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MIAMI (CBSMiami / CNN) – 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 practiced 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 man, loved by everyone in the community, delivered 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 a lack of platelets. He is said to have 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 spotting spots on his skin indicating internal bleeding.
Dr Aileen Marty, infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at CRF, 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 quite deeply.
“There is nothing in clinical trials that would indicate that this is a likely outcome of the vaccine itself. Having said that, we are always learning new things. This is a new situation and we need to examine it very carefully, ”she added. “You have to look at the millions of people who have been vaccinated around the world with these vaccines and compare that to what’s happening around the world with mortality and morbidity from COVID-19. I know the medical examiner is first-rate 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 United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate Michael’s death.
If it was not definitely linked to the vaccine, this is one of the possibilities 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 “late January 3-4”.
An autopsy was performed on Tuesday, Caprara said, with the cause of death pending completion of studies by the medical examiner and partner agencies.
Pfizer also said it was investigating.
“Pfizer and BioNTech are aware of the death of a healthcare professional sixteen days after receiving a first dose” of the vaccine, Pfizer said in a statement. “This is a very unusual clinical case of severe thrombocytopenia, a condition that decreases the body’s ability to clot blood and stop internal bleeding,” he added.
“We are actively investigating this case, but at this time we do not believe there is a direct link to the vaccine,” the company said in the statement.
“No related safety signal has been identified in our clinical trials, post-marketing experience to date or with the mRNA vaccine platform. To date, millions of people have been vaccinated and we are closely monitoring all adverse events in people receiving our vaccine. “
CDC officials said on Wednesday they had not seen any serious reactions to the coronavirus vaccines beyond 29 cases of severe allergic reactions.
According to the CDC, more than 5.3 million people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine in the United States.
In its statement Wednesday evening, the agency said it regularly reviews safety data with other federal agencies like the United States Food and Drug Administration, as well as vaccine safety experts who independently review data, make recommendations and provide advice.
“The CDC will assess the situation as more information becomes available and provide timely updates on what is known and what actions are needed,” the statement said.
Pfizer and the CDC said their thoughts were with the family.
(© 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All rights reserved. Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner company, contributed to this report.)
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