South Africa's health regulator reported on Thursday a causal link between the death of an individual and Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine, the first time such a direct link has been made in the country.

The person presented with rare neurological disorder Guillain-Barre Syndrome soon after being given J&J's vaccine, after which the person was put on a ventilator and later died, senior scientist Hannelie Meyer told a news conference.