More than 72 hours after taking the COVID-19 vaccine, a 44-year-old man died in Bhutan. Health officials said the death was not related to the vaccine but was due to pre-existing medical conditions. This marks the third death reported in the country following the nationwide vaccination campaign.  

Speaking to the Kuensel newspaper, Dr. Sonam Wangchuk of the National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (NI-TAG) said the man did not report any adverse reaction following the vaccination. The man received his first dose of the vaccine on March 30.  

However, three days later on April 2, the man complained of shortness of breath and was brought to the hospital.  

He said he was suffering from pre-existing medical conditions, including an alcoholic liver disease.

“He was in distress and was disoriented when he was brought to the hospital. It was also quite late when he reached there which is why the doctors couldn’t do much,” he was quoted by the newspaper.

Another NI-TAG member, Dr GP Dhakal said considering the symptoms, the cause of the death was the complication of his cirrhosis and not the vaccine.  Cirrhosis is a chronic liver disease marked by degeneration of cells, inflammation, and fibrous thickening of tissue.  It is typically a result of alcoholism or hepatitis.

NI-TAG’s investigation established that none of the three deaths were related to the vaccine. 

Dr. Wangchuk said that any severe adverse reaction triggered by the vaccine should manifest immediately after the vaccination.  

He said given that majority of the population was now vaccinated, it would be wrong to associate every death hereafter to the vaccine. 

“However, any case reported to us, NI-TAG would be investigating it thoroughly.”

Bhutan was the first country to receive India's gift of the COVID vaccines, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII). Bhutan received the first consignment of 1.5 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine Covishield as a gift from India in January. In March, it received a gift of additional 400,000 doses of Covishield from India.