Autopsy methods investigating vaccine link in teen death 'inadequate' - GP offers observation on inquest

Inquiry into death of 14 year old hears second day of evidence

Methods used to determine whether Joseph McGinty’s covid 19 vaccine played a role in his death were inadequate, according to a GP. Autopsy protocols that determine whether a covid 19 vaccine played a role in a death exist and are in operation on ‘both sides of the Atlantic’ according to Adare based GP Dr Pat Morrissey. The protocols were developed by German pathologist Dr Arne Burkhardt and set out methods to detect whether vaccines played a role in a death post vaccination.

Joseph McGinty (14) suffered a cardiac arrest and died on the morning of September 13 2021, 24 days after his first covid shot. The teen, from The Valley, Achill Island, Co Mayo had been losing weight over a four month period before he died, an inquest heard. He collapsed at home and died as he was being transferred to hospital.

A diagnosis of Addisons Disease was offered for Joseph’s deteriorating condition in the months leading up to his death, based on symtoms including fatigue and weight loss. The diagnosis was made by Consultant Histopathologist Dr Michael McDermott, from whom a specialist second opinion was sought by Consultant Pathologist at Mayo University Hospital (MUH), Dr Fadel Bennani.

“Even if there is no attribution to the covid shots here it is still logical and  scientific to make sure that a proper determination can be made about the potential for vaccine adverse reaction. You cannot find what you are not looking for and the methods used were inadequate to determine if the covid shots were a contributor,” Dr Morrissey said.

“A simple and definite step would be to ensure that immunohistochemistry using the appropriate stains to discriminate between the presence vaccine associated spike protein and that related to infection. This method is being applied on both sides of the Atlantic and there is no excuse that it should not also be used in the Irish system. It is the least that the dead and those left behind deserve,” Dr Morrissey said.

The autopsy protocols call into question the autopsy commentary in relation to Joseph McGinty offered by Consultant Histopathologist Dr Michael McDermott, from whom a specialist second opinion was sought.

In his report, Dr McDermott gave the final cause of death as profound adrenal pathology consistent with Addison’s Disease. In his commentary, Dr McDermott noted substantive and chronic adrenal damage which he described as ‘a pattern strongly suspicious for autoimmune adrenal disease.’

“Addisonian crisis is a potential explanation for Joseph’s death as the adrenal pathology makes Joseph unable to respond appropriately to any physiologic and pathologic stress such as that induced by infection.”

In his report, Dr McDermott noted that there were ‘a small number of reports of encephalopathy’ associated with covid 19 vaccination and the timing of Joseph’s death in relation to his vaccination was noted.

“However there is no clinical history to support any encephalopathy prior to the collapse and pathologic data describing any CNS (central nervous system) changes in that condition are not, to my knowledge available so any such connection between the pathologic changes and vaccination is speculative at this point in time.”

Dr McDermott’s commentary on the report continues:

“Moreover, the pathologic focus is small and not associated with significant oedema, features that would make it a more credible contributory factor to the tragic outcome.”

Dr Morrisey, who raised safety questions around covid 19 vaccines and declined to receive and administer the shot, queried whether the vaccine may have played a contributory role in Joseph McGinty’s deterioration.

“Young Joseph McGinty was unwell before he got the first shot  . He may have had Addison's disease. The question in my mind is whether or not the covid shot had a contributary effect in his demise. There are published papers documenting encephalitis post covid vaccine and implicating same as causative factor. Addison's doesn't cause encephalitis or diffuse lymphadenopathy. Something else did that. A curious person would search until they found the answer especially when a family have been left bereaved of a child so young,” Dr Morrissey said.

Joseph McGinty’s condition deteriorated sharply on August 27, according to his mother.

“He began to feel weak and he was vomiting,” Patricia McGinty said.

Prior to this, Joseph had been losing weight and intermittently vomiting after meals for around four months, the inquest before Coroner Pat O’Connor heard.

His mother brought him to the doctor on August 31. GP Dr Ed King refferred Joseph to hospital for urgent further investigation the following day. Joseph stayed overnight at MUH on September 1 and was discharged the next day with an appointment to return a week later.

A second day of evidence at Swinford Courthouse today heard that xrays and ultrasounds the boy’s mother said she was asking for on both hospital visits would not have helped diagnose Addisons Disease.

Paediatrician at MUH Dr Hilary Stokes confirmed that the scans were not relevent because Joseph was suffering from an adrenal problem.

In her statement, Dr Stokes said there was no clear explanation for Joseph’s ‘abnormal brain histology.’

“The family will undoubtedly want to know if the vaccine played a role or not,” Dr Stokes said in her statement.

Answering questions from the family’s barrister Michael O’Connor, the pediatrician said there had been ‘an unusual infiltration of the brain’ found at autopsy and that was unexplained.

