Lisa Shaw: BBC presenter died of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine complications, coroner concludes
A BBC radio presenter died due to complications from the AstraZeneca coronavirus jab, a coroner has concluded.
Lisa Shaw died on 21 May just weeks after receiving her first vaccine dose and an investigation into its part in her death was launched.
Newcastle coroner Karen Dilks heard on Thursday that Shaw, 44, died at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) a little more than three weeks after her first dose.
An inquest, which lasted less than an hour, was told she was admitted to hospital after she complained of headaches and doctors found a haemorrhage on her brain.
Dr Christopher Johnson, a consultant in anaesthetics and intensive care at the RVI, 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, the BBC reported.
Asked if he would have changed the treatments given to Shaw, he said: “No.”
Guidelines on how to treat the condition, which were published by The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) in July, matched the treatment given to Ms Shaw.
In a statement issued after the hearing, Shaw's family said: “This is another difficult day in what has been a devastating time for us.
“The death of our beloved Lisa has left a terrible void in our family and in our lives.
“She truly was the most wonderful wife, mum, daughter, sister and friend.”
Ms Shaw was an established radio personality in the northeast. Before joining BBC Radio Newcastle in 2016, the mother of one co-presented a breakfast show alongside Gary Philipson for Century Radio.
Rik Martin, who worked with Ms Shaw, described her earlier this year as “a trusted colleague, a brilliant presenter, a wonderful friend, and a loving wife and mum”.
“She loved being on the radio and was loved by our audiences. We’ve lost someone special who meant a great deal to a great many people,” he added.
Paying tribute to Lisa after her death, Chris Burns, head of BBC Local Radio, said: “Lisa was a talented presenter who had already achieved a lot and would have achieved much more.
“She hosted a special programme at Easter broadcast on all 39 of our local stations in England, a fact that reflects the regard she was held in. My thoughts are with Lisa’s family, friends, and colleagues at this terrible time.”
While a link has been made between the AstraZeneca vaccine and potentially fatal blood clots, this side effect is rare. It is thought to affect about 1 in 50,000 people who receive the jab.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has said the advantages of the vaccine outweigh the risks for most age groups.
And scientists say the risk of brain clots as a result of Covid-19 infection is markedly higher than from vaccines.
