BBC Presenter's Death Due To Complications Of COVID-19 Vaccine
BBC radio presenter Lisa Shaw (44) died due to complications of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination, a coroner has concluded.
Shaw died in May just over three weeks after she had her first dose of the jab, an inquest in Newcastle heard on Thursday.
She started to complain of a headache a few days after her vaccination and eventually went to an Accident and Emergency department in Durham, where she was diagnosed with a blood clot and was transferred for specialist treatment at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary.
The inquest heard how, despite treatments including cutting away part of her skull to relieve pressure, nothing further could be done and Shaw died on 21 May this year.
At the end of a hearing which lasted under an hour, Newcastle senior coroner Karen Dilks gave a narrative conclusion, which said: “Lisa died due to complications of an AstraZeneca Covid vaccine.”
Earlier, pathologist Tuomo Polvikoski told the coroner that Ms Shaw, who was a well-known presenter for BBC Newcastle, was fit and healthy before receiving the vaccine.
Asked about the underlying cause of the fatal clotting on her brain, Dr Polvikoski said the clinical evidence “strongly supports the idea that it was, indeed, vaccine-induced”.
People in the UK under the age of 40 are being offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca jab following reports of extremely rare blood clots on the brain coupled with low blood platelet count.
The Government’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said after Lisa’s death:
We are saddened to hear about the death of Lisa Shaw and our thoughts are with her family.
As with any serious suspected adverse reaction, reports with a fatal outcome are fully evaluated by the MHRA, including an assessment of post-mortem details if available.
