'Healthy' Doctor Died After Reaction To Covid Vaccine, Inquest Rules

A "fit and healthy" doctor died of "unintended consequences of vaccination" after a rare reaction to the AstraZeneca Covid jab, a coroner has ruled.

As an NHS clinical psychologist and frontline health worker, Dr Stephen Wright, 32, of Sevenoaks, Kent, was among the earliest groups of people to be given the Vaccine during the pandemic. He died 10 days later.

A small group of people, Dr Wright included, have had a severe reaction to the jab and health authorities are investigating, an inquest at London's Southwark Coroner's Court heard.

Dr Wright suffered from a combination of a brainstem infarction, bleed on the brain and "vaccine-induced thrombosis".

He was taken to Princess Royal University Hospital in Orpington and moved to King's College Hospital as his condition rapidly worsened but the nature of the bleed meant he was unfit for surgery.

Coroner Andrew Harris described a "very unusual and deeply tragic case".

Regarding the official documents detailing Dr Wright's death, Mr Harris said "it is very important to record as fact that it is the AstraZeneca vaccine – but that is different from blaming AstraZeneca".

He said: "Dr Wright was a fit and healthy man who had the AstraZeneca vaccine on January 16 2021, awoke with a headache on January 25 and later developed left arm numbness.

"He attended an A&E department just after midnight where was found to have high blood pressure and a sagittal sinus thrombosis.

© Provided by The Independent Charlotte Wright outside Southwark Coroner's Court, London following the inquest into death of her husband (PA)

"He was transferred to King's College Hospital at 6.39am but, due to the extent of the bleed and very low platelets, was unfit for surgery…"

Dr Wright's widow Charlotte is considering taking legal action against AstraZeneca.

After the inquest, she said: "It was made clear that Stephen was fit and healthy and that his death was by vaccination of AstraZeneca.

My understanding is that this condition is rare

Coroner Andrew Harris

"For us, it allows us to be able to continue our litigation against AstraZeneca.

"This is the written proof."

Work is underway to try and understand why severe reactions the jabs can happen, the inquest was told.

Mr Harris said: "My understanding is that this condition is rare.

"Causes are being examined by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency).

"It seems to me that there is not an action one can take at the moment.

There was nothing that could have been done to have a successful operation

Consultant neurosurgeon Francesco Vergani

"It is being looked at and there are reports being given to the Government from the MHRA and there is advice on the matter."

Medical experts told the court nothing could be done to save Dr Wright as his condition quickly worsened.

Earlier, consultant neurosurgeon Francesco Vergani said platelets provide the body's first response to try and stop bleeding and are important for clotting.

He said: "There was nothing that could have been done to have a successful operation.

"When you have someone with critically low platelets who is bleeding in the brain, the surgery is a disaster."

Dr Mark Howard, a consultant pathologist and medical examiner at King's College Hospital, said scientists and medical experts were not aware of the vaccine's possible deadly side effects because Dr Wright's case happened so early in its rollout.

The circumstances arise in a very small number of people. There was no way of knowing that Stephen would have this consequence

Dr Mark Howard

He said: "Stephen was a very fit, young and healthy man in January 2021.

"It is a truly tragic and very rare complication of a well-meant vaccination.

"We had no knowledge that this was a potential side effect at this time.

"It's not fully understood why this happens.

"It's an idiosyncratic reaction.

"The circumstances arise in a very small number of people.

"There was no way of knowing that Stephen would have this consequence.

"It was a rare and unintended consequence."

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British Man Died Of Rare Blood Syndrome Linked To AstraZeneca's Vaccine

A 32-year-old psychologist in Britain developed blood clots and died 10 days after he took his first dose of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine, a report released by a London coroner on Wednesday found, in a highly rare case of a fatal reaction to the vaccine.

The inquest, which was requested by Charlotte Wright, the widow of Dr. Stephen Wright, found that he died on Jan. 26, 2021, as a result of "unintended consequences of vaccination." Ms. Wright is suing AstraZeneca.

According to the report, Dr. Wright, of Kent, England, had a stroke and bleeding in the brain, as well as vaccine-induced thrombosis, or blood clots, and thrombocytopenia, a condition that occurs when the platelet level in the blood is abnormally low.

Since 2021, researchers have cited rare cases in which people have developed the blood-clotting syndrome known as TTS after receiving the Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca Covid vaccines, which are similar. The cases typically occur within weeks of vaccination.

Experts still strongly recommend vaccination, saying that although vaccines are associated with certain rare side effects, those risks are dwarfed by the risks of the coronavirus itself.

"It's really quite rare and, at the end of the day, you need to consider the risks versus the benefits with anything you do," said Daniel Salmon, director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "And when you look at the vaccines, they're very safe and very effective."

He added: "Nothing is risk-free. And if you choose not to get the vaccine, then you're at greater risk for getting the disease and serious consequences."

Researchers have estimated that coronavirus vaccines have saved millions of lives, including an estimated 507,000 in the United Kingdom in the first year they were administered.

