A coroner has issued a warning after a 28-year-old man tragically died following a fatal Covid jab due to a GP data error. Alex Reid, who was wrongly classified as morbidly obese in his medical records, received the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine despite being under the age group recommended for this vaccine. The mistake in his records led to him being vaccinated earlier than he should have been, ultimately resulting in his death.
The coroner, Oliver Longstaff, highlighted the importance of accurate health service data, emphasizing that if the information had been correct, Mr. Reid would still be alive today. The error dated back to when Mr. Reid was just 11 years old, with his height and weight inaccurately recorded, leading to the misclassification of his BMI.
As a consequence of this error, Mr. Reid received his first dose of the vaccine in March 2021, a month before guidelines advised against administering the AstraZeneca vaccine to individuals under 30 due to the risk of blood clots. Despite this new guidance, Mr. Reid was given the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in May, and tragically passed away in June due to a blood clot on the brain.
This case sheds light on the importance of accurate medical records and the potential consequences of data errors in healthcare. It serves as a stark reminder of the need for precision and vigilance in managing patient information to prevent such tragic incidents from occurring in the future.
