Việt Nam has administered more than 19.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of Monday. VNA/VNS Photo Nam Sương

LÂM ĐỒNG — Two elderly people have died after receiving Moderna vaccines, the Health Department in the central highlands province of Lâm Đồng has confirmed.

They are a 73-year-old woman (name given as N.T.L.) and a 78-year-old man (name given as N.A.) from Đức Trọng District, who both suffered from multiple underlying health conditions.

The patients died within 36 hours of receiving their second Moderna jab, all from the same batch. Neither showed any symptoms and had no reactions within the first 24 hours, according to the province’s health department and Lâm Đồng Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The two both got their first jab on August 6 and second on August 28.

The man was suffering from lung cancer and grade-3 heart failure, according to an official document signed by director of Lâm Đồng Health Department Nguyễn Đức Thuận.

He died of pneumonia, cardiogenic shock, lung cancer, grade-3 heart failure and ischemic heart disease early on the morning of August 30 at the Lâm Đồng General Hospital, according to the document.

Health authorities noted that all vaccination protocols had been followed, with all vital signs normal 30 minutes after the shot.

The woman had grade-3 hypertension and type-2 diabetes. She died at home early in the morning on August 30 as announced by the relatives to local health workers, the document read.

On the morning of August 28, during the pre-injection screening, L. was determined to have high blood pressure and was told to have some tablets and return to get vaccinated in the afternoon. She was given the vaccine in the afternoon when her blood pressure was deemed normal.

Nguyễn Đức Thuận, director of Lâm Đồng's health department, after convening a meeting between experts and Lâm Đồng CDC, said the deaths could be attributed to the two persons' underlying health conditions as they didn't suffer from any reactions within 36 hours after vaccination like rash, hives, breathing difficulties, anaphylaxis, and that they still conducted daily activities as normal.

Việt Nam received some 5 million doses of Moderna vaccines as donation from the US Government via COVAX Facility, and is in talks with the US company for a contract of five million more doses.

The country has administered more than 19.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of Monday, among whom more than 2.5 million have been fully inoculated. — VNS