Dr. Beverley Hunt, a thrombosis expert in London, said that the blood-clotting syndrome was a "very rare event" following the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, estimated to occur in one in 50,000 people under 40 and one in 100,000 over 40.

Dr. Adam Finn, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Bristol, said that very approximate figures suggest that about 50 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been given in the United Kingdom, with about 200 cases and 40 deaths linked to the blood-clotting syndrome.

Britain curbed the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine for people under 30 in April 2021, citing the risk of rare blood clots.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration limited the use of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine in May 2022 to adults who cannot or who refuse to get the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, also citing the risk of rare blood clots.

AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine has not been approved for use in the United States, and last year the company withdrew its application for F.D.A. Approval.

In Australia, the country's Department of Health and Aged Care described TTS as a rare syndrome that had occurred in around two to three people per 100,000 who had been given the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Symptoms — including severe, persistent headache and blurred vision — typically occur between four and 42 days after a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the department said.

Australia stopped the use of AstraZeneca's vaccine last month, saying newer vaccines better targeted current strains of the virus.

In an analysis released last month of immunization and death records in Britain, researchers found that young women who received at least one dose of AstraZeneca's vaccine might have been more likely to die of a heart problem in the 12 weeks after their vaccination.

The researchers did not find a significantly elevated risk of death in any other subgroup or with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which was also widely used in Britain. And the study did not prove that the vaccines caused the deaths.

Andrew Harris, a senior coroner who presented the results of Dr. Wright's inquest at London Inner South Coroner's Court on Wednesday, described Dr. Wright's death as a "very unusual and deeply tragic case," the BBC reported.

The inquest found that Dr. Wright was a "fit and healthy man" who received his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Jan. 16, 2021. He awoke with a headache on Jan. 25, 2021, and later developed left arm numbness, the inquest found.

He went to a hospital emergency room just after midnight and was found to have high blood pressure and sagittal sinus venous thrombosis. He was transferred to another hospital at about 6:30 a.M. But was unfit for surgery because of bleeding and a very low platelet level. He died at 6:33 p.M.

Ms. Wright said in a message on Instagram that she had asked for the inquest so that she could change her husband's death certificate, which said he had died of "natural causes," including a stroke. She said she wanted it to list the vaccine-induced blood syndrome as his cause of death.

"The inquest yesterday confirmed this change, over 2 years later," Ms. Wright said.

Ms. Wright also said the inquest "allows us to be able to continue our litigation against AstraZeneca. This is the written proof," the BBC reported.

Mr. Harris told the court that it was "very important to record as fact that it is the AstraZeneca vaccine — but that is different from blaming AstraZeneca," the BBC reported.

Ms. Wright, who has described herself as a "vaccine widow," indicated that she was not opposed to vaccines in general. "I think they should be given with appropriate informed consent," she said.

AstraZeneca, which has named its vaccine Vaxzevria, said in a statement: "We are very saddened by Stephen Wright's death and extend our deepest sympathies to his family for their loss." The statement said that patient safety was the company's highest priority.

"From the body of evidence in clinical trials and real-world data, Vaxzevria has continuously been shown to have an acceptable safety profile and regulators around the world consistently state that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of extremely rare potential side effects," the statement said.

Derrick Bryson Taylor contributed reporting.

'Fit And Healthy' Doctor Died After Rare Reaction To Covid Jab

© Helen William/PA Wire Charlotte Wright holds a picture of her husband, Dr Stephen Wright, outside Southwark Coroner's Court, London, following the inquest into his death - Helen William/PA Wire

A fit and healthy father of two died as a result of a rare reaction to the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, an inquest has concluded.

Dr Stephen Wright, 32, suffered a combination of a severe brain stem infarction or obstruction, along with a huge bleed on the brain and a "vaccine-induced thrombosis" or blood clot, 10 days after receiving the vaccination in January 2021.

A coroner's inquest has ruled that Dr Wright, a psychologist with the NHS, was one of a few people who died as a result of "unintended consequences" from the AstraZeneca vaccine.

As a doctor and NHS worker, Dr Wright was among the first to be given the AstraZeneca vaccine when it was rolled out.

Andrew Harris, a senior coroner, told Southwark Coroner's Court: "Dr Wright was a fit and healthy man who had the AstraZeneca Covid vaccination on Jan 16, 2021, awoke with a headache on the 25th and later developed left arm numbness.

"He attended an A&E department just after midnight, where he was found to have high blood pressure and a sagittal sinus venous thrombosis. He was transferred to King's College Hospital at 6.39am, but, due to the extent of the bleed and very low platelets, was unfit for surgery, dying at 6.33pm.

"My conclusion as to the cause of death is unintended complications of vaccination."

'Different from blaming AstraZeneca'

Pointing out that it was not an inquest's duty to attach blame but only to establish the cause of death, he said: "It is very important to record as fact that it is the AstraZeneca vaccine, but that is different from blaming AstraZeneca."

