Hong Kong father’s anguish after inquest rules teen died of natural causes
Tai Shun-keung labels verdict on his 14-year-old daughter’s sudden death ‘unacceptable’ after family’s Covid-19 vaccination concerns
A Hong Kong coroner’s inquest has ruled that a 14-year-old girl died of natural causes after developing acute myocarditis three years ago, despite her father’s insistence that her death was linked to coronavirus vaccinations.
The girl’s father, Tai Shun-keung, called Friday’s ruling “unacceptable”, stating the incident had torn his family apart and led him to depression.
A five-member jury at the Coroner’s Court delivered a unanimous verdict on Friday, following a three-day inquiry, stating Tai Yee-ting died of natural causes at Caritas Medical Centre in Cheung Sha Wan in May 2022.
The inquest specifically investigated whether her death was related to the two BioNTech coronavirus vaccine doses she received during the Covid-19 pandemic. She had her first jab in January 2022 and the second in April of the same year.
Yee-ting felt tired and vomited before she was taken to see a private doctor on May 5, 2022. She presented with symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite and a low fever.
The doctor diagnosed her as having gastroenteritis and prescribed medication.