderly couple including a 93-year-old bedridden local man who was administered their first Covishield doses on February 17, died. The man had been bedridden for 10 years before receiving the vaccination and had several underlying health conditions.
According to the public health authority, children under 18 years of age, expecting mothers and those with weakened immune systems cannot be vaccinated against Covid-19.
