John Foley dies, social media suspects vaccine

By Morgan Miles, Staff Writer

University of Cincinnati medical studies student John Foley was found dead by his roommates on April 11. The Ohio Department of Health and the Hamilton County Coroner Office are currently investigating the cause of death. 

On social media, Foley’s death was connected to his recent vaccination, as he died one day after receiving the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine. As of now, however, the connections are purely allegations. 

Officials say there is no direct evidence to confirm if the J&J vaccine led to Foley’s death. 

Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco, the Hamilton County coroner, confirmed on Friday that the cause of death has yet to be determined. 

“We don’t have any evidence to indicate that the vaccine was directly related to his death,” Sammarco stated. 

Last Tuesday, the Food and Disease Administration (FDA) paused  the distribution of the J&J vaccine due to rare but potentially fatal instances of blood clots. 

Alongside the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating the six women ages 18 to 48 that experienced blood clots due to the J&J vaccine — one of whom has died. 

Foley’s parents are not granting interviews or taking any media inquiries. 

The family’s crisis communications consultant, Mark Weaver, posted a public statement with Micheal and Mary Beth Foley asking for privacy and patience. 

“We know the doctors involved are doing their best,” the couple wrote. “We must be patient, and we ask everyone else to be patient, too. John was going to be a doctor, so this is what he would want,” they said.