Doctor's death due to AstraZeneca Covid vaccine reaction - inquest

The death of a doctor after his Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab was due to "unintended complications of the vaccine", an inquest has ruled.

Stephen Wright, an NHS psychologist in south-east London, died 10 days after his first dose in January 2021, senior coroner Andrew Harris found.

Dr Wright, 32, suffered a blood clot to the brain after receiving the vaccine.

His wife Charlotte has been trying to get the "natural causes" wording on her husband's death certificate changed.

She is pursuing legal action against the pharmaceutical company, along with dozens of other people.

At London Inner South Coroner's Court, Mr Harris described it as a "very unusual and deeply tragic case". AstraZeneca has been approached for comment.

Speaking outside the court, the mother of two said: "It provides relief but it doesn't provide closure. I think we're only going to get that when we have an answer from AstraZeneca and the government."

She added: "I find it very comforting that I have two boys that remind me of him every day. I'm just very thankful that I got to marry such a great man and raise our boys in his honour."

Mrs Wright, who was on maternity leave when her husband died, said that before she received £120,000 from the government's Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) in August she used food banks to help support her children, now aged nine and three.

Up to 21 March, only 63 out of 4,178 claims received by the VDPS had led to payments, according to NHS figures.

Speaking to the BBC last year, Mrs Wright, from Sevenoaks in Kent, said of her husband: "Being in the profession he was in, I truly believe that if he had been told all of the possible reactions, he would have still taken it [the vaccine] because I am aware it is a rare situation."