By Victoria Mckeown-
A complication arising from the AstraZeneca Covid-19 virus vaccination is to be probed as being the possible cause of a BBC presenter’s death, a coroner has said.
Lisa Shaw’s family said the 44-year-old was treated for blood clots days after her first jab. She later died on Friday at the Royal Victoria infirmary in Newcastle on Friday last week, after being treated in intensive care for blood clots and bleeding.
An interim fact-of-death certificate lists the vaccine as one of the possible factors that led to her untimely demise. The Astrazeneca Vaccine has not been confirmed as the cause, but the chances of a causal link in this case are quite high.
Shaw previously worked in commercial radio and won a Sony Gold award in 2012 for the breakfast show she hosted on Real Radio with Gary Philipson.
Rik Martin, the acting executive editor of BBC Radio Newcastle, said: “Everyone at the station is devastated and thinking about Lisa’s lovely family. She was 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.”
Devastated
Shaw’s family said in a statement that they are devastated. “We are devastated and there is a Lisa-shaped hole in our lives that can never be filled. We will love and miss her always.
“It’s been a huge comfort to see how loved she was by everyone whose lives she touched, and we ask for privacy at this time to allow us to grieve as a family.”
Deaths from vaccines are rare, but still a present risk for a small minority of people. The risk of a clot linked to the jab is thought to be about one in 100,000 for people in their 40s, according to the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The BBC Radio Newcastle presenter was not known to have any underlying health problems, making her death all the more tragic.
The BBC said she was a “brilliant presenter” who was “loved by our audiences”.
It said: “We’ve lost someone special who meant a great deal to a great many people.”
In a statement, Ms Shaw’s family said: “Lisa developed severe headaches a week after receiving her AstraZeneca vaccine and fell seriously ill a few days later.
“She was treated by the RVI’s [Royal Victoria Infirmary] intensive care team for blood clots and bleeding in her head.
“Tragically she passed away, surrounded by her family, on Friday afternoon. We are devastated and there is a Lisa-shaped hole in our lives that can never be filled. We will love and miss her always.
“It’s been a huge comfort to see how loved she was by everyone whose lives she touched, and we ask for privacy at this time to allow us to grieve as a family.”
An MHRA spokesperson said: “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.
“Our detailed and rigorous review into reports of blood clots occurring together with thrombocytopenia is ongoing.”
It said the number of cases remained “extremely low”.