The husband of a BBC broadcaster said he has "no option" but to sue a Covid vaccine maker after she died from extremely rare complications.
Lisa Shaw was only 44 when she died in May 2021, just a week after having the jab. In the days leading up to her death, she reported headaches which were actually bleeding in the brain and tragically passed away after being admitted to hospital.
A coroner ruled that the mum died from complications due to the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. Husband Gareth Eve said he plans to take legal action against the makers of the vaccine after failing to get meaningful answers while AstraZeneca clarified that patient safety is its 'highest priority', the Mirror reports.
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Speaking to the BBC, he said: "It’s not in my make up to turn around and say I want to sue somebody, but for almost two years we’ve tried to engage with the government and MPs since Lisa died and not one of them had reached out or engaged with us at all. That’s the reason we’re left with no alternative – if the government or AstraZeneca don’t want to engage with us, then what else are we supposed to do?”
Gareth added that he wanted "some sort of acknowledgement or recognition that these deaths have occured. Gareth continued: "We’re not crackpots or conspiracy theorists, we’re husbands and wives and family members who have lost somebody. These things have happened to too many people and we’re made to feel like it’s a dirty secret, that we’re talking about something we shouldn’t be talking about."
In August 2021, coroner Karen Dilks ruled that Lisa died from a very rare "vaccine induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia" - a condition that results in bleeding of the brain.
He continued: “It’s established it’s been caused by AstaZeneca’s Covid vaccination – it’s not about Covid, it’s not about how many lives the Covid vaccination saved, it’s about what this vaccination has done to Lisa and other families, not about how successful it was or whether somebody is anti-vax.”
He added: “Whatever the money, it’s not going to bring my son’s mam back.”
AstraZeneca said: "We are unable to comment on ongoing legal matters. Patient safety is our highest priority and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safest use of all medicines, including vaccines.
"Our sympathy goes out to anyone who has reported health problems.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health stressed that all vaccines underwent "robust trial" before being rolled out to the public. A statement added: "More than 144 million Covid vaccines have been given in England, which has helped the country to live with Covid and saved thousands of lives.”
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