South Florida Family Encourages Booster Shots After Vaccinated Relative Dies Of COVID-19
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A South Florida family is devastated by the loss of an elderly loved one due to COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated.
There's no shortage of pictures of Dr. Lloyd Miller and Arlene Schleifer together.
"The joke is she's my favorite sister because of course, she's my only sister," said Miller.
The bond of this inseparable duo was broken recently when Arlene Schleifer died of COVID-19 on September 13.
She was fully vaccinated.
"She touched a lot of people, great sense of humor, just an all-around good girl," said Miller.
Miller saw his sister for the last time virtually while she was on a respirator in a South Florida hospital.
"We did a FaceTime to say goodbye," said Miller.
Arlene Schleifer was 76-years-old and was living in a senior living facility.
Her brother said despite vaccination and taking all the precautions the virus still took her life.
He is pleading for others to not let their guard down no matter what.
"If it could happen to my sister who wore a mask all the time, she was really good about it - it can happen to anybody else," said Miller.
On Tuesday, the FDA authorized a booster dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine including those 65 years of age and older and those 18+ who have a high risk of severe COVID-19.
Infectious disease expert Dr. Aileen Marty from Florida International University says the way to prevent deaths among those who are vaccinated in the vulnerable population is for them to get the booster and to make sure they are surrounded by vaccinated people.
"When you're in a frontline condition it goes both ways, the protection always goes both ways for you and the people you're taking care of and this is the perfect example of why those boosters are needed," said Dr. Marty.
