An Australian actor living in the UK shared her heartbreak after experiencing a rare but devastating side effect of the Covid vaccine. Melle Stewart, who had been receiving standing ovations for her role in the musical ‘Kiss Me, Kate’ in Belfast just weeks before the pandemic hit, now struggles to speak and walk. She received the AstraZeneca vaccine in May 2021 and suffered a blood clot complication that resulted in a stroke. Along with other claimants, Stewart is taking AstraZeneca to court, feeling misled by the government regarding the vaccine’s safety. Despite her own suffering, she remains a strong advocate for vaccination and has received other non-AstraZeneca Covid vaccines. As an actor, losing her ability to express herself has been devastating for Stewart.Ms Stewart received her first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on May 24, 2021, at the Sandown Park Vaccination Centre in London. She was initially told she looked too young to be eligible for the vaccine, but she corrected the volunteer, as she had turned 40 in November 2020. Despite the concerns about blood clots in younger individuals, she received the AstraZeneca jab and even received a post-jab sticker. However, two weeks later, she experienced a stroke caused by two blood clots in the main vein of her brain. She lost the ability to walk and speak and had to undergo surgery to remove part of her skull to relieve the pressure in her brain. Investigations confirmed that she was a victim of Vaccine-Induced Thrombocytopenia (VITT).Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic thrombosis (VITT) is an extremely rare complication of the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine that was not identified during clinical trials. VITT occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks platelet factor 4, a normal component of the blood, leading to the formation of blood clots.
Following her vaccination, Ms. Stewart spent several weeks in a medically induced coma and received blood transfusions to remove the antibodies causing the clots.
After awakening from the coma, Ms. Stewart had an extended hospital stay where she had to relearn how to walk and speak. She was finally discharged in February of last year.
The article includes images of Ms. Stewart receiving the vaccine and scans showing the blood clots in her brain.
Ms. Stewart’s husband, Mr. Lewis, had to stop working in order to care for her. He clarified that they are not against vaccines but feel they were misled by the government regarding the safety of the AstraZeneca jab.
In conclusion, the article highlights the rare complication of VITT caused by the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine and shares the personal experience of Ms. Stewart and her husband.A couple who claim to have been severely disabled as a result of the AstraZeneca vaccine are taking legal action against the company. They have received a £120,000 payment from the government, but believe it falls short of their lost earnings. The couple is currently living in Brisbane to be closer to their support network. They have also set up a fundraiser to help with their ongoing care and recovery. A spokesperson for AstraZeneca stated that patient safety is their highest priority and that their Covid vaccine, Vaxzevria, has been shown to have an acceptable safety profile. They expressed sympathy for those who have experienced health problems or lost loved ones.Ms Stewart, a successful UK theatre actress, recently shared her devastating experience of losing her ability to speak. She expressed how words are her life and how this loss has affected her deeply. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) has granted full marketing approval for Vaxzevria in the UK based on the vaccine’s safety and efficacy. Ms Stewart’s story comes shortly after two test cases were launched by other AstraZeneca victims, potentially opening the door for more claims. One of the claimants, Jamie Scott, an IT engineer, suffered a brain haemorrhage after his first AstraZeneca jab, resulting in permanent brain damage. His lawyers will argue that the vaccine was defective and that the data on its effectiveness was overstated. Another case involves the family of Alpa Tailor, who died from blood clots on her brain after receiving the jab. If successful, vaccine damage payouts could amount to £1 million each, potentially reaching a total of £90 million for the 90 British families in similar situations. The British taxpayer is expected to cover these costs under an indemnity agreement signed during the Covid pandemic. According to MHRA data, 81 Brits have died from blood clot complications linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine, with an unknown number of injuries and disabilities. Despite this, the AstraZeneca vaccine, developed in partnership with Oxford University, has been credited with saving 6 million lives globally by providing protection against severe illness from Covid.
