Age: 90.0
Sex: M
Vaccine: FLU4, PNC13, FLU3, PNC13, FLU3, PNC13
Symptoms: Irregular breathing, Lactic acidosis, Loss of consciousness, Malaise, Pain
Clinical narrative: On Oct. 17, I took my husband for a routine check-up with his doctor. (My husband was 90 yrs old, non-ambulatory in a wheel-chair, and living in a residential care home). Dr. came into the examination room and greeted us, following his physician assistant who checked out all his vital signs which showed to be excellent. We discussed patient's status/condition which was good. After discussing his medications, Dr. said "vital signs are good", said good-bye, and walked out. He did not mention anything about a 'flu shot' did not mention anything about a 'pneumonia vaccine'. After Dr. left the examination room, we were getting ready to leave when his P.A. came in wearing rubber gloves and holding two syringes, walked over to my husband, and said "We're going to give you a flu shot and a pneumonia shot". She took his right arm, rolled up his sleeve, and gave him the first shot. Then she took his left arm, rolled up the sleeve, and in a flash she gave him the other shot. I was still sitting next to patient but before I had a chance to say "Wait a minute!" she was done. "Take care patient. See you, bye-bye" and walked out. Dr. did not mention before leaving that he had ordered both 'a flu vaccine' and 'a pneumonia vaccine' to be given to my husband at that appointment. We would never have given consent for them if we had been told verbally beforehand, certainly not for the 'pneumonia vaccine'. The doctor did not tell us that he had ordered his P.A. to give these injections, nor given us an Information Form prior to the injection of either vaccine. My family and I believe that the pneumonia vaccine in particular caused my husband to develop full-blown pneumonia, after 3 and a half weeks, which was the cause of his death (hospital records). On the morning of Nov. 11, the Owner-Administrator of the Care Home, where my husband was in residence, called me saying that they had called 911 because patient was very sick, feverish, gurgling, and pale. We went to the hospital right away. He had rapid, shallow breathing, phlegmy cough, sinus tachycardia, dehydration, and was semi-conscious. He was being given oxygen (BiPAP), respiratory therapy, and antibiotics and saline intravenously. His weight as reported by the hospital was approximately 107 lbs. The hospital report also states that patient's "symptoms started several days earlier with a cough and difficulty breathing, which got worse today" apparently reported by the care home to the paramedics. The ER doctor said he was exhibiting symptoms of pneumonia. Chest X-rays showed bilateral pneumonia. He remained in the Emergency Room until 11 pm, at which time he was admitted to the hospital in serious condition. He was diagnosed with pneumonia, sepsis, acute respiratory failure with hypoxia, dysphagia, lactic acidosis, hyponatremia, and eventually acute kidney failure. Both his arms were hooked up to multiple IVs and he had oxygen tubes in his nostrils. From Nov. 12 to Nov.16 patient had symptoms of extreme pain, labored breathing, and coughing with a lot of mucus. The IVs remained, administering antibiotics, oxygen, etc. He was not eating. At the same time, he was being administered breathing treatments through a face mask. The staff was checking him constantly. At one point, the tapes holding the IVs in place in his arms came off and he started bleeding. I signaled to the nurse. Two nurses came in and secured the IVs and put on his hands something that looked like boxing gloves. My husband was agonizing. He started to lose his ability to communicate and to keep his eyes open. He continued to receive strong doses of antibiotics and respiratory therapy to clear the mucus. He was diagnosed with pneumonia but compounding the condition was his ET/Parkinson's disease. The doctor and the nurses said that the very debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's were making his condition worse. Patient's condition continued to deteriorate. On Nov. 16, morphine was added to help with the pain in breathing and the abdominal pain from Parkinson's. We consulted with the doctor and Hospice social worker. They felt that there was not much they could do in his condition and we discussed placing him in Hospice care in the hospice wing of the hospital while keeping him on morphine, oxygen, ATIVAN, and ROBINUL.  We agreed. They removed him from the antibiotic treatment and the other medications and only gave him the morphine, oxygen, ATIVAN, and ROBINUL to alleviate agitation and the pain he had breathing, coughing and in the general area of the abdomen. By Nov. 17, patient was unconscious and was exhibiting irregular breathing. The nurse said he had apnea. On November 18, he was resting quietly in bed in his Hospice room when he stopped breathing and passed away at 3:11 pm. Two nurses came in and confirmed that he had died. In sum, thirty-two days after receiving the administration of PREVNAR 13 Intramuscular Suspension 0.5ml IM, and without the physician informing patient that he had ordered the administration of the Pneumonia Vaccine and the Flu Vaccine before leaving the examination room, nor giving him any information (possibly an Information Form about the vaccines), patient, my husband and father of my children, died. Cause of death: Pneumonia.