16YO Who Had a Cardiac Arrest 6 Days After COVID-19 Vaccine Now in a General Ward

Early last month, news emerged that a 16-year-old boy had suffered a cardiac arrest six days after his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

The teen managed to survive the condition, but has been in the intensive care unit (ICU) as he’s been in critical condition.

While some fearmongers erroneously linked the boy to the death of another 16-year-old, the authorities maintained that the two cases were not related.

In fact, the boy is now doing much better.

16YO Who Had a Cardiac Arrest 6 Days After COVID-19 Vaccine Now in a General Ward

One month after being rushed to the ICU, the 16-year-old has finally been moved to a general ward, said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Investigations into the cause of the teen’s cardiac are still ongoing, and it’s unclear if it’s linked to his vaccine.

On 15 July, MOH said the teen was moved from the ICU to a high dependency unit in the coronary care unit of National University Hospital.

Fortunately, according to MOH group director of the crisis strategy and operations group, Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash, the teen is responding “very, very positively to the treatment.”

What Happened

The 16-year-old received the Pfizer-BioNTech shot on 27 June, as he was deemed to be suitable for vaccination.

It was his first dose.

Just like all vaccine recipients, the boy was monitored for around 30 minutes following his vaccination and was reported to be well.

The teen also felt well for the following five days after his vaccination.

Then, on 3 July, he went to the gym to lift weights. There, he lifted heavy weights which were almost twice his body weight. He had also been taking supplements.

Later that morning, after he had returned home, the boy suddenly collapsed. He was rushed to the emergency department at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and later transferred to NUH.

Teen’s Brother Administered CPR

It turns out that it was the 16-year-old’s brother who may have saved his life.

According to Mr Dinesh, the teen’s brother administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) after he collapsed.

“Credit to the brother because I think the brother did the initial CPR and that was, according to what I’m told, absolutely excellent,” Mr Dinesh said.

Strenuous Physical Activity Should Be Avoided For 7 Days After COVID-19 Jab

In case you don’t know, MOH has recommended that people should avoid strenuous physical activity for seven days after getting the first and second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Reader: Wait, so I have to stop walking from my bed to my fridge for food and get my family to bring me everything instead?

Uh, that’s not exactly a strenuous act-

Reader: Got it. No walking for the next week.

Activities that should be avoided include swimming, cycling, running, competitive sports, as well as ball and racket games.

Casual walking, stretching, working while standing, and housework are still safe.

The advisory is especially important for adolescents and younger men, aged younger than 30, MOH said.

“During this time, if you develop any chest pain, shortness of breath or abnormal heart beats, you should seek medical attention immediately,” MOH said.

To know more about mRNA vaccines, watch this video to the end:

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