SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Department of Health and the coroner’s office released a joint statement Thursday saying the COVID-19 vaccine is not responsible for any deaths in Utah.
The statement comes after a 39-year-old Utah woman was reported to have died shortly after her second dose of vaccine.
The forensic doctor recently completed investigations into “reported deaths where the deceased had recently received the COVID-19 vaccine,” the statement said, adding that agencies cannot legally discuss the details of the investigations without the family’s permission. .
“The OME has determined that there have been NO DEATHS caused by COVID-19 vaccines so far in Utah,” he says. “The OME is committed to investigating any deaths that fall under its jurisdiction in which the deceased have recently received the COVID-19 vaccine.
“COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. This is how we will end this pandemic.”
The statement adds that agencies will continue to investigate the side effects of the vaccine and provide “absolute transparency” about them, but insists that public confidence in the vaccine is “fundamental.”
“To this end, we call on members of the media to wait for all the facts to be known before reporting information that could lead to undue diminished confidence in these life-saving vaccines.”
Statistically, the chance of dying after receiving a coronavirus vaccine is considered extremely small. Anaphylaxis can occur after any vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but it is estimated that there are approximately two to five people per million vaccinated against COVID-19 in the United States.
But the vaccine usually produces some side effects. These include some related to the vaccination site itself, such as pain and redness; other common side effects include headache, muscle aches, fever, nausea, and other flu-like symptoms. These side effects usually dissipate after a day or two.