A third death has been linked to the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, the Ministry of Health announced on Monday evening.
"This is a tragic circumstance, and the Board expresses their sympathy to the individual’s whānau and friends," the ministry said in a written statement.
The Board said it first reviewed the Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring (CARM) report of a death in December 2021.
"At the time, there was not enough information available to determine the potential role of the vaccine," the ministry said.
"The Board met in March 2022 to consider all the information available, which showed that the individual had myocarditis at the time of death."
Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart, and is usually caused by a viral infection, including Covid-19. In severe cases, the rare condition can weaken the heart, leading to heart failure, an abnormal heartbeat and sudden death.
The person had received a dose of the Pfizer vaccine in the weeks before their death, the Board said.
"The Board considers that the development of myocarditis was possibly due to vaccination with the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine."
Myocarditis is a rare side effect of the Pfizer vaccine, with around 30 cases per million vaccinations in New Zealand, according to Medsafe.
The Board said the death reported on Monday is "the third death in New Zealand that is considered to be linked to vaccination with the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine".
"The Ministry of Health and the Board will not be commenting further on any details about this case and ask that the whānau’s privacy is respected during this difficult time."
All three deaths are currently with coroners to determine the cause of death, the Board said.
It comes as New Zealand has now recorded 500 deaths of people with Covid-19 since the pandemic began.
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