A 55-year-old Hong Kong woman suffered a stroke and died, days following her Sinovac vaccination, health authorities said Saturday.

The woman was the second Sinovac recipient in Hong Kong to die, after a 63-year-old man last week. Earlier, an expert panel found that the man’s death was from coronary heart disease and was not linked to the COVID-19 vaccine.

The woman, who had a history of long-term chronic illnesses, was inoculated on Tuesday, the Department of Health said. She suffered a stroke three days later and was sent to Caritas Medical Centre. She was then transferred to Kwong Wah Hospital, where she suffered a cardiac arrest and died on Saturday, the department said. The time of death was reportedly around 4 a.m.

Department officials said they had immediately notified the Hospital Authority and were trying to find out more about the case.

Dr. Ronald Lam, controller at the government’s Center for Health Protection, expressed his condolences to the woman’s family. He said it could not yet be concluded that the fatality was linked or caused by the vaccine, and that the case had been referred to the coroner. Authorities would conduct an autopsy after obtaining consent from family members, and would then be able to determine the cause of death, Lam said.

The expert panel, which looks at possible side effects from COVID-19 vaccines, will meet on Monday to discuss the case.

Panel co-convenor Professor Ivan Fung said the stroke was likely a result of the woman’s high blood pressure and high cholesterol level. More evidence and data would be needed to determine if the death was related to the vaccine she received, Fung added.

He stressed a need for patients with long-term illness, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, to get the shot only when their condition is under control, and to seek advice from a doctor beforehand. The professor also urged residents to take the initiative to inform staffers administering the shots of their own medical history, instead of relying on them to ask detailed questions.

Samuel Kwok, medical director at Jordan’s Kwun Chung Sports Centre, where the two deceased Hongkongers had received the jabs, said he had noticed more residents taking care to check with doctors on site as to whether they were suitable for vaccination. More bookings had been canceled on grounds that the potential recipient was not in good health, Kwok added.

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