“It was a small section of the brain, that Dr Bennani (pathologist) talked about yesterday,” Mr O’Connor said.

Asked if she believed the vaccine had anything to do with Joseph’s demise Dr Stokes replied:

“I don’t believe so based on the read literature, I have received no information to the contrary.”

Asked by the Coroner what her concerns were after Joseph’s sudden death, Dr Stokes said it was ‘extremely unusual for a child of that age to die.’

“From a clinial perspective it was an unexpected death for us and I wanted to know more detail of the case. I’m a pediatrician a long time. This was a very unexpected event,” she said.

The inquest heard that Addisons Disease is an extremely rare condition with only 9,000 cases in UK in a population of over 67 million.

“Overall in Ireland you would expect under 30 cases a year to be diagnosed in Ireland,” Dr Stokes said.

Doctors did not associate Joseph’s symptoms with Addisons because ‘his clinical presentation was unusual’ accoring to Consultant Paediatrican Prof Michael O’ Neill. Joseph had only five of 14 symptoms associated with Addisons, the court heard.

His symptoms included blurred vision, small bruises or marks on his body, fatigue, dizziness and weightloss. His sodium levels were low, ‘but not extremely low’. He was not presenting with hyperpigmentation, which is present in 70 per cent of diagnosed Addisons cases.

Asked if scans were central to a diagnosis of Addisons, Prof O’Neill said no, what is important is blood results and autoimmune antibodies.

“Even if the scan took place it wouldn’t have helped,” he said.

The Coroner asked for his opinion on any possible role the vaccine might have played.

“You are aware he got his covid vaccine at the HSE centre, not from his doctor. Did that have any effect on a) his condition and b) his passing?”

Dr O’Neill replied “I don’t think so.”

The Burkhardt protocols advise specialist attention be centred on a number of phenonema at autopsy in order to determine if a vaccine played a role in a death. These include

• thromboembolic events (both macro- and microthrombi)

• vasculitis

• myocarditis

• lymphocytic alveolitis

• peculiar inflammatory reactions (autoimmune reactions?)

• foreign material

The full protocol is provided below.

Day two of the three-day inquest heard evidence from Frank Harburn, former General Manager of the Saolta regional vaccination programme, who outlined the process involved in registering a child for a covid 19 vaccine through the national Registrarion Portal. He worked in this role from January 2021 until August 2022.

“The vaccinator typically has a brief conversation with both the child and the parent to introduce them and carry out a visual check of identification including the child’s PPS number, the parent’s phone number and the child’s date of birth.

“The vaccinator goes through the consent process again, to confirm that the record on the national Covax system shows that the parents name had been taken and data sharing for GDPR. This is to double check that they had provided consent during the online registration and that ‘yes’ was ticked on the system.”

Barrister Michael O’Connor asked Mr Harburn about ‘changes’ made to the Covax system in relation to Joseph McGinty’s vaccination record.

“Can you explain to me the changes made on Feb 10 2022?” Mr O’Connor asked.

“I assume these were changes made to the national system. It’s a national system it is hosted and managed by the HSE,” Mr Harburn said.

“That change occured at 3.08am. It’s an unusual entry,” Mr O’Connor said.

“I don’t know why that change occurred,” Mr Harburn replied.

Mr O’Connor said on November 28 2022 there was another change made. Mr Harburn said he wasn’t sure why the change was made.

“I don’t know why it was changed to non-applicable.”

“Who in your organisation would know that?” Mr O’Connor asked.

“Whoever updated it. I wasn’t there on the day,” Mr Harburn said.

Asked if he had come across any other cases of encephalitis following vaccination, Mr Harburn said if there was a serious adverse reaction he would have heard about it in his work meetings.

“Swelling of the brain, encephalitis wasn’t something that came up at these meetings?”

Mr Harburn replied no.

Mr O’Connor asked if there was anything else he felt should be disclosed to the Coroner.

“Given a child has passed away and his parents are entitled to full disclosure, because that would be important,” Mr O’Connor said.

“No nothing that I am aware of,” Mr Harburn said.

The inquest contiues.

*

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Read the full Dr Arne Burkhardt autopsy protocols below:

(Previously provided to this Substack and to Coroner Pat O’Connor in July 2022)

Notes and recommendations for conducting post-mortem examination

(autopsy) of persons deceased in connection with COVID vaccination

Prof. Dr. A. Burkhardt

Pathology Laboratory Reutlingen

Obere Wässere 3-7

72764 Reutlingen

Germany

doctors4covidethics.org

1. Background and introduction

Dr. Burkhardt and colleagues recently carried out a series of 17 autopsies on persons deceased within days to

months of vaccination. Initially, none of these deaths had been attributed to the vaccines. Nevertheless,

Dr. Burkhardt and colleagues found characteristic lesions in multiple organs which led them to conclude that

in most patients the vaccines were likely the cause of death. Key observations were widespread vasculitis

with microthrombi as well as intense lymphocytic infiltration of multiple organs. A summary of these

findings has been published before [1]. Here, Dr. Burkhardt gives guidance for conducting autopsies in

similar circumstances.

