The findings surrounding the unexpected demise of 23-year-old Roy Butler, following his receipt of a Covid vaccine, are still being considered by Philip Comyn, the city coroner of Cork. Mr. Butler’s mother described him as previously being in perfect health prior to experiencing uneasy symptoms soon after his vaccination, and tragically passing away only five days later at Cork University Hospital on August 17th, 2021.
Coroner Comyn, after three days of evidence evaluation in the inquest at Cork City Coroner’s Court, still hasn’t drawn a conclusion. During the inquest’s third day, Dr. Margaret Bolster, the Assistant State Pathologist, disclosed that Mr. Butler expired due to a spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage. Nonetheless, she couldn’t identify what triggered this series of events.
Despite thorough examination, Dr. Bolster found no indications to clarify the cause of the bleed, given Mr. Butler had not experienced any traumatic injuries, evident pathological conditions or any toxic indications that would justify the bleeding, except negligible traces of certain medications.
She also expressed the rarity of such occurrences in young, fit adults like Mr. Butler, as she had only encountered similar cases once or twice throughout her career span of 30 years involving roughly 20,000 autopsies, with the patients being elderly in those instances.
When queried by the Butler family’s barrister, Ciara Davin, if it was plausible to conclude that Mr. Butler succumbed due to the Janssen Covid vaccine, given the lack of other explanations, Dr. Bolster expressed her inability to confirm the suspicion. Moreover, when further asked if Covid vaccination could be completely ruled out as a reason for Mr. Butler’s ill health, convulsions and ultimate death due to brain haemorrhage, Dr. Bolster admitted that neither confirmation nor denial of such a possibility could be verified at this point.
Dr Bolster admits she cannot definitively say whether the vaccine played a part in Mr Butler’s haemorrhage, nor can she completely dismiss it. Pointing to numerous instances in medical documentation, she explained her inability to unearth any clear correlation between the unprovoked cerebral bleed and the immunisation. Acknowledging the scarcity of such events, she emphasised the importance of strong scientific proof for making any causative connections. Dr Bolster further stated her position, asserting that she can neither confirm nor deny its link to the vaccine and it was only right to involve the National Drugs Advisory Board for examining and correlating all pertinent data. This action has now been taken and the situation continues to evolve.