A Florida doctor died more than two weeks after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, but whether the shot played a role is still under investigation.
Dr. Gregory Michael, 56, an OB-GYN at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, died of a hemorrhagic stroke Monday, the Palm Beach Post reported.
The medical episode is believed to have been caused by a platelet deficiency, the outlet reported.
Michael had received the Pfizer vaccine on December 18 and then experienced a “strong reaction,” said his wife Heidi Neckelmann.
In a Facebook post Tuesday, Neckelmann said Michael went to the hospital three days later because of dots on his skin that indicated he may have been suffering from internal bleeding.
She said doctors determined he had a low platelet count, which they tried to raise to no avail.
“Experts from all over the country were involved in his concern. Whatever they did, the platelet count refused to rise, ”she wrote.
Neckelmann said he was “conscious and energetic throughout the process” until the condition caused him a stroke, which killed him in a “matter of minutes.”
The Florida Department of Health said medical researchers in Miami are leading the investigation – and will provide their findings to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Palm Beach Post reported.
Pfizer, who developed the vaccine, said it will launch its own investigation into his death.
“We are actively investigating this matter, but we do not currently believe there is a direct link to the vaccine,” the company said in a statement to the outlet.