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A CORONER has found there was no link between the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine and the death of a Clanabogan man.
An inquest into the death of Chris Keyes (45), who died in October 2021, was held yesterday.
Mr Keyes, who was involved with Omagh St Enda’s GAA club and the local music scene, was described as a fit and healthy man.
In the days leading up to his death, however, he reported blood in his urine.
After contacting an out-of-hours GP, he was referred to the emergency department at the South West Acute Hospital.
On arrival at around 6am, medics noted that he appeared jaundiced and that his condition was deteriorating rapidly.
Doctors treated Mr Keyes for hypoglycaemia after noting low blood sugar levels, but his condition continued to worsen.
At 9.20am his heart stopped and, despite advanced resuscitation efforts, he was pronounced dead shortly after 10am.
A post-mortem examination initially recorded the cause of death as multiple organ failure.
Further investigations identified two contributing conditions – thrombotic microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia (TMHA), which causes fragmentation of red blood cells leading to organ damage, and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a rare disorder involving microscopic blood clots.
Giving evidence, Dr Benson, a blood specialist with the Belfast Trust, said the combined effect of TMHA and TTP led to multiple organ failure. He explained that a small clot near the pancreas likely disrupted insulin regulation, contributing to fatal hypoglycaemia.
Dr Benson told the court that TTP is a rare condition that affects around four people per million annually.
While four cases had previously been identified among Omagh patients, Mr Keyes had no genetic link to those cases.
Representing the family, solicitor Conor Sally asked whether the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine could have played a role, noting that both genetic causes and drug-induced TTP from hospital treatment had been ruled out.
Dr Benson said that in cases where TTP was linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine, symptoms typically appeared within two to three weeks of the first dose.
Mr Keyes had received both vaccinations by June 2021 and died several months later. Dr Benson also said there were ‘no features’ in his symptoms consistent with vaccine-related cases.
When asked by Coroner Louisa Fee whether earlier intervention could have changed the outcome, Dr Benson said that by the time platelet levels indicated TTP, Mr Keyes’ heart had already stopped.
After deliberating for 30 minutes, Coroner Fee concluded there was no link between the Covid-19 vaccine and Mr Keyes’ death, which she ruled was caused by multiple organ failure, TMHA and TTP. She offered her condolences to the family and thanked Dr Benson for his evidence.
