A Virginia minister died shortly after receiving the coronavirus vaccine, officials said on Friday.
Drene Keyes, 58, received her Pfizer vaccine at a clinic in Warsaw, about 80 miles north of Newport News, before she fell ill, Warsaw Police Chief Joan Kent told NBC News.
Keyes stayed at the clinic for 15 minutes after the injection, as recommended, before returning to the clinic the same day, said Kent. She was rushed to VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital, where she died on Saturday.
It was not immediately clear what conditions, if any, may have contributed to his death.
“Our thoughts are with the family during this heartbreaking period,” the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. “The CDC continues to closely monitor the safety of all vaccines and we are actively working with the Virginia authorities to fully investigate the situation.”
The Church of Abraham, in Gloucester, about 60 miles south of Warsaw, identified Keyes as one of its ministers.
“If we had been told, we would have laughed more, hugged more, worshiped more and said I love you even more,” the church said in a statement. “But without warning, our beloved has been called away.”
At least 27 million Americans have received Covid-19 vaccines, the CDC said, since emergency use authorizations were first granted in December.
Health experts have repeatedly stated that coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective and prevent people from dying from the deadly virus that killed more than 400,000 people in the United States
“I would rather get the vaccine than Covid,” said Dr. Carlos del Rio, executive associate dean of Emory University School of Medicine, after the death of great baseball player Hank Aaron.
There was widespread speculation that the vaccine caused Aaron’s death before the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office concluded that he died at the age of 86 from natural causes.
After Keyes’ death, CDC and Virginia health officials “will assess the situation as more information becomes available and provide timely updates on what is known and any necessary actions,” according to the CDC statement.
“It has been a difficult year as each of us struggles with a worldwide 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.”
Erika Edwards contributed.