Autopsies should focus on the following phenomena:

• thromboembolic events (both macro- and microthrombi)

• vasculitis

• myocarditis

• lymphocytic alveolitis

• peculiar inflammatory reactions (autoimmune reactions?)

• foreign material

2. Conduct of autopsies

2.1. Inspection of the skin, sampling of lymph nodes

1. Carefully inspect the entire integument, paying special attention to discoloration due to allergic-exanthematous reactions, e.g. brown coloring indicating hemosiderosis in the context of leucoclastic vasculitis

2. Take tissue samples from the site of the vaccination (subcutaneous and muscle tissue)

3. Preserve the axillary lymph nodes on the side of injection, as well as enlarged lymph nodes from any other site

4. Check the veins of the lower legs for thrombi, and especially in bedridden persons also the plantar veins

2.2. Body cavities

Open up the three major body cavities according to standard practice. Take samples for histological

examination from all organs and from any unusual lesions (infarctions, bleedings, thrombi etc.)

2.2.1. Thorax

1. Check for thromboembolism by cutting open the major vessels

2. Check the lungs for focal lesions

3. Consider in-toto fixation of both lungs and preparation by serial section

4. Take histological samples from the heart muscle in several different locations

5. Optional: examine the heart’s excitation conduction system, especially in cases of sudden cardiac death. Pay special attention to the region of the atrioventricular node

2.2.2. Abdomen

1. Pay special attention to the spleen (histology) and to Peyer’s Patches

2. Open up the liver veins all the way to the periphery in order to check for veno-occlusive disease

3. Also examine the ovaries, which allegedly may contain deposits of foreign material

2.2.3. Brain, eyes, and ears

1. Look for infarctions or bleedings. Pay special attention to the superior thalamostriate vein (vena terminalis)

2. Preserve the hypophyseal gland

3. If possible, carry out fixation in toto and subsequent neuropathological examination

4. Critical: examine the eyes in case of visual problems of the deceased

5. Examine the inner ear in patients with loss of hearing

2.3. Tissue sampling

Routine sampling from all organs, in addition to those specifically mentioned above:

1. Sample all recognizable lesions, especially thrombi, which should be preserved together with the vascular wall

2. Take striated muscle samples from at least two locations, always including the lower leg muscles

3. Sample the bone marrow in at least two different sites with active hematopoiesis

4. Take samples from the thyroid gland and from the salivary glands (look for autoimmune phenomena)

2.4. General considerations

1. Photographically document all relevant changes and important normal findings

2. Preserve organs until the histological samples have been assessed, for the purpose of possible further examinations

3. When embedding of the histological samples, ensure compatibility with subsequent

immunohistological or PCR investigations (virus fragments)

4. If there is no significant autolysis yet, preserve samples for electron microscopy—search for virus

particles or fragments, unusual materials etc.

3. Evaluation of organ samples from deceased or biopsies from living patients

after COVID vaccination

3.1. Microscopy, histology, immunohistochemistry

In any case and on all organs:

• Search for birefringent elements

• Stains: HE, PAS, iron

• Spike protein detection by immunohistochemistry (anti-SARS-CoV spike protein antibody)

3.2. Immunohistochemical differentiation of inflammatory cells

In case of inflammation, further definition by immunohistochemistry, depending on the histological picture:

• CD 3 (T lymphocytes)

• CD 4 (T helper cells)

• CD 8 (cytotoxic T lymphocytes)

• CD 14 monocytes

• CD 20 B lymphocytes

• CD 56 cell adhesion (NK cells)

• CD 68 macrophages

• CD 31/D2-40 endothelium

• Complement deposits

3.3. Special tests in cases of “breakthrough” infections

If a so-called “breakthrough” infection after vaccination is suspected:

• Confirmation by demonstration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA or nucleocapsid

• If possible, electron microscopy

4. Further considerations and measures

If the examinations detailed above provide evidence suggestive of vaccine-induced death, consider the following steps:

1. Preserve tissue samples of lesions, including the site of vaccine application

2. Obtain the consent of relatives, and if applicable the court prosecutor, for carrying out paraffin embedding and histological sections (HE, PAS, FE) of all organs

3. Depending on the findings, initiate further investigations by cooperating special laboratory or in a reference laboratory

References

1. Bhakdi, S. and Burkhardt, A. (2021) On COVID vaccines: why they cannot work, and irrefutable evidence of their causative role in deaths after vaccination.