MIAMI (CBSMiami / CNN) – The Miami-Dade medical investigator says the death of a doctor in South Florida was not definitively linked to the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine he had taken weeks earlier.
Dr. Gregory Michael, who practiced at Mount Sinai Medical Center, died two weeks after taking the vaccine.
His widow, Heidi Neckelmann, said on Facebook: ‘He was a very healthy 56-year-old lover among everyone in the community, gave birth to hundreds of healthy babies and worked tirelessly during the pandemic. I believe that people should be aware of side effects. “
Neckelmann also said her husband had a hemorrhage due to a lack of platelets. He reportedly had an unusual case of severe thrombocytopenia, a condition that reduces the body’s ability to clot blood and stop internal bleeding.
Neckelmann said he sought emergency care three days after receiving the vaccination after noticing spots on his skin that indicated internal bleeding.
Dr. Aileen Marty, a specialist in infectious diseases and professor of medicine at FIU, told Peter D’Oench of CBS4: “Any death like this is very tragic. He was a colleague and I feel the loss of Dr. Michael very much. deep. ‘
‘There is nothing in the clinical trials to suggest that this is a probable consequence of the vaccine itself. That said, we are always learning new things. This is a new situation and we have to investigate it very carefully, ”she added. ‘You have to look at the millions of people who have been vaccinated with these vaccines all over the world, and compare it to what is happening worldwide with deaths and diseases due to COVID-19. I know that the medical examiner is of the best quality in Miami-Dade and will be able to give 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.
Although it is not definitively linked to the vaccine, it is one of the possibilities being investigated, according to Darren Caprara, director of operations at the medical examiner.
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Caprara said that Michael received a vaccine around December 19 and that he passed away ‘end of January 3 to 4’. ‘
Caprara performed an autopsy on Tuesday, with the cause of death pending the completion of studies by the medical examiner and partnerships.
Pfizer also said it was investigating.
“Pfizer and BioNTech are aware of the death of a healthcare professional sixteen days after receiving their first dose,” Pfizer said in a statement. “This is a very unusual clinical case of severe thrombocytopenia, a condition that reduces the body’s ability to clot blood and stop internal bleeding,” he added.
“We are actively investigating this matter, but at the moment we do not believe there is any direct connection with the vaccine,” the company said in the statement.
‘No related safety signals have been identified in our clinical trials, the experience after marketing so far or with the mRNA vaccine platform. To date, millions of people have been vaccinated and we keep an eye on all adverse events in individuals receiving our vaccine. ”
CDC officials said Wednesday that no serious adverse reactions to coronavirus vaccines have been seen, other than 29 cases of severe allergic reactions.
According to the CDC, more than 5.3 million people received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine in the US.
In its statement Wednesday night, the agency said it regularly reviews safety data 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 guidance.
“CDC will evaluate the situation as more information becomes available and provide the 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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