Anti vaxxers die of Covid after finding misinformation on Facebook

An American couple has died of Covid after becoming brainwashed by anti-vax memes on Facebook, leaving behind five children.

An American couple has died of Covid, leaving behind five children, after misinformation on vaccines turned them against the lifesaving jab.

Kevin and Misty Mitchem, both aged in their 40s, died of the virus just weeks apart despite desperate urgings from their family to get vaccinated.

The couple were wary of taking the vaccine due to what they had seen on the internet, with Mr Mitchem’s brother Mike explaining his pleas had been rebuffed with “memes”.

“His response to me was to show different memes and stuff that he found on Facebook,” he told PEOPLE.

“He believed all that to be gospel truth and I could not change his mind.”

Kevin Mitchem asked for the Covid-19 vaccine while he was in hospital with the virus. He was told it was too late. Source: GoFundMe

Kevin and Misty had been married for 17 years and lived in the state of Virginia. The pair had four children together: Riley, 17; Leah, 14, and twins Taylor and Aiden, 11.

Kevin also had a 22-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, Angel, who now has a two-year-old son, Lincoln.

The husband was the first to contract the virus, before passing it on to his wife who became ill and was sent to the hospital.

Misty, a diabetic, was put on a ventilator before dying on September 23, and Kevin died on October 8, aged 48. Neither had been vaccinated.

Mike Mitchem told The Free Lance-Star his sister in law only had days between her first Covid symptoms and death.

Kevin’s father Don was brought to tears recounting his final conversation with his son.

“He said, ‘Dad, I’m scared to death’,” he told NBC.

“I told him to call his mom.”

In Kevin’s final conversation with his mother Terry, he told her “I wish I’d got the shot”.

“Of course I told him, ‘It’s past. You can’t do anything about it,” she said.

Parents Kevin and Misty Mitchem died after contracting Covid-19 and refusing get vaccinated. Source: NBC Washington

“Part of our pain is anger,” Mr Mitchem said.

“Anger because people are still not getting the vaccine. If you think about it, you need to have certain vaccines before you can even go to school. What’s the big deal about this one?”

The family have spoken out in various US media outlets, urging people to get vaccinated.

“That virus will take you at any age. But taking a mother and father is, it’s uncalled for,” Mr Mitchem said.