"Was My Father Unlucky? Death After Second Vaccine Dose"...Family's Outcry

A petition from the bereaved family, claiming injustice after their father in his 70s, who was usually healthy, died three days after receiving the second dose of the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine, has been posted. /Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition website capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] A petition has been posted expressing grievances after a healthy man in his 70s, who used to swim in the sea, died three days after receiving the second dose of the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine.

On the 25th, a petition titled "My healthy father passed away three days after the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board.

The petitioner, Mr. A, wrote, "My father suddenly passed away from cardiac arrest on August 15," and added, "I received a call from my mother saying my father was in critical condition, but when I arrived at the hospital, my father had already passed away."

According to Mr. A, his father, Mr. B, received the first dose of the AZ vaccine at 10 a.m. on May 27. At that time, he only experienced slight pain at the injection site and a feeling of lethargy, with no severe symptoms such as high fever, nausea, or allergic reactions that would require a hospital visit after vaccination.

Mr. B then received the second AZ dose at 10 a.m. on August 12, 11 weeks after the first dose, and similarly only experienced slight lethargy as with the first dose.

Mr. A explained, "My father, who was 73 years old, had no underlying diseases and was not taking any regular medication. His health checkup in February showed no symptoms, and a recent electrocardiogram showed no abnormal findings."

He continued, "He was so healthy that he used to swim in the sea, and just last month, he went sea fishing carrying only a tent and fishing rod. He was active and healthy."

Describing the day of Mr. B’s death, Mr. A wrote, "On the day he passed away, my father went out briefly, had a meal with two friends, and returned home around 5 p.m. According to his friends, he said he felt a bit tired and had slight chest discomfort."

He added, "After coming home, around 6 p.m., my mother found that my father was having difficulty breathing properly. She called 119 and performed CPR continuously, but he eventually passed away. The time of death was 7:39 p.m., which was 2 hours and 40 minutes after he came home."

Mr. A said, "It felt like the sky was falling when I heard that my perfectly healthy father suddenly died after vaccination and that an autopsy was needed because the cause of death was unclear. The autopsy was conducted during the funeral, and through the investigating officer, I was told that a second detailed examination was necessary. From the family's perspective, it is only reasonable to believe that the direct cause of death was a vaccine side effect, as he was usually healthy."

Medical staff are administering COVID-19 vaccines at the vaccination center set up in the Health Healing Culture Center in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Mr. A continued, "It has been ten days since my father passed away. We are still waiting for the results of the second autopsy, but I understand that there are many cases like ours where people die after vaccination but are not yet reflected in statistics due to disputes over causality, or cases where causality is unfairly not recognized. The public is still exposed to the risk of vaccination for national goals. Ultimately, the deaths and grief caused by vaccine side effects, and proving the connection, remain the responsibility of individuals."

He also wrote, "If a vaccine can cause death in a short time even with mild symptoms considered a normal process of antibody formation after vaccination, can it really be said to be safe?" and then questioned, "Was my father just unlucky?"

Along with this, Mr. A stated, "I believe the fundamental cause of my father's death was a sudden adverse reaction following vaccination," and concluded, "As a citizen living in the COVID pandemic era, I think the government should transparently and clearly disclose vaccine side effects, especially causes of death, to prevent further harm and prepare appropriate compensation measures for the victims' families, so that a small number of citizens like us do not suffer unjustly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.