The widower of a BBC presenter who died from coronavirus vaccine complications says he was jabbed two times after his wife died – but he won’t get their eight-year-old son vaccinated.
Mother-of-one Lisa Shaw, 44, who worked for BBC Radio Newcastle, died from ‘vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia’ in May 2021, about a week after receiving her first AstraZeneca Covid jab.
Her husband Gareth Eve, 43, has launched legal action against pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca on behalf of 75 people whose ‘relatives died or suffered injuries related to the jab’.
Lawyers acting for Gareth reportedly sent pre-action protocol letters to AstraZeneca last year and say the value of claims will range depending on the circumstances – but could reach seven figure sums.
Speaking to MailOnline, Gareth insisted he is not an ‘anti-vaxxer’ and has had three doses of a Covid vaccine himself – two following the death of his wife, believing it was the ‘right thing to do’.
But though he says their son Zach is eligible for the vaccine, he would prefer him not to have one.
Gareth Eve says he has ‘no alternative’ but to pursue legal action against AstraZeneca after his wife, BBC Radio Newcastle presenter Lisa Shaw, died from coronavirus vaccine complications
Gareth said their son Zach, now eight but six when Lisa died, asks about his mother a lot
‘I have been vaccinated three times – two times after Lisa died,’ he revealed, adding that he was vaccinated mainly ‘in order to do the things I wanted to do’.
‘Lisa was bang on side with being vaccinated, she was happy to be vaccinated because it meant that our day to day normal things could start coming back.
‘We did what we believed was the right thing to do.’
Gareth, from County Durham, said he had an AstraZeneca vaccine the day before Lisa got taken into hospital, but after that he requested to be given the Pfizer jab.
Their son Zach, eight, was just six when his mother died. Gareth said he has become eligible for a Covid vaccine, but would prefer him not to have one.
‘Zach asked me why, he said ‘has it got something to do with mammy’?
‘Until then I hadn’t told him what had happened to Lisa, he just knew that doctors couldn’t make her better.’
Gareth said he then told his son what had happened to his mother, and though he hasn’t asked about it again, he talks about Lisa a lot.
The grieving father also spoke of the heartbreaking question his son recently asked him.
‘Zach said to me about a week ago ‘how long are people supposed to live for?’
‘I didn’t know how to answer that question, I just told him that some people live until they are very old but some people don’t get very long.’
Lisa Shaw, 44, who worked for BBC Radio Newcastle, died from ‘vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia’ in May 2021
Gareth said speaking out about what happened to Lisa has been a struggle because ‘I think a lot of people this has happened to are tarred with the brush of anti-vaxxers.
‘I think it’s a very difficult subject to get out.
‘That’s not what I am by any stretch. I’m never going to turn around and tell anybody to not get vaccinated.
‘I’m very aware of what these vaccines have done (in saving lives), but I’m also very aware of what it’s done to my wife, and my son’s mother.
‘I’m not saying ‘don’t have AstraZeneca it will kill you’, I’m saying there needs to be an open and honest conversation between government, pharmaceuticals and health officials’.’
The lawyer representing Gareth Eve in the lawsuit said the value of claims will vary depending on the specific circumstances of the case.
Speaking to the MailOnline, she said: ‘In cases where the injured or deceased individual was relatively young, for example under 50 and the main wage-earner and/or the caregiver of young children or other dependents, the value of the claims are likely to be significant – potentially seven figure sums.
‘In other cases, the value of the claims will be more modest.
‘In all cases we anticipate that the value of the claims – when fully assessed will be in excess of the £120,000 sum that the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme is currently offering to some of those affected by adverse effects of the vaccine.’
But Gareth said ‘it’s not about the money at all.’
He said the legal case is essentially arguing that ‘the product was not as safe as we were led to believe’.
‘Lisa died nearly two years ago and I sat next to her while she died and I watched doctors do everything they could to try and save her,’ he continued.
‘What we have been through the past couple of years and I’m sure what we will go through is horrendous.
‘It’s very difficult to explain how it feels to lose somebody that shouldn’t be lost but then be made to feel like we are doing something wrong by speaking up about it.
‘I’m certainly not looking for closure because I would never want to close the door on Lisa but I would like to be able to move forward in life.
‘We just want to be noticed.’
‘Lisa died nearly two years ago and I sat next to her while she died and I watched doctors do everything they could to try and save her,’ Gareth said
A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson earlier told MailOnline: ‘More than 144 million Covid vaccines have been given in England, which has helped the country to live with Covid and saved thousands of lives.
‘All vaccines being used in the UK have undergone robust clinical trials and have met the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) strict standards of safety, effectiveness and quality.
‘The Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme (VDPS) provides financial support to help ease the burden on individuals who have, in extremely rare circumstances, been severely disabled or died due to receiving a government-recommended vaccine.’
In a statement to the BBC, AstraZeneca earlier said: ‘We are unable to comment on ongoing legal matters. Patient safety is our highest priority and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines. Our sympathy goes out to anyone who has reported health problems.’
It added evidence from clinical trials and data showed the Covid vaccine had ‘an acceptable safety profile’ and that the benefits ‘outweigh the risks of extremely rare potential side effects’.
MailOnline has also contacted AstraZeneca for comment.
