Lisa Shaw: Presenter's death due to complications of Covid vaccine

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A radio presenter died due to complications from the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, a coroner has found.

Lisa Shaw, who worked for BBC Radio Newcastle, died at the age of 44 in May after developing headaches a week after getting her first dose of the vaccine.

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 which leads to swelling and bleeding of the brain.

'Severe headache'

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 Christopher Johnson, a consultant in anaesthetics and intensive care at the RVI, said Ms Shaw had been conscious for several days and had been treated for the clots with drugs which seemed to be successful.

'Do the same thing'

But on the evening of 16 May Ms Shaw said the headaches were worse and she had difficulty speaking.

Scans showed she had suffered a haemorrhage in the brain and after her condition deteriorated, part of her skull was removed to try and relieve the pressure inside her head.

Her condition continued to worsen and despite more surgery and treatments, she died on 21 May.