The successful rollout of vaccines in the United States has lifted hopes the world's top economy can begin to reopen and get back on track
The successful rollout of vaccines in the United States has lifted hopes the world's top economy can begin to reopen and get back on track AFP / Raul ARBOLEDA

An 82-year-old woman has died just hours after receiving her COVID-19 vaccine in a Queensland aged care home.

The unidentified woman, a resident at the Yurana aged facility in Springwood, received a shot of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine around 10 a.m. Wednesday, News.com.au reported. By 1:30 p.m., the woman was found lifeless and unresponsive. Emergency services were then called to assist.

An employee of Blue Care, the parent company of Yurana, confirmed that a woman has died in the facility after getting inoculated.

The death has not been directly linked to the vaccine as the woman was suffering from other health issues. According to the Courier-Mail, she also suffered from a lung disease.

"At this stage there are no signs of any causal link," said Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly, the Australian Associated Press noted.

"Any event that happens following vaccination is fully investigated."

Kelly noted that over 1,000 people in aged care homes die every week due to the "progression of underlying disease or natural causes," and this doesn't mean the vaccine contributed to their death.

"Sadly more than 1000 people pass in aged care every week. It is inevitable, as the head of the TGA has noted, that this will include people who have been recently vaccinated."

This is not the first report of death after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. In the US, a total of 2,794 reports of death among people who received a COVID-19 vaccine have been recorded, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals. However, none have been directly linked to the vaccine as the cause of death.

"CDC and FDA physicians review each case report of death as soon as notified and CDC requests medical records to further assess reports. A review of available clinical information including death certificates, autopsy, and medical records revealed no evidence that vaccination contributed to patient deaths," CDC noted.