Virginia woman dies hours after receiving Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

A Virginia woman died within hours of receiving the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, according to her family but state officials say that her death and the vaccine may not be related.

The woman was identified as 58-year-old Drene Keyes.  She had received the first dose of the virus, waited the mandated 15 minutes after the show, and was leaving.

"A co-worker said that she was trying to get in the car and said 'something's not right'," her daughter Lisa Jones said.

Keyes, who had diabetes, sleep apnea and was obese, started having trouble breathing and started vomiting.  She was rushed to the hospital and died.

The Virginia Department of Health said in a statement Friday that preliminary findings indicate that the cause of death of the Gloucester woman was not anaphylaxis, which indicates a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. The state medical examiner is investigating the incident and officials say it may take several weeks for additional information to become available.

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The VDH says the CDC is now gathering additional information after the death was reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS).

"I want to offer condolences to the family. Any loss is horrible," said State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver.