Despite reports, state agencies say there have been no vaccine deaths

In a recent joint statement from the Utah Department of Health and the state Office of the Medical Examiner, the agencies said there have been no COVID-19 vaccine-related deaths in the state. The statement followed reports that a 39-year-old Utah woman died shortly after her second vaccine dose. The medical examiner apparently ruled that death was not related to the vaccine, saying the office recently completed investigations into “reported deaths where the decedent had recently received the COVID-19 vaccine.” The agencies can’t legally discuss details of the investigations without family permission, the release said.

“The OME has determined there have been no deaths caused by the COVID-19 vaccines to date in Utah,” the statement said. “The OME is committed to investigating any deaths that fall under its jurisdiction where decedents had recently received the COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. They are how we will end this pandemic.”

The statement adds that the agencies will continue to investigate reported vaccine side effects and provide “absolute transparency” about them. The state agencies say that public confidence in the vaccine is “critical.”

“To that end, we call on members of the media to wait for all the facts to be known prior to reporting information that could lead to undue diminished confidence in these life-saving vaccines,” the medical examiner’s office said.