The Utah coroner is urging the public not to jump to conclusions about a 39-year-old mother who died four days after receiving her second dose of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine.
Kassidi Kurill, of Ogden, died on February 5 after falling ill and being taken to hospital.
Her family, who are still awaiting autopsy results, believe her death may have been the result of complications due to the COVID-19 vaccine because she had no known health problems.
Dr. Erik Christensen, chief forensic physician at the Utah Department of Health, discussed this belief this week after Kurill’s death, which attracted national media attention, saying it was only “temporarily related” to his second dose of vaccine.
Christensen said his office has so far not certified any vaccine-related deaths and that there does not appear to be any link between the deaths of four Utah residents (one of whom is Kurill) and the vaccines.
“We have no evidence that there are connections between vaccines and deaths at this time,” he told Fox News. “We have no indication.”
Kassidi Kurill, 39, died four days after receiving her second dose of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine in Utah last month. In the photo: Kurill with his nine-year-old daughter Emilia
Dr. Erik Christensen (pictured), chief forensic physician at the Utah Department of Health, urged the public not to reach conclusions about Kurill’s death
Christensen noted that vaccine side effects are common and that each person’s response is determined by their unique biology.
“Certainly, there are side effects of a vaccine that can be directly related to the vaccine and what’s going on in your body,” he said.
“You know, arm pain … fever-like symptoms related to your immune response to what they put on you. That kind of thing happens clearly.
He said proving that the vaccine was a cause of death is very rare, unless there is immediate anaphylaxis, which would be an instant death.
Christensen added that an autopsy, which the family is still waiting for, may reveal an undiagnosed condition that may have caused the death.
Kurill’s family claims that one’s mother was healthy and had no pre-existing conditions before her sudden death.
“Apparently she was as healthy as a horse,” Kurill’s father Alfred Hawley told Fox News.
“She was healthy, happy and active, the oldest mother you’ve ever seen in your life, and then she was so sick that, in less than 12 hours, she was intubated and with life support.”
Kurill worked as a surgical technician for several plastic surgeons. Utah health workers were among the first to be eligible to receive the vaccine.
He received his second dose of vaccine on Feb. 1 and began complaining the next day of headaches, nausea, and inability to urinate despite drinking fluids.
Her condition improved slightly the second day after vaccination, but it got worse and she was taken to hospital on February 4th.
“He came in early and said his heart was pounding and he felt he needed to get to the emergency room,” his father said.
Kurill received his second dose of vaccine on Feb. 1 and began complaining the next day of headaches, nausea, and inability to urinate despite drinking fluids.
When he arrived at the hospital, Kurill immediately began vomiting while doctors worked to find out an explanation.
“They did a blood test and they immediately came back and said I was very, very sick and my liver wasn’t working,” Hawley said.
Kurill was flown tonight to Murray Intermountain Medical Center, where doctors tried to stabilize her for a liver transplant.
His condition continued to deteriorate to the point that he could not speak the next morning and his heart and kidneys closed.
It got worse throughout the day. And at nine o’clock, it happened – Hawley said.
It was a total shock. I was even afraid to tell my wife.
Hawley said that until the family gets other data, “they’ll have to believe there was something to the shot.”
But he did say he hopes his daughter’s experience doesn’t discourage other people from being vaccinated. He urged anyone who has symptoms after the vaccine to take them seriously.
“If you have a reaction to it, don’t ignore it. Don’t be stoic and say, ‘Oh, I’ll be fine,'” he said. ‘Pay attention. If it persists beyond a day, you should go see a doctor. And make sure you’re not another one in a million.
Loved ones organized a GoFundMe campaign to support Kurill’s nine-year-old daughter, Emilia.
An autopsy is performed to determine the cause of Kurill’s sudden death. 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’s adverse event reporting system.
Of the more than 92 million doses administered in the United States to date, fewer than 1,700 deaths have been reported.
“To date, VAERS has not detected cause-of-death patterns that indicate a safety issue with COVID-19 vaccines,” the CDC website states.
The FDA requires vaccine providers to report any deaths after a COVID vaccine to the vaccine adverse event reporting system, also known as VAERS.
There are currently four Utah residents listed in this database and one of them is believed to be Kurill.
Anyone can submit reports to the VAERS database, including family members, relatives, and physicians. This is an unverified reporting system that does not determine if a vaccine caused the reported death.
Deaths from coronavirus vaccines are extremely rare, according to the CDC’s 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 (photo file)