Trust Index: Posts falsely claim that Tennessee nurse died after getting COVID-19 vaccine

Nurse fainted after vaccination due to medical condition, not vaccine

Viral posts falsely claim a Tennessee nurse died shortly after her vaccination. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) (KSAT)

As the COVID-19 vaccine gets distributed to frontline health care workers across the country, misleading posts about the vaccine are on the rise.

One post that has gone viral on social media claims that a Tennessee nurse died shortly after she was vaccinated.

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Not True

After reviewing this topic, we've found some issues - It's not true.

The nurse did pass out after getting her shot, she confirmed during an interview with WRCB TV, but said it was due to her medical condition, not the vaccine.

“I have a history of having an over-reactive vagal response, and so with that if I have pain from anything, hangnail or if I stub my toe, I can just pass out,” the nurse, Tiffany Dover, told WRCB.

The Chattanooga hospital, CHI Memorial, issued a press release to provide more details about the condition.

While fainting after receiving a vaccination is rare, the CDC says it has happened with vaccinations before.

About 3% of men and 3.5% of women have reported fainting at least once during their lifetimes, according to the website. But the fainting has no lasting effects.

“The fainting episode is not an adverse reaction to the vaccine, but related to her condition,” said Dr. Jesse L. Tucker, CHI Memorial critical care physician.

On Monday, the hospital posted a video with Dover back at work with her colleagues.


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