A BBC radio presenter died due to complications from the AstraZeneca coronavirus jab, a coroner has concluded.
Lisa Shaw, who worked for BBC Radio Newcastle, died at the city’s Royal Victoria Infirmary in May, a little more than three weeks after her first dose of the vaccine developed by academics at the University of Oxford.
The inquest heard that Shaw, 44, had been admitted to hospital after doctors investigating her complaints of headaches found she had suffered a brain hemorrhage.
According to BBC reports:
Newcastle coroner Karen Dilks heard Ms. Shaw suffered blood clots in the brain which ultimately led to her death.
The inquest heard the condition linked to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was very rare.
The coroner said: “Lisa died due to complications of an AstraZeneca Covid vaccination.”
Ms. Dilks said Ms. Shaw was previously fit and well but concluded that it was “clearly established” that her death was due to a very rare “vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia”, a condition that leads to swelling and bleeding of the brain.
Ms. Shaw, a mother of one from Consett, received her first dose of the vaccine on 29 April.
On 13 May she was taken by ambulance to University Hospital of North Durham after having a headache for several days.
In a statement, Dr. John Holmes who treated her said she complained of having a “severe headache shooting and stabbing” across her forehead and behind her eyes.
Tests were carried out and blood clots were found in her brain, prompting her to be moved to the neurology specialist unit at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI).
The clots are considered extremely rare – there have been 417 reported cases and 72 deaths – after 24.8 million first doses and 23.9 million second doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the UK.
Dr. Johnson said doctors were in a daily conference with a national panel about vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia, the condition Ms. Shaw was believed to be suffering from.
Asked if he would have changed the treatments given to Ms. Shaw, he said: “No.”
Dr. Johnson said The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) published guidelines on how to treat the condition in July which matched the treatment Ms Shaw received.
“Lisa got all the treatments that were recommended in the order they were recommended,” he said.
It was too late, however, and Shaw passed away five days later, on May 21.
Are you still worried about getting vaccinated against COVID-19?
In light of stories such as Shaw’s, many Americans still are. And considering some of the serious side effects we’ve heard about — and even death — maybe there’s a good reason for the skepticism.
Medical professionals across the spectrum still maintain that such drastic side effects are “extremely rare.”
But from anaphylaxis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, thrombosis, and myocarditis to reports of deaths following the jab(s), it’s naturally concerning — regardless of how “extremely rare” these reactions might be.
Are you willing to risk it?
I will never tell anyone whether to get vaccinated. Not only is that decision personal; I maintain it is never wise to accept advice from those who don’t have to live with the consequences of that advice.
I do say, however, that it’s important to make sure everyone is aware of the potential side effects of these vaccines — no matter how rare they might be.
After all, an educated patient is the best decision-maker.
Sources: Westernjournal, Independent, Theguardian, Bbc