'Healthy' doctor died after 'unintended consequences' of Covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccine, rules coroner

A 'healthy' doctor died following a rare severe reaction to the AstraZenecaCovid-19 vaccine, a coroner has concluded.

Dr Stephen Wright, 32, was among some of the first people in the UK to receive the Covid-19 vaccine as he was working on the frontline during the pandemic. He received the jab in January 2021 and died ten days after it was administered.

The doctor died after suffering from a combination of a brainstem infarction, bleed on the brain and “vaccine-induced thrombosis”. During the hearing, Coroner Andrew Harris 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 was admitted to Princess Royal Hospital in Orpington before being moved to King's College Hospital after his condition rapidly deteriorated. However, the court heard that he was unfit for surgery due to the nature of the bleed on his brain.

The court also heard from medical professionals who said that nothing could have been done to save Dr Wright as his symptoms developed. Consultant neurosurgeon Francesco Vergani 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 that experts where unaware that such rare symptoms were possible as a side affect of the AstraZeneca vaccine as Dr Wright had received it so early in its rollout.

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.”

During an inquest at London's Southwark Coroner's Court, it was heard that a small number of people, including Dr Wright, had a severe reaction to the vaccine and health authorities are currently investigating. 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. It is being looked at and there are reports being given to the Government from the MHRA and there is advice on the matter.”

Dr Wright's widow, Charlotte, said that she was considering taking legal action against AstraZeneca, adding: “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.”

However, Mr Harries warned that it was "very important to record as fact that it is the AstraZeneca vaccine – but that is different from blaming AstraZeneca”.

An AstraZeneca spokesman said: “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.

“From the body of evidence in clinical trials and real-world data, Vaxzevria (the brand name for AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 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.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman 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 MHRA’s strict standards of safety, effectiveness and quality.

“The vaccine damage payments scheme provides financial support to help ease the burden on individuals who have, in extremely rare circumstances, been severely disabled or died due to receiving a government-recommended vaccine.”