A 57-year-old King County woman died from a blood clotting disorder linked to the J&J COVID-19 vaccination. Public Health – Seattle & King County announced the death Tuesday morning, describing the condition as “uncommon.”
The woman in her 30s got a single shot of the J&J vaccine on August 26, 2021, according to the health department. She died less than two weeks later, on September 7.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been three additional confirmed fatalities throughout the United States. The Washington Department of Health stated that this was the first such death in the state.
Wilson, 37, was “vehemently opposed to taking the vaccine” according to her obituary, but she took it in order to comply with a requirement to become a “room mom” for her two young children.
The obituary read, “However, the world became dark at the end of her life as governments around the world attempted to deprive her of her rights. The local and state governments were adamant about removing her right to use her experience and enjoy her liberty.”
The notice added, “Wilson was in excellent condition and posed no risk of serious illness: “Her understanding that the known and unknown hazards of an untested vaccine were a greater hazard in her mind. However, her freedom to decide was gradually taken away.”
“Even the most effective medical treatments have some risks,” Dr. Chris Spitters, Snohomish County’s health officer, noted about her situation at a COVID-19 briefing.
Spitters said the risk of blood clots from the J&J vaccine is less than the risks of other vaccines for diseases we readily accept.
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“Despite this awful event and a handful of others like it, we must move forward as a society and select the path with the best benefit-to-risk ratio,” Spitters added.
Earlier, The CDC has halted its authorization of the J&J vaccine to examine the dangers of these blood clots. The benefits of the vaccine, however, outweigh any potential risks associated with COVID-19 infection.
Only 38 of the 12.5 million people who have received the J&J vaccination have reported issues, most of which have recovered as of July 8.
According to the CDC, women between the ages of 18 and 49 are more likely to suffer negative consequences from the J&J vaccine than those over 50.
Still, the CDC said that the benefit outweighs the danger, with every 1 million doses of J&J vaccine given to women ages 18-49 reducing 297 hospitalizations, 56 ICU admissions and six deaths due to COVID-19. Only seven blood clots would be expected as a result.
The blood clotting issues that we’ve discovered in King County and elsewhere haven’t been seen in patients who received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, which are among the most popular vaccines in Washington and across the country.