A Florida doctor died more than two weeks after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine – although whether the injection played a role is still under investigation.
Dr. Gregory Michael, 56, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, died on Monday after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke, the Palm Beach Post reported.
The medical episode is believed to have been caused by a lack of platelets, the agency said.
Michael had received the vaccine from Pfizer on December 18 and then experienced a “strong reaction”, according to his wife, Heidi Neckelmann.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Neckelmann said Michael went to the hospital three days later due to spots on his skin that indicated he may be suffering from internal bleeding.
She said the doctors determined that he had a low platelet count, which they tried to increase “to no avail”.
“Specialists from all over the country were involved in their service. No matter what they did, the platelet count refused to increase, ”she wrote.
Neckelmann said he was “conscious and energetic throughout the process” until the condition caused him to suffer a stroke, which killed him in “a matter of minutes”.
The Florida Department of Health said Miami medical examiners are leading the investigation – and will provide their findings to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Palm Beach Post reported.
Pfizer, which developed the vaccine, said it would launch its own probe on his death.
“We are actively investigating this case, but we do not believe at the moment that there is any direct connection to the vaccine,” the company said in a statement.