The AstraZeneca vaccine will be listed on Dr Wright's death certificate as part of the cause of death.

His grieving widow Charlotte, the mother of Dr Wright's two sons Izaac, 9, and Elijah, 3, welcomed the inquest's findings, saying she hoped it would help her planned legal case for compensation against AstraZeneca.

She said afterwards: "It was made clear that Stephen was fit and healthy and that his death was by vaccination of AstraZeneca. For us it allows us to be able to continue our litigation against AstraZeneca. This is the written proof."

The inquest heard that Mr Wright woke at his home in Kent feeling unwell on January 25 and began suffering a severe headache and numbness.

The 32-year-old was rushed to Princess Royal University Hospital, in Orpington, Kent, where brain scans revealed he was suffering from a thrombosis caused by a blockage of the main vein running between the two hemispheres of his brain.

Further scans at King's College Hospital in south London, where Dr Wright was transferred in the early hours of January 26 after his condition worsened, showed his platelet count had also fallen dramatically, leading clinicians to fear that he would bleed uncontrollably if they attempted to carry out surgery on his brain hemorrhage

Francesco Vergani, a consultant neurosurgeon at King's College Hospital, told the inquest: "There was nothing that could have been done to have a successful operation. When you have someone with critically low platelets who is bleeding in the brain - the surgery is a disaster."

The inquest also heard from Dr Mark Howard, a consultant pathologist and medical examiner at King's College Hospital, who said: "Stephen was a very fit, young and healthy man in January 2021. It is a truly tragic and very rare complication of a well meant vaccination."

Dr Howard said scientists and medical experts were not aware of the vaccine's possible deadly side effects at the time because Dr Wright's case happened so early in its rollout.

"We had no knowledge that this was a potential side effect at this time. There was no way of knowing that Stephen would have this consequence. It was a rare and unintended consequence."

Mr Harris, the senior coroner, said: "My understanding is that this condition is rare. Causes are being examined by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency).

"It seems to me that there is not an action one can take at the moment. It is being looked at and there are reports being given to the Government from the MHRA and there is advice on the matter."

MHRA data on adverse events, including deaths, following Covid vaccination, shows that up to November 23 2022, there were 445 cases of rare blood clots with low platelet counts in the UK following an AstraZeneca jab.

Of these, 81 people went on to die.

'We felt like no one would listen'

In April 2021, the Government announced under-30s would not be offered the AstraZeneca jab amid concerns over rare blood clots.

The Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that young healthy people should be offered an alternative vaccine, because the balance of risk versus benefit of the vaccine was more finely balanced.

At that point, the UK had recorded 79 rare blood clots, 19 of whom had died, out of around 20 million AstraZeneca jabs administered.

The MHRA carried out a review into UK cases of extremely rare blood clots following the AstraZeneca jab in 2021, which ended in the recommendation to offer younger people an alternative jab.

The body has continued to review reports of suspected severe blood clots, but concluded that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks in the majority of people.

The UK moved away from using the AstraZeneca vaccine in favour of mRNA vaccines, such as Pfizer, following recommendations from the JCVI that they should primarily be used for the first booster campaign in the autumn of 2021.

According to Office for National Statistics data for England alone there have been 59 deaths registered involving Covid-19 vaccines causing adverse effects, with the vaccine found to be the underlying cause in 51 of these. This is out of a total of around 144.7million vaccinations administered in England.

Speaking outside the inquest, Mrs Wright said she had struggled for many months to obtain justice but had been obstructed and discouraged from questioning her husband's death.

"We weren't allowed to speak out because we were told we would be harming people. We felt like no one would listen to us," she said.

Mrs Wright paid tribute to her husband, saying in tears that she found it "very comforting to have two boys that remind me of him every day."

She added: "He was the most amazing husband. I'm just very thankful that I got to marry such a great man and I will raise our boys in his honour."

'Extend our deepest sympathies'

AstraZeneca said in a statement: "We are very saddened by Stephen Wright's death and extend our deepest sympathies to his family for their loss. Patient safety is our highest priority and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines."

It added: "From the body of evidence in clinical trials and real-world data, Vaxzevria [AstraZeneca's brand name for the vaccine] has continuously been shown to have an acceptable safety profile and regulators around the world consistently state that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of extremely rare potential side effects. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority granted conditional marketing approval for Vaxzevria for the UK based on the safety profile and efficacy of the vaccine."

The ruling came after the widower of a BBC presenter who died from coronavirus vaccine complications launched legal action against AstraZeneca, together with 75 other people whose relatives died or suffered injuries related to the vaccine.

Lisa Shaw, 44, a mother-of-one who worked for BBC Newcastle, died from "vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia" in May 2021.

A government spokesperson said: "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.

"All vaccines being used in the UK have undergone robust clinical trials and have met the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's strict standards of safety, effectiveness and quality.

"The Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme provides additional support to help ease the burden on individuals who have, in extremely rare circumstances, been severely disabled due to receiving a government-recommended vaccine for a listed disease."

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