A Virginia minister has died shortly after receiving a coronavirus vaccine, authorities said Friday, although there was no indication the vaccine was guilty.
Drene Keyes, 58, received her Pfizer vaccination at a clinic in Warsaw, about 80 km north of Newport News, before falling ill, Joan Kent, chief of police in Warsaw, told NBC News.
Officials said they did not know the cause of death, or any underlying conditions Keyes may have had that could have contributed to her death, and said there was no evidence that it was related to the vaccination.
Keyes remained in the clinic for 15 minutes after the shot, as recommended, before returning to the clinic later that day, Kent said. She was rushed to VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital, where she died Saturday.
While an official cause of death has not been immediately determined, Keyes did not die from any allergic reaction related to the vaccine, according to State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the cause of death was not anaphylaxis, but it will take several weeks before additional information is available,” Oliver said in a statement Friday.
“We can confirm that the death occurred within hours of receiving the vaccine, but this is not evidence that it is related. We are currently investigating and do not yet know the cause of death.”
“Our thoughts are with the family during this heartbreaking time,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. “CDC is closely monitoring the safety of all vaccines, and we are actively working with Virginia officials to fully investigate the situation.”
The Church of Abraham, in Gloucester, about 60 miles south of Warsaw, identified Keyes as one of their pastors.
“If we had been warned, we would have laughed more, pushed more, worshiped more and said I love you even more,” the church said in a statement. “But without warning, our beloved was called away.”
At least 27 million Americans have received Covid-19 vaccines, the CDC said, since first-aid permits were granted in December.
Health experts have repeatedly said that the coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective and prevent people from dying from the deadly virus that has killed more than 400,000 people in the US.
“I’d rather have the vaccine than have Covid,” said Dr. Carlos del Rio, executive co-dean of Emory University School of Medicine, said after the death of Hank Aaron, a baseball-sized baseball player.
There was widespread speculation that the vaccine caused Aaron’s death before the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office concluded that he had died at 86 of natural causes.
In the wake of Keyes’ death, CDC and Virginia health officials will “evaluate the situation as more information becomes available and aware of what is known and all necessary action,” according to the CDC statement.
“It has been a difficult year because each of us is struggling with a global pandemic. The use of Covid-19 vaccines is the next step in our efforts to protect Americans and reduce the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. . “
The state health commissioner also called on Virginians to continue to get Covid-19 vaccinations.
“The vaccines are our best hope to end this pandemic and are very, very safe,” Oliver said. “Most clinical trials for vaccines involve about 6,000 people – clinical trials for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines follow more than 70,000 people, including many people with chronic medical conditions.”