Virginia woman experiences anaphylaxis, dies within hours of receiving Pfizer vaccine
GLOUCESTER, Virginia- A woman who received the Pfizer vaccine on Saturday (Jan. 30) in Virginia passed away only hours after it was administered, officials say.
According to WTKR, Drene Keyes, a gifted singer and grandmother of six, was vaccinated with the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in the town of Warsaw shortly before she found herself unable to breathe as she began vomiting. It was after this that fluid filled her lungs and she died.
Keyes suffered from obesity, diabetes, and sleep apnea, but was still eligible for the vaccine.
WTKR adds that following the inoculation, she waited in the facility for the mandatory 15 minute observation period.
But, as she was trying to get into her car, Keyes told a coworker who was with her that something was wrong, saying, "Something is not right. Something's not right."
Doctors say when Keyes was rushed to Riverside Tappahannock Hospital, they administered an EpiPen, CPR, and oxygen.
Keyes' daughter told local reporters, "They tried to remove fluid from her lungs. They called it 'flash pulmonary edema,' and doctors told me that it can be caused by anaphylaxis. The doctor told me that often during anaphylaxis, chemicals are released inside of a person's body and can cause this to happen."
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Anaphylaxis is a severe adverse life-threatening allergy reaction that rarely occurs after vaccination.
According to the CDC, in the United States as of January 19 there were 45 cases of anaphylaxsis with the Pfizer shot out of the several million given.
The risks were also spelled out on the paperwork Keyes received prior to her shot.
Her daughter went on to say, "My mom was wanting to protect herself, and it did not turn out that way," said Jones.
She added that she believes more research needs to be done, especially for patients with underlying health issues.
According to WTKR, an autopsy and toxicology are being performed on Keyes this week.
Additional data related to recorded reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines can be accessed here.