An award-winning radio presenter died following blood clots after she received the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID vaccine, her family has said.
Lisa Shaw, 44, began suffering from “severe” headaches a week after having the jab, which has been linked to clotting, and fell seriously ill a few days later, according to relatives.
The BBC Radio Newcastle presenter and mother-of-one, died at the city’s Royal Victoria Infirmary on Friday afternoon having been treated in intensive care for blood clots and bleeding in her head.
Under-40s in the UK are being offered an alternative to the vaccine following reports of extremely rare blood clots on the brain coupled with low blood platelet count.
The benefits of having the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab outweigh the risks associated with taking it, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) had said.
But the MHRA has admitted that, while it has not been proven the vaccine causes clots, the link is getting firmer.
Doctors have been told to look out for signs of stroke in patients who received the jab after one person died and two others needed hospital treatment.
Ms Shaw’s family said in a statement released by the BBC: “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.”
According to a BBC report, Newcastle coroner Karen Dilks has issued an interim fact-of-death certificate which lists a “complication of AstraZeneca COVID-19 virus vaccination” as a consideration.
Shaw previously worked in commercial radio and won a Sony Gold Award in 2012 for the breakfast show she hosted on Real Radio with co-host Gary Philipson.
Rik Martin, acting executive editor at 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.”