Italian Professor Who Received AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Dies Of Cardiac Arrest

Prosecutors in Italy have launched an investigation on the alleged manslaughter of a music teacher who died hours after receiving his Covid-19 vaccine dose from controversial brand AstraZeneca.

According to the New York Post, 57-year-old Sandro Tognatti, got his vaccine in his hometown of Biella on Saturday afternoon and went to bed that night with a high fever. His wife, Simona Riussi said she called an ambulance the next morning but her husband did not survive.

His cause of death remained unknown pending an autopsy report. Officials have insisted there has yet to be a direct link between Tognatti’s death and his shot.

The judiciary in Biella, in northern Italy, opened preliminary investigations into Tognatti’s death stressing that there is no link to AstraZeneca's vaccine and that the ongoing probe is to establish whether there is an actual case to move forward with.

In an update, initial findings of the autopsy revealed that Tognatti had no evidence of blood clots in his body and his heart and organs were in a good state of health. Medics said their conclusion brings light to the fact that he died of a “sudden cardiac event. However, more detailed tests have been ordered by officials to be completely sure that evidence is consistent proving there is no link between his death and the vaccine.

The findings were also announced a day after Italy suspended all use of AstraZeneca's jabs citing safety concerns, despite Europe's own medical regulator, the World Health Organization, and AstraZeneca itself insisting there is no link between clots and the vaccine.

The autopsy's findings have given way to a host of other data that suggest the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe. The said figures also showed that more people have developed blood clots after taking the German-made Pfizer vaccine compared to those who received AstraZeneca. Despite such figures, Europe has not banned Pfizer.

There have been 38 reports of blood clots based on approximately 11.5 million doses of Pfizer vaccine administered up to Feb. 28. On the other hand, AstraZeneca had 30 reports of blood clots based on 9.7 million doses it has given to individuals.

In a story from the Daily Mail, the chief of Italy's medicines regulator, Nicola Magrini, admitted the ongoing suspension of AstraZeneca inoculations was a “political move made under pressure from other EU governments.

Italy and France are said to have hidden behind a probe being carried out by European regulators which instated the suspensions, insisting the safety of the vaccine must be assessed before they could continue.

The European Medicines Agency EMA recently held an emergency meeting to restate its opinion that there is no indication the vaccine causes clots, and that the benefits outweigh the risks.

Tognatti's family also spoke out to say they have all been vaccinated without any side effects. His wife said she had been vaccinated at the same time as him and has not had any health issues or side effects from it. Her parents aged 85 and 81, have been jabbed as well as their 23-year-old daughter.