An X-ray technician who shared his enthusiasm about getting the coronavirus vaccine died days later, after what his wife claims was a reaction to her. Tim Zook, from Santa Ana, California, wrote: ‘I’ve never been so excited to take a picture before. I am now fully vaccinated after receiving my 2nd dose of Pfizer ‘on Facebook on January 5th.
The 60-year-old man carried a photo of his arm with a band-aid, as well as a photo of his vaccination card. But a few hours later, Zook suffered a stomachache at work and began to struggle to breathe.
His colleagues accompanied him to the emergency room at South Coast Global Medical Center, with Zook’s wife, Rochelle, texting him asking, ‘Should I be worried?’
He replied ‘No. Absolutely not.’ Zook also told Rochelle that he did not think his symptoms were related to the Pfizer vaccine. But Rochelle now fears that the injections may have caused her husband’s premature death.
She explained: ‘We are not blaming any pharmaceutical company. My husband loved what he did. He worked in hospitals for 36 and a half years. He believed in vaccines. I’m sure he would get the vaccine again and would like the public to get it.
“But when someone shows symptoms two and a half hours after the vaccine, it is a reaction. What else could have happened?
‘We would like the public to know what happened to Tim, so that he doesn’t die in vain. Serious reactions are rare. In reality, Covid is a far more deadly force than the reactions of the potential vaccine itself. ‘
Rochelle added: ‘The message is, stay safe, get the vaccine – but the authorities need to do more research. We need to know the cause. Vaccines need to be as safe as possible. Every life is important. ‘
After Tim’s initial illness, he was suspected of suffering from Covid, as well as congestive heart failure.
Several Covid tests were negative, with Zook receiving oxygen. He was placed on a ventilator about 36 hours later and transferred to the University of California’s Irvine Medical Center for specialized treatment.
Recalling the poor diagnosis she received shortly afterwards, Rochelle told The Orange County Register: ‘On Friday I get a call: “Your kidneys are failing. He needs to be on dialysis. If not, he may die – but there is also a chance that he will have a heart attack or stroke on dialysis because his blood pressure is too low.
Zook suffered three emergency code blues in the following hours, but was saved from death. The doctors then warned Rochelle that “he would have brain damage and be a vegetable” if they managed to save his spouse from a fourth blue code. Tim died a few hours later.
The widow told how her late husband was generally very healthy. He had high blood pressure, controlled by medication, and was slightly overweight.
Rochelle said: ‘He was never hospitalized. He would catch a cold and recover two days later. The flu passes three days later.
Zook’s death was reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Notification System, which is administered by the US Government’s Centers for Disease Control and Food and Drug Administration.
His cause of death is currently listed as ‘inconclusive’ by the Orange County Coroner, with a toxicology report that is expected to take months.
At least two other American men died after receiving Covid’s vaccines, although it is not clear whether these deaths were related to the injections themselves.
The speed with which Covid vaccines were developed and put to use – in nine months – raised concerns about their safety.
But the two injections currently approved for use in the United States, by Pfizer and Moderna – have been tested on tens of thousands of volunteers, with scientific data showing they are very safe.
Millions of doses of Covid vaccines have been administered in the United States since December, with only a small percentage of people experiencing adverse effects.
The United States recorded 25.4 million cases of Covid and 425,250 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
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