Death of 6-year-old in Portugal investigated for possible reaction to COVID vaccine

A six-year-old boy infected with COVID-19 died this Sunday in a Lisbon hospital, despite having received the first dose of the vaccine. The Portuguese Directorate General of Health (DGS) opened an immediate investigation to clarify the case's circumstances.

The Hospital Center of Northern Lisbon (CHULN) said that the minor was taken to its facilities on Saturday due to a cardiorespiratory arrest. Unfortunately, just 24 hours later, he lost his life. The cause of death was unknown at the moment. 

The "first speculations point to possible adverse reactions to the vaccine," but other possibilities are still being analyzed, reported ABC.

The Portuguese drug agency, Infarmed, is leading the investigation of the child's death. The European country has recorded three deaths of children since the beginning of the pandemic, the DGS confirmed. Portugal has 1,906,891 confirmed cases and 19,334 deaths, according to the DGS.

Currently, countries such as Peru, Costa Rica, Spain, United States, Uruguay, Chile, Canada, China, United Arab Emirates, Portugal, France and Denmark, are vaccinating children between five and 11 years of age. Brazil also began a campaign to immunize minors after the reluctance of Jair Bolsonaro's government for several weeks.

In contrast, countries such as Mexico only approve the vaccine for minors between 12 and 17 years of age who have some kind of comorbidity and on 15 to 17-year-olds with compromised immune systems.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all five years and older be vaccinated. At this time, only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is approved for minors.

However, according to the CDC, adolescents 12 years and older can receive the same dose of vaccine as adults, including the booster. In contrast, children five to 11 years of age should get an age-appropriate dose of vaccine.