Poster-girl for anti-vaxxers who fainted getting first COVID shot says she faced abuse and stalking
A nurse who involuntarily became a billboard for anti-vaxxers when she fainted on camera when she received one of the first COVID-19 shots has spoken out about the harassment she has endured in the years since.
Tiffany Dover says she was even accused of being part of a pedophile ring after her fateful collapse in December 2020, but she has spoken out in an interview with NBC Night Newssaying, ‘I did not die that day, but the life I knew did.’
Dover received the vaccine via live stream as part of the nationwide campaign to promote the vaccine and its benefits in the fight against the pandemic.
But instead of helping the cause, she unwittingly became an icon for anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists, who tried to paint her collapse as evidence of the gunshot’s supposed dangers.
“People thought I was dead,” she continued. “People thought I was an actress, that I was paid to do this or was paid by the big pharmaceutical industry. It was completely overwhelming.’
Tiffany Dover, pictured, has spoken out about two years after she rose to fame after receiving one of the first Covid-19 vaccines
In the widely circulated clip, Dover was seen receiving the vaccine before attempting to address reporters. But she soon seemed unwell, before muttering “I’m sorry” as she fell into the arms of nearby medical professionals.
“(My collapse) ended up creating the opposite effect of what I would have wanted,” the primary care nurse said.
“It’s hard to imagine being used to stop someone from getting the vaccine,” she continued. “And I found that very difficult to deal with.”
The viral snippet of her passing out in the moments after she got the shot was immediately picked up by conspiracy buffs, and Dover has now glimpsed the ordeal she endured in the wake of her reluctant fame.
“I had people showing up at my house, I had people reaching out to my friends and family, I even got death threats,” she said.
When asked if her reluctant fame made her fear for her family’s safety, she replied, “Absolutely yes.”
In a TikTok video posted this week, Dover spoke out to insist ‘I’m alive’ after false conspiracy theories about her
Dover was previously a heart nurse before the pandemic hit, and she described feeling “hopeless” after experiencing “death after death” at the time
The nurse claims her hospital, CHI Memorial Hospital, instructed her not to fight the conspiracies circulating around her
The nurse said she wanted to speak out first and fight the false theories around her before claiming that her hospital, CHI Memorial Hospital Chattanooga, had told her, “There’s no way that will happen.”
Dover, who no longer works as a nurse at the hospital, added that breaking her silence would cause “irrevocable damage” to the facility if she went through “another episode”.
CHI Memorial Hospital has been contacted by DailyMail.com for response to these claims.
Now speaking out more than two years later, the nurse said she regretted how the incident was used as fuel for vaccine conspiracies.
“I wish we had used it as a platform to speak out about the fact that people pass out after getting vaccines, but that’s no reason not to continue getting them.”
She added that the series of false claims and aggressive theories about her led her to shy away from the spotlight as she did not want to go public.
“I was in a dark place and I didn’t have it in me to do this because I didn’t know if I could trust you,” she said in her interview.
Dover was seen in the widely circulated clip appearing unwell soon after receiving the vaccine
She mumbled “I’m sorry” before falling into the arms of two nearby doctors
The nurse, who says she has a history of fainting spells, said she was excited to talk about the benefits of the vaccine before her body ‘did what it does’
The following years were met with silence by Dover and she said she now regrets her decision not to release any kind of statement that may have challenged the theories about her.
She added, “That would have been a perfect time for us to speak out. Yes, I passed out, this could be a side effect – you can pass out after receiving a vaccine.
“But that’s okay, because it can also save your life, so it’s worth it.” The silence is what makes this flare up.”
Reporter Brandy Zadrozny added after interviewing Dover for her podcast “Truthers: Tiffany Dover Is Dead” that the nurse became “terrified” of social media. pedophile rings. It just got out of hand.”
Dover, who said she has passed out numerous times in the past, admitted she regretted her reaction to receiving the shot because it deprived her of the chance to talk to reporters about the shot.
“I was so eager to share what this vaccine meant to me,” she continued. “I thought I could just keep going because it was important to me and I thought my body would respect that, but I didn’t care — it did what it does.”
Dover said her ordeal as a reluctant anti-vaccine hero came after a grueling stint in the ICU, where her previous role as a heart patient specialist was replaced by the urgency of the pandemic.
With visitors barred from entering the premises, nurses were forced to hold iPads to say goodbye to their loved ones, and she said the time left her feeling “hopeless.”
“Almost as if we were a palliative care unit. Dead after dead, after dead.’