19 April 2023 , 13:11
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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".
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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.
"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.
"For us, it allows us to be able to continue our litigation against AstraZeneca.
"This is the written proof."
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