Florida doctor dies after COVID-19 vaccine under investigation

MIAMI BEACH, Florida – There are still doubts about the death of a 56-year-old Miami Beach doctor who died on Sunday, just over two weeks after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, reported our sister station WPLG-TV in Miami.

Gregory Michael, MD, whose website claims he worked in obstetrics and gynecology at Mount Sinai Medical Center, received the vaccine at the hospital where he was affiliated on December 18.

It is not clear, however, whether the 56-year-old doctor’s death is related to the shooting, but an investigation is ongoing.

A Facebook post by Michael’s wife described him as “very healthy”. His website said he was an avid angler of tournaments and big games and also a certified rescue diver.

His wife said that three days after receiving the injection, Michael noticed severe rupture of blood vessels in his feet and hands, which led him to the emergency room.

There, he was diagnosed with immune thrombocytopenia, which prevents blood from clotting. After two weeks of treatment, she wrote in a Facebook post, Michael had a hemorrhagic stroke caused by a lack of platelets, which took his life in minutes, she said.

She said her husband was an advocate for the vaccine.

A spokesman for Mount Sinai, who cited restrictions on patient privacy, said in a statement:

“As far as we are aware of an incident involving any patient, the appropriate agencies are contacted immediately and have our full cooperation.”

The Florida Department of Health confirmed that it referred the case to the Centers for Disease Control for investigation. A CDC spokesman told Local 10 News that “they will assess the situation as more information becomes available and provide timely updates on what is known and any necessary actions”

Vaccine manufacturer Pfizer-BioNTech responded in a statement, saying they were aware of the death of a healthcare professional 16 days after receiving the first dose. “We are actively investigating this case, but I do not believe that there is any direct connection with the vaccine at this time. There have been no related safety signs identified in trials or vaccinations so far. “

The Miami-Dade County coroner’s office said that so far the cause of Michael’s death has not been determined and said the results could take several weeks.

The CDC, which has been tasked with reviewing the vaccine’s safety, said its thoughts are with the family. They added that: “so far, more than 5 million people have received the COVID-19 vaccination in the United States.”

Dr. Michael’s family asked for privacy at this point.