MIAMI (CBSMiami / CNN) – The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner says the death of a South Florida doctor has not been definitively linked to the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine he took weeks earlier.
Dr. Gregory Michael, who was practicing at Mount Sinai Medical Center, died two weeks after taking the vaccine.
His widow, Heidi Neckelmann, posted on Facebook: “He was a very healthy, 56-year-old loved by everyone in the community, gave birth to hundreds of healthy babies and worked tirelessly during the pandemic. I think people should be aware that side effects can occur. “
Neckelmann also said her husband had a hemorrhagic stroke due to platelet deficiency. He reportedly had an unusual case of severe thrombocytopenia, a condition that decreases the body’s ability to clot and stop internal bleeding.
Neckelmann said he sought emergency care three days after receiving the vaccine after seeing dots on his skin that indicate internal bleeding.
Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at FIU, told CBS4’s Peter D’Oench: “Any death like this is very tragic. He was a colleague and I feel the loss of Dr. Michael very deeply. “
“There is nothing in the clinical studies to indicate that this is a likely outcome of the vaccine itself. That said, we are always learning new things. This is a new situation and we have to look at it very carefully, ”she added. “You have to look at the many millions of people around the world who have been vaccinated with these vaccines and compare that to what is happening around the world with death and morbidity from COVID-19. I know the Medical Examiner is top shelf in Miami-Dade and will be able to provide us with details that will explain exactly what happened. “
The Miami-Dade County medical examiner is working with the Florida Department of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate Michael’s death.
While it wasn’t definitively linked to the vaccine, that’s one of the options being explored, according to Darren Caprara, director of operations at the medical examiner’s office.
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Caprara said Michael received a vaccine around December 19 and died “January 3 to 4.”
An autopsy was performed Tuesday, Caprara said, with cause of death pending completion of the investigations by the medical examiner and partner agencies.
Pfizer also said it was investigating.
“Pfizer and BioNTech are aware of the death of a health care professional sixteen days after receiving a first dose,” Pfizer said in a statement. “It is a highly unusual clinical case of severe thrombocytopenia, a condition that decreases the body’s ability to clot blood and stop internal bleeding,” it added.
“We are actively investigating this matter, but we do not believe there is a direct link to the vaccine at this time,” the company said in the statement.
“No related safety signals have been identified so far in our clinical studies, post-marketing experience, or with the mRNA vaccine platform. To date, millions of people have been vaccinated and we are closely monitoring all adverse events in those who receive our vaccine. “
CDC officials said Wednesday it had not seen any alarming serious reactions to coronavirus vaccines after 29 cases of severe allergic reactions.
According to the CDC, more than 5.3 million people in the US have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
In its statement Wednesday evening, the agency said it regularly reviews safety data, along with other federal agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as vaccine safety experts who independently review the data, make recommendations, and provide advice.
“CDC will evaluate the situation as more information becomes available and provide timely updates on what is known and any necessary action,” the statement said.
Both Pfizer and the CDC said their thoughts were with the family.
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