‘Young, healthy’ South Mississippi man suffers stroke hours after receiving J&J vaccine - WLOX

(WLOX) - When the news broke about the pause of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine Tuesday, one Coast family was already living with a tragedy they believe was caused by the vaccine.

“They called me and said he had that vaccine and something is wrong, we think it’s a stroke,” said Celeste Foster O’Keefe, Malagarie’s aunt.

O’Keefe, who is also Brad’s boss, said the family believes without a doubt that the vaccine caused the stroke.

“He’s a young, healthy 43-year-old, and I immediately thought it, and I said be sure to tell the doctors he took that J & J vaccine and that, to me, is what caused his stroke,” she said.

O’Keefe said her nephew’s only health issue before the vaccine was high blood pressure, which was controlled with medication.

Because of that, the Mississippi State Department of Health instructed all physicians, clinics, and hospitals to stop using the J&J vaccine until there is more guidance from the CDC or FDA.

Of the 1.4 million vaccines administered in the Magnolia State, the Mississippi State Health Department said about 42,000 people received the J&J vaccine with no or mild side effects.

O’Keefe said while Tuesday’s news came too late to help her nephew, the family now feels at least a small bit of relief knowing the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is currently out of circulation.