SINGAPORE: Singapore’s government will investigate the case of a 16-year-old student who suffered from cardiac arrest after lifting weights to determine if there was a link to his Covid-19 vaccination.
The Health Ministry updated its guidance on vaccinations, advising residents in Singapore, particularly adolescents and men below 30 years, to avoid strenuous physical activity for seven days as a “further precautionary measure” after getting either the first or second dose.
Previously, the government had put the timeframe for refraining from strenuous exercise at 12 -24 hours after getting a jab.
In its updated guidance issued on Monday, the Health Ministry said its expert committee continues to recommend inoculation with mRNA vaccines as the benefits continue to outweigh the risks.
Singapore’s stance echoes that of US public health leaders who have sought to reassure that Covid-19 jabs are safe after a small number of mostly young men had been affected with heart problems after getting immunised.
The student in Singapore got his first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine on June 27 without incident, the government said. Prior to his collapse on July 3, he weight-lifted at the gym using very heavy weights.
“The preliminary diagnosis of his condition is an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Clinical and laboratory tests are in progress to understand the underlying cause,” the Health Ministry said.
“This will include a thorough consideration of whether there was acute severe myocarditis, which is severe inflammation of the heart muscles affecting the heart function, as a possible diagnosis.”
The student’s case comes after Singapore’s Health Science Authority disclosed it received reports of heart problems experienced by 12 people after their vaccinations.
Seven of the cases involved males 30 years and below, which the government said was higher-than-expected for this age group.