OC healthcare worker dies after receiving second coronavirus vaccine, report says

item

File photo shows a healthcare professional using a needle and vial of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to prepare a dose at a vaccination center. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County health worker died days after receiving his second dose of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, the Orange County Register reported on Tuesday.

Tim Zook, 60, worked as an X-ray technologist at South Coast Global Medical Center in Santa Ana.

On January 5, Zook posted a photo of his COVID-19 vaccination card with the caption: “Never been so excited to get the vaccine before. I am now fully vaccinated after receiving my second dose of Pfizer.”

According to the newspaper, Zook suffered an adverse reaction within hours of the second injection. His health deteriorated and he died four days later.

The coroner said the cause of death was inconclusive at this time and further toxicology tests would take months, the registry reported.

Get your best stories delivered daily! Sign up for the FOX 11 Fast 5 newsletter. And receive late-breaking alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.

His family said he suffered from high blood pressure and was slightly overweight, but other than that he was in fairly good health.

Zook’s wife told the newspaper that her husband is a supporter of the vaccine and that she does not blame any drug company.

“He believed in vaccines. I’m sure he would take this vaccine again and he would want the public to take it,” she told the publication.

She said she believes more research needs to be done in cases of severe reactions to vaccines because although they are rare, they can be fatal in some cases.

“The message is, be careful, take the vaccine – but officials need to do more research. We need to know the cause,” she told the Registry. “Vaccines should be as safe as possible. Every life counts.”

Zook’s death was reported to the National Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, managed by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control. The Orange County Coroner’s Office has said that if there is a correlation between his death and the vaccine, it will notify the OC Health Care Agency.

Over the weekend, Placer County health officials reported that a person died hours after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, but did not specify which vaccine they received.

The individual had tested positive for COVID-19 at the end of December and received a COVID-19 vaccine several hours before his death on January 21, 2021.

RELATED: California resident dies after receiving COVID-19 vaccine, officials say

“There are several local, state and federal agencies that are actively investigating this matter; any report regarding the cause of death is premature, pending the outcome of the inquest,” Placer County Sheriff Coroner’s Division said in a statement.

The CDC released information after learning of severe allergic reactions in some cases to the COVID-19 vaccine, and recommends that if a person has ever had a severe allergic reaction to an ingredient in a COVID-19 vaccine, “then they” should not have this specific vaccine. “

This does not mean that not all people with severe allergies can suffer from it.

“The CDC recommends that people with a history of serious allergic reactions unrelated to vaccines or injectable drugs – such as allergies to food, pets, venom, the environment, or latex – should still be able to get the vaccine.” , writes the CDC on its website.

RELATED: CDC Confirms Allergic Reactions To COVID-19 Vaccine, Releases New Guidelines

“People with a history of allergies to oral medications or a family history of severe allergic reactions, or who might have a [sic] vaccine allergy (no anaphylaxis) —can also be vaccinated. “