BBC radio presenter Lisa Shaw died from a blood clot caused by the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, her family have said.
The broadcaster, who has died in hospital at the age of 44, developed “severe” headaches a week after having the Covid vaccine and fell seriously ill several days later, according to her relatives in a statement.
The 44-year-old journalist passed at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle on Friday afternoon (21 May) having been in intensive care for blood clots and bleeding.
Lisa was a mother-of-one and worked as a presenter for BBC Newcastle after joining the station in 2016 following her work in commercial radio in the North East – with jobs at Metro Radio and Heart.
In a statement shared with The Sun, her family said: “She was treated by the Royal Victoria Infirmary’s intensive care team for blood clots and bleeding in her head.
(Image: TWITTER)
“Tragically, she passed away, surrounded by her family, on Friday afternoon.
“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.”
This comes as people under 40 in the UK are being given an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine amid reports of extremely rare blood clots on the brain coupled with low blood platelet count.
So far, 24.2million first doses and 10.7million second doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine have been given in the UK.
(Image: LisaShawRadio/Twitter)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has said the benefits of the AstraZeneca jab still outweigh the risks for the majority of people – and although it has not proven the vaccine causes blood clots, it has admitted the link is getting stronger.
According to the latest MHRA data, there are 332 cases of these extremely rare blood clots reported, and 58 deaths.
The risk of a blood clot relating to the jab is thought to be around one in 100,000 for people in their 40s, with the risk of death in any age group being put at about one in a million.
After Lisa’s passing, emotional tributes from her colleagues and listeners have been flooding in.
In a heartbreaking tribute, Lisa’s BBC presenter Alfie Joey, Lisa’s colleague, was on the brink of tears as he announced her passing on air.
He told BBC Radio Newcastle listeners yesterday: “We are so sorry and we are so saddened to share with you that our beautiful friend and lovely college Lisa Shaw has died from a very short ilness at the age of only 44.
(Image: LisaShawRadio/Twitter)
“Lisa, as you know, was genuine, warm, kind calm, and full of life.
“She was a wife she was a mam, a very special person. She meant a lot to a lot of people, including us. Everyone here is absolutely gutted.”
BBC Radio Newcastle’s executive editor Rik Martin said in a statement: “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.
“We’ve lost someone special who meant a great deal to a great many people.”
Chris Burns, head of BBC Local Radio, added: “Lisa was a talented presenter who had already achieved a lot and would have achieved much more.”
Lisa studied at Bournemouth University and grew up in County Durham – and the presenter won the Sony Gold Award in 2012 for breakfast show of the year.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
