A Florida doctor died about two weeks after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine and investigations have begun to determine if the shot had any role in the man’s death.
Dr. Gregory Michael, a 56-year-old gynecologist and obstetrician at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, died Jan. 3. Michael received the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine on December 18, but experienced a “strong reaction” only 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.
According to reports, Michael was suffering from a severe platelet shortage and doctors across the country allegedly tried to increase the platelet count “to no avail”. Because of his medical condition, Michael allegedly suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and died in “a matter of minutes,” according to his wife.
The Miami-Dade County Medical Office did an autopsy Tuesday and has not ruled out a possible connection to the COVID-19 vaccine.
“The cause of death is pending completion of studies by the medical examiner and the Centers for Disease Control,” Darren Caprara, director of operations for the county office, told the Miami Herald. “The case is still under investigation, so nothing is over.”
Caprara said the cause of death of the doctor would be released after the forensic doctor finished his investigation in collaboration with other agencies.
A spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the agency “is aware of the reported death in Florida of a person who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine about two weeks before he died.”
“CDC will assess the situation as more information becomes available and provide timely updates on what is known and the actions 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 pandemic. -19 “.
Pfizer issued a statement on the death, “Pfizer and BioNTech are aware of the death of a healthcare professional sixteen days after receiving a first dose” of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“It is a very unusual clinical case of severe thrombocytopenia, a condition that decreases the body’s ability to clot the blood and stop internal bleeding,” the pharmaceutical company noted. “We are actively investigating this case, but at this time we do not believe there is any direct connection to the vaccine.”
The Mayo Clinic defines thrombocytopenia as a “condition in which there is a low number of platelets in the blood,” where “the number of platelets can be so low that dangerous internal bleeding occurs.” Thrombocytopenia “can occur as a result of a bone marrow disorder such as leukemia or an immune system problem. Or it can be a side effect of taking certain medications.”
Pfizer stated, “There has been no related safety signal identified in our clinical trials, post-marketing experience to date or with the mRNA vaccine platform.”
“So far, millions of people have been vaccinated and we are closely monitoring all adverse events in people receiving our vaccine,” Pfizer continued. “It is important to note that serious adverse events, including non-vaccine-related deaths, unfortunately occur at a rate similar to that of the general population.”
According to Bloomberg’s COVID-19 vaccine tracker, 6.25 million doses have been administered in the United States since vaccinations began on December 14th. There have been 17.5 million doses of coronavirus vaccines administered in 38 countries.
Mount Sinai Medical Center issued a statement stating that “immediately contact the appropriate agencies and we 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 investigating Michael’s death.
“The CDC and the FDA are responsible for reviewing the safety data for the COVID-19 vaccine and submitting this information for federal vaccine administration recommendations,” Jason Mahon, director of communications for the Division, told USA Today. of Florida Emergency Management. “The state will continue to provide all available information to CDC while conducting this investigation.”
The Facebook account that reported that she belonged to the doctor’s wife said her “very healthy” husband was “a professional advocate for the vaccine, so he got it himself.” The message adds: “I think people need to be aware that side effects can occur, that it is not good for everyone and that in this case it has destroyed a beautiful life, a perfect family and affected so many people. that his death be useless, please save more lives by making this information news “.
Michael leaves behind his wife and a daughter.