Health authorities are investigating the case of a South Florida doctor who died of a rare condition two weeks after receiving the first dose of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine.
Dr. Michael, who had worked as an OBGYN at Mt. Sinai Medical Center for more than a decade, died on January 3. According to his wife Heidi Neckelmann, he was vaccinated on December 18.
While there is currently no medical or scientific evidence to suggest that Dr. Michael was caused by the vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are conducting a routine investigation into the incident due to the short timeline between the two events.
“The CDC, FDA and other federal agencies regularly review COVID-19 vaccine safety data and present this information to a working group of vaccine safety experts,” the organization said in a statement. “CDC will evaluate the situation as more information becomes available and provide timely updates on what is known and any necessary action.”
Neckelmann said that Dr. Michael started to have strange symptoms several days after receiving the dose, including small spots on his hands and feet.
He was eventually admitted to the ICU with a diagnosis of acute idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a rare condition in which the body’s immune system accidentally attacks cell fragments found in the blood, known as platelets. In adults it can be chronic.
“Two days before last resort surgery, he had a hemorrhagic stroke, caused by the lack of platelets, which took his life within minutes,” Neckelmann wrote in a Facebook post.
Pfizer said the company was aware of the CDC’s investigation into the matter and issued a statement saying, in part, that officials are “actively investigating, but we do not believe there is a direct link to the vaccine at this time. “
“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. “
“It is important to note that serious adverse events, including deaths unrelated to the vaccine, are unfortunately likely to occur at the same rate as in the general population,” the company added.
According to Susan Wagner of NBC News’ medical department, ITP is a condition that can be genetic, but it can also be caused by certain drugs. It was included in the list of medical conditions that scientists watched for during Pfizer’s clinical studies, and no cases emerged in the vaccine group.
The Miami-Dade medical examiner said Dr. Michael is in treatment. “The cause and method of death are not yet known,” said a spokesman.
Neckelmenn remains suspicious that the vaccine had anything to do with her husband’s death. “He was in favor of vaccinations, so he got it himself,” she said.
“I believe people should be aware that side effects can occur, that it is not good for everyone and in this case has destroyed a beautiful life, a perfect family and affected so many people in the community,” she added. to it.
A study by the Institute for Vaccine Safety found that vaccines prevent many more cases of ITP than they cause, although the coronavirus vaccine had not yet been developed at the time the study was published.
Mount Sinai Medical Center said in a statement that due to patient privacy laws and HIPAA guidelines, it could not confirm or deny the details of the case.
“To the extent that we are aware of an incident involving a patient, the appropriate authorities are immediately contacted and we have our full cooperation,” the statement said.
The Florida Department of Health also said it worked with the CDC and provided them with all the necessary data for the investigation.