A 41-year-old unvaccinated teacher battling cancer dies of Covid after his doctor tells him not to get shot
- Kelly Peterson, 41, of Polk County, Florida, died of complications from COVID-19 after her doctors advised her to give up the vaccine because of cancer treatment.
- Peterson’s family believed he caught the virus in the Lake Shipp Elementary School classroom after returning in August due to state regulations.
- The CDC recommends that cancer patients and survivors receive a third shot a month after receiving the second shot.
A Florida teacher who was battling leukemia has died from complications of Covid-19 after her family said she was following her doctor’s advice and not getting vaccinated.
Kelly Peterson, 41, of Polk County, Florida, who worked at Lake Shipp Elementary School, she was on leukemia treatment when her doctor advised her not to shoot her, according to her family.
“Because his leukemia was so bad at the time, his concern was that getting the vaccine could cause too much stress on his body,” his sister Christy Peterson told Fox 2 FTVU.
“She had often expressed fear of hiring Covid who feared he would kill her, unfortunately that happened.”
Kelly Peterson, 41, of Polk County, Florida, died of COVID-19 after returning to face-to-face teaching at Lake Shipp Elementary School, where her family believes she caught the virus.
Polk County asked its teachers to return to the classroom, according to state regulations, which means Peterson (a fifth-grade science teacher) also had to return.
After teaching for almost a year, Peterson, who is at risk of immunity due to his cancer treatment, took great care to ensure his classroom was regularly sanitized and wearing a mask.
Polk County, Florida’s seventh-largest school district, doesn’t have a mask warrant, but it “strongly recommends” that students wear one.
She gave everything she had for them every day. He treated each of them as if they were his own children, “his sister told Fox.
Peterson had leukemia and his doctors advised him to give up the vaccine. The effectiveness of the vaccine may potentially decrease in those who have a weakened immune system, however, the CDC recommends that cancer patients and survivors receive the vaccine.
On Monday, in a post on Facebook, Christy said, “The world will never be the same, early this morning Kelly Peterson has earned her angel wings.” He said Peterson died “peacefully” and “did not suffer.”
Peterson was one of the few groups in which doctors could recommend retaining the vaccine. Those who are immunocompromised, have had allergic reactions to vaccines in the past, or are hypersensitive should consult their doctor before receiving the vaccine.
In a tribute post to her sister, Christy said “the world will never be the same” and told Fox that her sister “treated her students like her own.”
Peterson’s cancer treatment caused his immunocompression, which could lead to a decreased response to the vaccine.
The CDC recommends immunocompromised individuals to have a third dose, if they receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, four weeks after receiving the second vaccine. This is the only group for which CDC recommends this option at this time.
However, the CDC recommends that cancer patients and survivors be vaccinated.