Doc: Death after vaccine no reason for concern

Even after a New York man in his 70s died shortly after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, there should be no reason for concern about the safety of the vaccine.

More than 42 million doses have been administered in the United States so far, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

“Except for this one really there hasn’t been any reported deaths shortly after. When you talk about millions of people, so if you pick 5 million people off the street, chances are, believe or not, that one of those 5 million people will die within the next hour. It’s just the sort of chance when you have that many people you’re looking at,’’ Dr. Matthew Sims, Director of Infectious Disease Research at Beaumont Health, said during a WJR interview on Tuesday.

The man collapsed and later died after leaving the vaccination site in New York on Sunday but health officials say it is not believed to be due to the vaccine, according to WABC.

Sims hopes it doesn’t frighten others away.

“I’m hoping that enough people want to get it that we get to herd immunity. I would be more afraid of COVID. Even if you said 1 in 5 million people who get this vaccine is going to die from it, way more than that who get COVID will die from COVID,’’ Sims told WJR. “Even if it somehow did have that (link) and I’m not saying it does, it doesn’t, the riskbenefit ratio would still say the benefit of the vaccine way outweighs the risk.’’

To reach herd immunity at least 70 percent of the population must be vaccinated.

In Michigan, 1,292,572 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been administered so far. In Oakland County, 176,656 doses have been given.