A Florida doctor died about two weeks after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, and investigations were launched to determine if the shooting had any role in the man’s death.
Dr. Gregory Michael, a 56-year-old obstetrician-gynecologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, passed away on January 3. Michael received the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine on December 18, but then had a “strong reaction” “only a few days later,” according to his wife, Heidi Neckelmann.
“In a post on Facebook, Michael’s wife, Heidi Neckelmann, said she sought emergency care three days after the shooting because she had spots on her skin that indicated internal bleeding,” USA Today reported.
Michael allegedly suffered from a severe lack of platelets, and doctors across the country allegedly tried to raise their platelet count to “no result”. Due to his medical condition, Michael suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and died in “a few minutes”, according to his wife.
The medical office in Miami-Dade County performed an autopsy on Tuesday and did not rule out a possible connection with the COVID-19 vaccine.
“The cause of death is pending the completion of studies by the coroner and the Centers for Disease Control,” Darren Caprara, director of operations at the county office, told the Miami Herald. “The case is still under investigation, so nothing has been completed.”
Caprara said the cause of death of the doctor will be released after the forensic doctor completes the investigation in partnership with other agencies.
A spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the agency is “aware of a reported death in Florida of a person who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine about two weeks before he died.”
“The CDC will assess the situation as more information becomes available and provide timely updates on what is known and any action needed,” the CDC spokesman said. It has been a difficult year as each of us faces a global pandemic. The use of COVID-19 vaccines is the next step in our efforts to protect Americans and reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pfizer issued a statement on the death, “Pfizer and BioNTech are aware of the death of a healthcare professional sixteen days after receiving the first dose” of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“It is an extremely unusual clinical case of severe thrombocytopenia, a condition that decreases the body’s ability to clot blood and stop internal bleeding,” the pharmaceutical company noted. “We are actively investigating this case, but we do not currently believe that there is any direct link to the vaccine.”
The Mayo Clinic defines thrombocytopenia as a “condition in which you have a low platelet count,” where “the platelet count may be so low that dangerous internal bleeding occurs.” Thrombocytopenia “may occur as a result of a bone marrow disorder, such as leukemia or an immune system problem. Or it may be a side effect of certain medications.”
Pfizer said, “No associated safety signals have been identified in our clinical trials, post-marketing experience or mRNA vaccine platform.”
“To date, millions of people have been vaccinated and we closely monitor all adverse events in people who receive our vaccine,” continued Pfizer. It is important to note that serious adverse events, including non-vaccine-related deaths, will unfortunately occur at a rate similar to that of the general population.
According to Bloomberg’s COVID-19 vaccine monitor, 6.25 million doses have been given in the United States since vaccinations began on December 14. There have been 17.5 million doses of coronavirus vaccines given in 38 countries.
Mount Sinai Medical Center issued a statement stating that “the appropriate agencies are contacted immediately and have our full cooperation.” The hospital said it “cannot confirm or deny information about any patient” because of medical privacy laws.
The Miami-Dade County Medical Office, the Florida Department of Health, the CDC and Pfizer are all investigating Michael’s death.
“The CDC and the FDA are responsible for reviewing COVID-19 vaccine safety data and presenting this information for federal vaccine administration recommendations,” Jason Mahon, communications director at the Florida Division of Emergency Management, told USA Today. provide the CDC with all available information as it conducts this investigation. “
The Facebook account reported belonging to the doctor’s wife said that her “very healthy” husband was “a professional vaccine lawyer, that’s why he received it himself”. The post added: “I think people should be aware that side effects can happen, that it is not good for everyone, and in this case it has destroyed a beautiful life, a perfect family and affected so many. people in the community. let him die in vain, please save more lives by making this news. “
Michael leaves behind his wife and daughter.