IONIA COUNTY, Mich. — An Ionia family is mourning the death of a wife and mother after they say she died due to complications after receiving the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine.
The family of 35-year-old Anne VanGeest released a statement following her death on April 19.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the news of Anne’s passing as the result of complications after receiving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Anne (Annie), who was 35, was a loving mother, wife, sister and daughter. An active member in the animal rescue community, Annie will be remembered as a fierce advocate, a master-multi-tasker and a caring friend by her colleagues, fellow volunteers and family. We ask for privacy for her family as they mourn Annie’s passing and celebrate her life.”
In an email to the VanGeest family, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed her death had been reported through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) by a healthcare provider. VAERS is a vaccine safety system managed by the CDC and the FDA.
“VAERS accepts reports of possible side effects (also called “adverse events”) following vaccination. The system is not designed to determine whether a reported adverse event was caused by the vaccine, but serves as an early warning system and helps CDC and FDA identify areas for further study,” the CDC explained in the email. “When VAERS receives reports of serious illness or death after vaccination, VAERS staff contact the hospital where the patient was treated to obtain the associated medical records to better understand the adverse event.”
VanGeest died on April 19. According to her family, VanGeest received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine 11 days before her death.
VanGeest’s death certificate lists her cause of death as “acute subarachnoid hemorrhage non-traumatic.”
