BBC presenter Lisa Shaw suffered blood clots from AstraZeneca vaccine

• BBC Radio Newcastle broadcaster Lisa Shaw has passed away after suffering blood clots following her AstraZeneca vaccination.
• Her relatives said she developed severe headaches and a serious illness a week after getting the vaccine.
• The award-winning radio presenter has been with BBC Radio Newcastle since 2015.

Lisa Shaw, award-winning radio presenter for the BBC, has passed away after suffering blood clots following her AstraZeneca vaccination.

Shaw, 44, has worked for BBC Radio Newcastle since 2015 and has been a well-known broadcaster in the northeast of England.

According to her relatives, she suffered severe headaches a week after being vaccinated. A few days later, she developed a serious illness.

After being treated in intensive care for blood clots and bleeding at the Royal Victoria infirmary in Newcastle, she passed away on Friday last week, surrounded by her family.

There have been reports of extremely rare blood clots with low platelets linked to the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

But according to the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the risk of a clot has been thought to be only about one in 100,000 for people in their 40s. The mortality risk across all age groups was estimated to be about one in a million.

In the UK, there have been about 309 cases of blood clots out of the 33 million people who received the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Despite the supposed rarity of the side-effect, UK residents under 40 have been offered an alternative vaccine.

According to the MHRA, the vaccine’s benefits still outweigh the risks for most people. While the vaccine’s link to blood clots becomes stronger, it is still not proved that the vaccine directly causes the clots.

Alfie Joey announced the news of Shaw’s passing on Radio Newcastle’s Sunday morning show, during which listeners and colleagues paid tribute.

The BBC released a statement from Shaw’s family that read, “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,” they continued.

Shaw had also worked in commercial radio. In 2012, she won a Sony Gold award for co-hosting a Real Radio breakfast show with Gary Philipson.

BBC Radio Newcastle’s acting executive editor, Rik Martin, 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,” he continued. “We’ve lost someone special who meant a great deal to a great many people.”

Source: The Guardian