Queensland aged-care death ‘not linked to Covid-19 jab’

The death of an elderly woman in a Queensland aged-care centre will be investigated but health authorities say there are ‘no signs of any causal link’ with the COVID-19 jab.

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly says 1000 people died in aged care in Australia every week, and it was ‘inevitable’ that number would include some who had been recently vaccinated. Picture: Joel Carrett

The death of an elderly woman in a southeast Queensland aged-care centre will be investigated but health authorities say there are “no signs of any causal link” with the COVID-19 jab she received hours earlier.

The 82-year-old woman was living at a Blue Care aged-care ­facility at Springwood, south of Brisbane, when she died on ­Wednesday after receiving the vaccine.

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said 1000 people died in aged care in Australia every week, and it was “inevitable” that number would include some who had been recently vaccinated.

“Any event that happens following vaccination is fully investigated,” Professor Kelly said.

“The medical experts and TGA will review the specifics of such cases and reach a conclusion based on facts. It can be expected that older and more frail people in an aged-care setting may pass away due to progression of underlying disease or natural causes. This does not mean the vaccine has contributed to this.

“The TGA is monitoring COVID-19 vaccination in elderly patients across the world and is in regular contact with global regulators. The TGA will continue to monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines as they are rolled out in Australia and internationally.

“As with any other reported case, it is investigated although at this stage there are no signs of any causal link.”