Fully vaccinated Michigan couple both die of Covid, one-minute apart holding hands

The couple had underlying health conditions and died together in hospital

(Facebook/Cal Dunham)

Married couple Linda and Cal Dunham died of coronavirus on Sunday, while holding hands, despite both being fully vaccinated.

The husband, 59 and wife, 66, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, both got the disease earlier in September, before a family camping trip. Both had underlying health conditions.

“[Dad] called me before our family camping trip and said he wasn’t feeling good but he thinks it’s just like sinus, and [Linda] caught it and she’s like, he gave me his cold,” said their daughter Sarah Dunham to Fox17, who also explained that the pair loved the outdoors, their grandchildren and each other.

After three days of camping the couple packed up as they were feeling unwell.

Cal Dunham proudly posted about his vaccination status on Facebook in May, to which friends commented that they had gotten theirs “Awesome” responded Cal on his post.

A Go Fund Me page has been set up “to ease the burden that goes into the final arrangements of two of the most beautiful people.” The page creator stated that “they gained their angel wings one minute apart from each other. Cal passing at 11.07am and Linda at 11.08am”.

According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, those who are unvaccinated are four and a half times more likely to become infected with Covid and 10 times more likely to be hospitalised and 11 times more likely to die of the disease.

However, data would suggest immunity could decrease over time after being vaccinated. According to the research, protection against Covid-19 was 91 per cent in the spring but slipped to 78 per cent in June and July.

A number of factors should be taken into consideration when looking at protection, including a lower amount of PPE being worn later in the year, plus new strains of the virus, including the potent Delta variant.

Boosters have been recommended as a way to combat declining vaccine protection. President Biden received a booster shot on Monday. “Let me be clear, boosters are important,” Biden told reporters, but “the most important thing we need to do is get more people vaccinated,” said the president.

Mr Biden has recommended that people get boosters eight months after their second shot. Meanwhile, the US Food and Drugs Administration approved Pfizer vaccine boosters six months after the second jab, for those who are high-risk and aged 65 or older.

“This pandemic is dynamic and evolving, with new data about vaccine safety and effectiveness becoming available every day. As we learn more about the safety and effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines, including the use of a booster dose, we will continue to evaluate the rapidly changing science and keep the public informed,” said acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock on Wednesday.