A 16-year-old is now being treated after he collapsed at home this morning (5 July 2021).

Ministry of Health said that they were alerted by Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) to a case of a 16 year-old male Singaporean patient, who was treated at the emergency department at KTPH after he collapsed at home this morning.

He was subsequently transferred to the National University Hospital (NUH) in the evening, where he is in critical condition at the intensive care unit.

According to MOH, the teenager has received his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine on 27 June. He was assessed by trained healthcare personnel to be suitable for COVID-19 vaccination, observed on-site for about 30 minutes post-vaccination and was well.

He was also well for the following five days after vaccination. Prior to his collapse today, he did weightlifting at the gym. MOH understands that he trains with very heavy weights which were above his body weight.

MOH is in contact with the medical team in NUH who are providing close medical care for the patient, and the preliminary diagnosis of his condition is an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, in which his heart fails to perform effectively.

Clinical and laboratory tests are in progress to understand the underlying cause, and MOH will also work with the medical team in NUH to determine if this might be linked to his COVID-19 vaccination. This will include a thorough consideration of whether there was acute severe myocarditis, which is severe inflammation of the heart muscles affecting the heart function, as a possible diagnosis.

If the word “myocarditis” sounds familiar, you probably have heard about the advisory that young people should know about.

Advisory for Young Men Taking mRNA Vaccines

Lest you’re not aware, there’s actually an advisory for all young men taking the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, which are basically both the vaccines that are offered by the Government: the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination recommends that all vaccinated persons, in particular adolescents and younger men, who have received any dose of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, should avoid any exercise or strenuous physical activity for one week after vaccination.

During this time, the vaccinated persons should seek medical attention promptly if they develop chest pain, shortness of breath or abnormal heartbeats. All doctors should also be vigilant around such clinical presentations after vaccination.

This is due to emerging data on the small risk of myocarditis and pericarditis observed after vaccination with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis is inflammation of the outer lining of the heart. In both conditions, it’s due to the body’s immune system causing the inflammation because of an infection or other triggers.

More Information About the Incidence of Myocarditis and Pericarditis in Singapore After COVID-19 Vaccination

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) highlighted that as of 30 June 2021, it had received 12 reports of myocarditis and pericarditis occurring in individuals following their vaccinations with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

Five of the cases occurred in adults aged 30 years old and above. Seven of the cases involved males aged below 30 years old, which is higher than expected for this age group, based on background incidence rates.

While most of the cases reported previously had occurred after dose 2 of their vaccination, HSA had also started to receive reports of some cases that occurred after dose 1.

Vaccination Still Ongoing But Youths Shouldn’t Take Second Dose If They Have Myocarditis After First Dose

The Expert Committee continues to recommend vaccination with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for all eligible persons, including adolescents and younger men, as the protective benefits from the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines continue to outweigh the risks of vaccination.

Any persons who are diagnosed with myocarditis following their receipt of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine should not receive further doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

The use of safe and efficacious COVID-19 vaccines in Singapore is of paramount concern to the Expert Committee, and the Expert Committee will continue to monitor local and international data to ensure our vaccination recommendations are up to date based on the latest scientific evidence available.

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

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