Seattle mother who died from blood clots got J&J vaccine to be child's 'room mom'

SEATTLE (KOMO) — A King County woman has died from a blood clot after she got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The Washington State Department of Health (WSDH) confirmed she is the first blood clot death in the state after getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

“Sadly, this is the first such death in Washington State,’ Secretary of Health Umair A. Shah said. “We send our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. Losing a loved one at any time is a tragic and difficult and pain that’s become all too familiar in the last year and a half of this pandemic.”

Jessica Berg Wilson, 37, received the J & J vaccine on Aug. 26 and died Sept. 7, according to her family.

Jessica’s obituary says she was an exceptionally healthy and vibrant mother of two young girls with no underlying health conditions.

Seattle King County Public Health says she died from a special type of thrombosis - a condition identified as a rare, but potentially adverse event in people who received the J&J vaccine.

The CDC has reported just three other confirmed deaths nationwide due to the rare blood clotting syndrome while 38 people have confirmed blood clot cases after receiving the J&J vaccine.

“Nothing lessens the burden on this woman and her family and I’m sorry for that,” said Dr. Chris Spitters who is the Snohomish County Health Director. “But it doesn’t shake our faith in the vaccines and the overwhelmingly positive impacts despite these side effects.”

But for Berg Wilson, her obituary says she strongly opposed getting the vaccine because she was young and in good health.

But because she wanted to spend time in her child’s classroom, she got the vaccine.

“Jessica was pressured to get the vaccine due to a vaccine mandate at their child’s school requiring ‘room moms’ who wished to serve in the classroom be fully vaccinated,"said Berg Wilson’s obituary.

It was Berg Wilson’s greatest passion to be the best mother to her young daughters who will now grow up with only memories of their Mom.

The CDC says the benefits of the J&J vaccine still out weight the risks.

Johnson and Johnson released this statement:

The safety and well-being of every individual who receives a Johnson & Johnson product remains our top priority. Any adverse event report about individuals receiving Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot COVID-19 vaccine, as well as our own assessment of the report, is shared with the European Medicines Agency, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other appropriate health authorities where our vaccine is authorized. We strongly support raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of rare events to ensure they can be quickly identified and effectively treated.