A 26-year-old graduate died from a rare complication of the AstraZenecaCovid vaccine after being given out-of-date information about the risk of blood clots, an inquest has heard.
Jack Hurn, who was originally from Devon but was living in Redditch, Worcestershire, died in June last year, less than two weeks after receiving the jab in the West Midlands.
A week-long inquest at Birmingham Coroner’s Court was told a GP informed Mr Hurn the risk of blood clots on the brain for his age group was one in 250,000, when the latest NHS guidance estimated it to be one in 50,000.
The inquest heard the Coventry University automotive design graduate opted to go ahead with his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on May 29 2021, after being told the Revival Fires vaccination hub in Dudley had no stock of the Pfizer jab.
Mr Hurn, whose girlfriend Alex Jones also received the AstraZeneca vaccine at the clinic, became unwell eight days after the jab and died in hospital on June 11 despite emergency surgery.
NHS guidance at the time was for patients aged under 40 to be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine, although they could decide on “an informed choice” to receive it.
Recording a narrative verdict on Friday, area coroner for Birmingham Emma Brown said: “It is agreed that Jack was told the risk was one in 250,000.
“There can be no doubt that he took that on board.
“At that time the Joint Committee in Vaccines and Immunisation had advised that it was preferable that adults under 40 without underlying conditions be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
“But people could make an informed choice to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine for earlier protection.
Ms Brown added: “Jack was not given all of the information to make an informed choice.
“In particular the risk of complications for his age group was understated.”
In a statement, Mr Hurn’s family said: “Jack was our world. Our family will never be complete without him and we are still struggling to come to terms with his death.
“All Jack wanted to do in life was to be the model son, model brother, loyal partner, best friend to many, a good citizen and to be the best person in whatever he did.
“I think we can say as parents that in his 26 years he achieved all of that and that he did it with an abundance of civility, humbleness, courtesy, but tinged with the fantastic sense of humour he had which to anyone who knew him was legendary.
“People were drawn to Jack, there were no barriers with him and he made people from every walk of life feel special.”
The statement continued: “His dream of a family to raise and be a good dad to has been cruelly taken away.
“This week’s inquest, although painful, has helped us to understand more about the circumstances around what happened both at the vaccine clinic and at the hospitals in Redditch and Birmingham.
“But it is clear that there were failings, delays and inconsistencies which meant Jack was not given the level of care we would have wanted him to receive.”
A spokesman for NHS England in the Midlands said: “Our sincere condolences are with Jack Hurn’s family and friends for the tragic loss that they have suffered, and we recognise how difficult it will have been to relive the events this week.
“A number of immediate actions were taken as a result of the incident, and we will continue to work with our partners in respect to the coroner’s findings.”
