Covid: Jack Last died as result of AstraZeneca vaccine – coroner

An inquest heard Jack Last, pictured with nephew Reggie, had a Covid jab a week before headaches and vomiting began

A man died of a blood clot that was a "direct result" of having the AstraZeneca Covid jab, a coroner said.

Jack Last, 27, from Stowmarket, was vaccinated on 30 March 2021 and a week later was admitted to hospital after experiencing headaches and sickness.

A scan on 10 April revealed a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and he died 10 days later.

Senior coroner Nigel Parsley recorded a narrative conclusion at Suffolk Coroner's Court.

He said: "Jack Last died of a blood clot to the brain, caused as a direct result of his body's reaction to the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccination which he had received on March 30, 2021."

Speaking after the two-day inquest, the solicitor working on behalf of the family said they would be pursuing a clinical negligence case against the hospitals involved in Mr Last's care.

The hearing in Ipswich was told engineer Mr Last was otherwise a "fit and well" man.

Engineer Mr Last was described in court as a "fit and well" man before he received his Covid jab

It was told Mr Last was initially diagnosed with a migraine at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds before further tests identified CVST.

Mr Last was given anticoagulation to thin the clot, but he developed a bleed on the brain.

He was transferred to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge for further treatment but later died.

During the hearing, it was heard Mr Last was unable to have a CT venogram scan at the first opportunity because the out-of-hours radiographer did not have the "technical expertise" to perform the scan.

This has since been changed, the inquest was told, and there was now 24-hour provision, seven days a week.

Mr Last, right, pictured with his dad Mike and sister Jasmine, had the AstraZeneca jab a week before under-30s in the UK were offered an alternative

After the hearing, Michael Portman-Hann, representing the family, said that had the hospital been able to do the correct scan, "treatment would have been started sooner and Jack might have survived".

He said: "On behalf of Jack's family, we will now be pursuing a clinical negligence case against the hospitals that could and should have been able to do more to try to save him."

Cases of clots following vaccination are considered extremely rare

West Suffolk Hospital's interim chief executive Craig Black said they had and continued to "engage fully with all investigations looking into the circumstances of Jack's tragic death".

"We have robust internal review processes and are taking forward learnings, particularly around our provision for out-of-hours radiology services," he added.

Addenbrooke's Hospital has been approached for comment.

Under-30s in the UK were offered an alternative Covid vaccine to the AstraZeneca jab due to evidence linking it to rare blood clots, from the week after Mr Last was vaccinated.

Cases of clots following vaccination are considered extremely rare. A major UK study said the risk of complications was dwarfed by the risks of the virus itself.