BBC presenter Lisa Shaw died due to complications from the AstraZeneca vaccine, a coroner concluded today in what is believed to be the first time a Covid jab has officially been ruled the underlying cause of death in the UK.

The otherwise healthy 44-year-old, who worked for BBC Radio Newcastle, died in May after developing headaches following her first dose of the British-made vaccine. 

Coroner Karen Dilks heard Ms Shaw suffered from blood clots in her brain which caused a deadly stroke. She passed away at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle three weeks after the injection.

The inquest, which lasted less than an hour, heard that the condition linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine was extremely rare.  

Overall there have been 417 cases of blood clotting after the AstraZeneca vaccine out of nearly 50million doses administered, according to the UK’s medical watchdog. 

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the rate of the condition was about 15 per million injections. 

Seventy-two Britons have died as a result of the complication but Ms Shaw’s case is believed to be the first to be officially attributed to the jab by a coroner.

The clotting disorder, which appears to occur at a higher rate among young people, prompted UK health chiefs to recommend all under-40s get Pfizer or Moderna instead. 

But research since the decision was taken to restrict AstraZeneca’s jab’s use suggests the risk of clots is actually higher from Covid infection itself compared to vaccination.

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.

‘We have said all we want to say in public at this time and ask to be left alone to grieve and rebuild our lives in private. Thank you.’

Shaw, who was not known to have any underlying health problems, developed ‘severe’ headaches a week after having the jab and fell seriously ill a few days later. 

Her relatives previously said: ‘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.’ 

Shaw’s husband, Gareth Eve, also attended the inquest with other members of the family. 

The coroner said: ‘On April 29 2021, she had a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and, following that, she developed a vaccine-induced thrombosis and thrombocytopenia — a rare and aggressive complication associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was the underlying cause of her death.’

The inquest heard Shaw — a mother-of-one from Consett, County Durham — went to the University Hospital of North Durham on May 13 after complaining of a severe headache, including shooting pains across her forehead and behind her eyes.

The coroner said Shaw had previously complained about pain all over her head.

After a CT scan revealed a venous sinus thrombosis, a decision was taken to transfer her to the Royal Victoria, the hearing was told.

Dr Christopher Johnson, a consultant in anaesthetics and intensive care at the hospital, told the inquest at Newcastle Coroner’s Court that Ms Shaw was initially treated with anti-coagulants but an operation was undertaken to relieve the pressure on her brain after bleeding was detected.

But Dr Johnson said the surgery could not help with the underlying cause of the haemorrhage and the risks were too great to try to remove the clot ‘manually’.

The consultant said Ms Shaw’s treatment was determined in consultation with a national panel of experts which convened daily.

‘This was one of the first cases of this kind of vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis I had seen and had been seen nationally,’ he said.

Asked whether his team were of the view that the ‘underlying cause of the events that tragically affected Lisa was complications of the AstraZeneca vaccine’, Dr Johnson said: ‘We were, yes.’