The Department of Health said as at 8pm on May 16, it received about 2,890 reports of adverse events, 20 of which were death cases with vaccinations within 14 days before they passed away.

The figures represented 0.15% and 0.001% of total vaccine doses administered.

As at May 16, the Expert Committee on Clinical Events Assessment Following COVID-19 Immunisation concluded that seven death cases had no causal relationship with vaccinations, and preliminarily considered that 21 cases were not associated with vaccinations.

Four cases were pending assessment. The expert committee considered that there is no unusual pattern identified so far.

In the preceding week ending May 16, the department received 237 reports of adverse events following COVID-19 immunisation, including one death case reported by the Hospital Authority involving individuals who had received COVID-19 vaccines.

According to information by the authority, during the period from April 19 to May 16, the ratio of death cases out of those without a vaccination record was 53.9 cases for every 100,000 people, whereas the ratio of death cases for those with a vaccination record was 3.0 cases for every 100,000 people. The overall death rate is similar to that recorded in the past three years.

Out of those without a vaccination record, the ratio of death cases with acute stroke or acute myocardial infarction was 2.7 cases for every 100,000 people, whereas the ratio of death cases under the same category for those with a vaccination record was 0.4 cases for every 100,000 people.

Furthermore, the ratio of miscarriage cases out of those without a vaccination record was 23.4 cases for every 100,000 people, whereas the ratio of miscarriage cases for those who had a vaccination record was 3.6 cases for every 100,000 people. 

Based on the statistical analysis of the above figures, there is no evidence that vaccination increases the risk of death or miscarriage for recipients. 

The relevant reference statistics will be uploaded to the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme thematic website.

The majority of non-death cases of adverse events received so far are relatively minor cases, details of which can be found here.