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BBC presenter Lisa Shaw died due to complications from the AstraZeneca vaccine, a coroner concluded today in what is believed to be the first time a Covid jab has officially been ruled the underlying cause of death in the UK.

The otherwise healthy 44-year-old, who worked for BBC Radio Newcastle, died in May after developing headaches after getting her first dose of the British-made vaccine. 

Newcastle coroner Karen Dilks heard Ms Shaw suffered from blood clots in her brain which caused a deadly stroke. She was admitted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle after complaining of headaches.

The inquest, which lasted less than an hour, heard that the condition linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine was extremely rare.  

Overall there have been 417 cases of blood clotting after the AstraZeneca vaccine out of nearly 50million doses administered, according to the UK medical watchdog. 

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) says the rate was about 15 per million injections.

Seventy-two Britons have died as a result of the complication but Ms Shaw's case is believed to be the first to be officially attributed to the jab by a coroner.

The clotting complication, which appears to occur at a higher rate among young people prompted UK health chiefs to recommend all under-40s get Pfizer or Moderna instead.