BBC presenter died after suffering blood clots following AstraZeneca jab, family says

Newcastle coroner to determine cause of death

The award-winning BBC radio presenter Lisa Shaw died on 21 May, 2021. (PA)

A 44-year-old BBC radio presenter died last week after experiencing blood clots following her AstraZeneca jab, her family has said.

Lisa Shaw, who worked for BBC Newcastle, passed away on Friday at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle.

The mother-of-one’s death was announced on Sunday, leading to scores of tributes from her colleagues and listeners.

Rik Martin, who worked with her, described her 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.”

Her family said she developed “severe headaches” a week after having her vaccine, before falling seriously ill and being treated for blood clots.

They added: “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.”

The BBC confirmed that a coroner in Newcastle will investigate her death, after one of the potential causes was listed as a “complication of AstraZeneca Covid-19 virus vaccination”.

A link has been made between the vaccine and extremely rare forms of blood clots. To date, almost 35 million AstraZeneca doses have been administered in England, with 332 reported cases of major thrombosis and 58 reported deaths.

As a result of this, all under-40s in the UK are being offered alternative Covid-19 vaccines.

For people in their 40s, the risk of clotting is estimated to be one in 100,000 and the chance of dying is around one in a million.

Consequently, the British medical regulator MHRA has said the advantages of the jab outweigh the risks for most age groups.

On Thursday, German scientists announced that they may have found the cause of blood clots linked to the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

Additional reporting from PA