The top medical examiner in Utah urges the public not to draw conclusions about a 39-year-old mother who died four days after receiving the second dose of Moderna coronavirus vaccine.
Kassidi Kurill, from Ogden, died on February 5 after falling ill and was rushed to hospital.
Her family, who are still awaiting the results of the autopsy, believe that her death could have been the result of complications caused by the COVID-19 vaccine, as she had no known health problems.
Dr. Erik Christensen, chief medical officer at the Utah Department of Health, challenged the belief this week after Kurill’s death drew the attention of the national media, saying it was “temporarily linked” to the second dose of vaccine.
Christensen said his office has so far not certified vaccine-related deaths and that there does not appear to be a link between the deaths of four Utah residents – one of whom is Kurill – and vaccines.
“We have no evidence that there are links between vaccines and deaths at this time,” he told Fox News. “We have no indication of that.”
Kassidi Kurill, 39, died four days after receiving her second dose of Moderna coronavirus vaccine in Utah last month. Pictured: Kurill with her nine-year-old daughter, Emilia
Dr. Erik Christensen (pictured), chief medical officer at the Utah Department of Health, urged the public not to draw conclusions about Kurill’s death
Christensen noted that the side effects of the vaccine are common and that each person’s response is determined by their unique biology.
“Certainly, there are side effects of a vaccine that are directly related to the vaccine and what is going on in your body,” he said.
– You know, arm pain … fever-like symptoms related to your immune response to what’s been put on you. This kind of thing happens clearly.
He said proof that the vaccine was a cause of death is very rare unless there is immediate anaphylaxis, which would be an instant death.
An autopsy, which the family is still waiting for, could reveal an undiagnosed condition that could have caused the death, Christensen added.
Kurill’s family says one’s mother was healthy and had no pre-existing conditions before her sudden death.
“She was apparently as healthy as a horse,” Kurill’s father, Alfred Hawley, told Fox News.
“She was healthy, happy and active, the greatest mother you’ve ever seen in your life and then she was so sick that, in less than 12 hours, she intubated and received life support.”
Kurill has worked as a surgical technician for several plastic surgeons. Utah health workers were among the first to be eligible for the vaccine.
He received the second dose of vaccine on February 1 and began complaining the next day of headaches, nausea and inability to urinate despite fluid intake.
Her condition improved slightly the day after vaccination, but she took a bad turn and was rushed to hospital on February 4th.
“She came early and said her heart was pounding and she felt she had to go to the emergency room,” her father said.
Kurill received his second dose of the vaccine on Feb. 1 and began complaining the next day of headaches, nausea and inability to urinate despite fluid intake.
When he arrived at the hospital, Kurill immediately started throwing up, while doctors worked to find an explanation.
“They did a blood test and they came back right away and said she was very, very sick and her liver wasn’t working,” Hawley said.
Kurill was flown that night to Murray Intermountain Medical Center, where doctors tried to stabilize her for a liver transplant.
Her condition continued to deteriorate to the point where she was unable to speak until the next morning and her heart and kidneys were stopped.
“It got worse and worse throughout the day. And it’s past nine o’clock, Hawley said.
It was a total shock. I was really scared to tell my wife.
Hawley said that until the family receives other data, “they must think it was something with the shot.”
But he said he hoped his daughter’s experience would not discourage others from getting vaccinated. He urged anyone with symptoms after the vaccine to take them seriously.
“If you have a reaction to this, don’t ignore it. Don’t be stoic and just say, “Oh, I’ll be fine,” he said. ‘Pay attention. If it persists overnight, you should see a doctor. And make sure you’re not another one in a million.
The loved ones organized a GoFundMe campaign to support Kurill’s nine-year-old daughter, Emilia.
An autopsy is underway to determine the cause of Kurill’s sudden death. The loved ones organized a GoFundMe campaign to support their daughter Emilia (above together)
Deaths from coronavirus vaccines are extremely rare, according to the CDC vaccine adverse event reporting system.
Of the more than 92 million doses administered in the United States to date, less than 1,700 deaths have been reported.
“To date, VAERS has not detected patterns of cause of death that would indicate a safety issue with COVID-19 vaccines,” the CDC website said.
The FDA requires vaccine providers to report any deaths after a COVID vaccine to the vaccine’s adverse event reporting system, also known as VAERS.
Four Utah residents are currently listed on that database and it is believed that one of them is Kurill.
Anyone can submit reports to the VAERS database, including family, relatives and doctors. It is an unconfirmed reporting system that does not determine whether a vaccine caused the reported death.
Deaths from coronavirus vaccines are extremely rare, according to the CDC vaccine adverse event reporting system. Of the more than 92 million doses administered in the United States so far, less than 1,700 deaths have been reported (photo file)