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Coroner says there is no evidence that UC student died due to the J&J vaccine

CINCINNATI — A Hamilton County Coroner corrected speculation that a University of Cincinnati student’s death was connected to him receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

John Foley, 21, died at his home April 11, according to our news partners at WCPO-TV.

Foley received his Johnson & Johnson vaccine the day before he died and speculation of whether or not the vaccine was the cause quickly spread on social media.

“At this point in time, we don’t have any evidence to indicate that the vaccine was related to his death,” Hamilton County coroner Lakshmi Sammarco said in a Friday afternoon news conference.

Some of the posts on social media claimed that Foley’s autopsy produced evidence he experienced fatal blood clots, mimicking a potentially fatal side effect recorded in six known Johnson & Johnson recipients, WCPO-TV reported.

This isn’t true, Sammarco said. Foley had no blood clots and didn’t experience a pulmonary embolism.

Her staff is still waiting to learn more about Foley’s medical history and to receive results on some post-mortem tests.

“I would rather not give any information which is incomplete until we have more specific testing,” she said. “I don’t want to share any specifics about things we have found and that may have contributed to his death.”

Sammarco said her office is exploring other, likelier causes of death but declined to provide specific information about an investigation in progress.

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