Vaccine Preventable Death – Joey Holt
Age at death - 7 years
Cause of death – Complications from H1N1
Vaccination Status – Unvaccinated
What happened – In November 2009, Jessica Holt’s older son, Joey Holt, was sent home from school with a 103-degree fever. He complained of a stomach ache. Two days later, she took him to see a doctor, who sent them home with a prescription for antibiotics and a recommendation for fluids and rest.
That night, Joey kept vomiting. His skin was pale and felt like an ice cube, his mother said. She called 911. En route to the hospital, Holt watched as Joey’s heart rate dropped from 150 to 50 beats a minute.
He said, “I love you, Mama. Hold my hand.”
Then, “he was gone,” Holt said.
“If I had gotten my son Joey vaccinated, maybe he’d be here right now,” Holt said. “You don’t want to walk in my shoes. I live every day with that regret: Why didn’t I do it?”
My heart goes out to Jessica and her family; I am very sorry for your loss.
Sources
Very sad.
The question is WHY didn’t the parent(s) got him a flushot? Because of some antivax idiot claiming the vax is dangerous? Didn’t they trust the gov? Their doctor telling them stories? We need to know answers to those questions to be able to pinpoint targets for upcoming fluseason.
Bram, We actually did not have the H1N1 vaccination available to us in our community of Rancho Cucamonga, California last year in September nor October. I can honestly say though that because I was not educated and misinformed as a parent, I am not sure if I would have gotten Joey vaccinated even if the solution was available. I did however have Jenny McCartneys controversy in the back of my mind and did waiver on the credibility of innoculating my children. My Doctor was not an advocate for flu vaccination and has never been in the decade that I’ve been a patient of his. My goal now is to get into the mind of the mother I was so to prevent another child from dying and another parent from walking a day in my shoes. Please contact me if you have any questions or comments. God Bless. Jessica W. Holt
Jessica, thank you for the clarification. I have updated the Sources on this story to include the Joey Holt Foundation website.
FLu shots, meningococcal vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine, all keys. Amazingly now obesity is the leading cause of preventable death in America