UK: Vaccination may have led to death

[Guest guest]

Good bit of lateral thinking here - if only more coroners were so open-minded!

http://icstafford.icnetwork.co.uk/news/localnews/tm_headline=vaccination-may-have-led-to-death%26method=full%26objectid=27502552%26siteid=87875-name_page.html

Vaccination may have led to death

Oct 19 2010

A 43-year-old Doxey man who developed cerebral palsy and epilepsy as a baby after receiving a whooping cough vaccination, died as a result of the two disorders, a coroner has ruled.

South Staffordshire coroner, Haigh, said he came to the conclusion of ‘death due to neurological condition since baby’ after deciding he could not record a verdict of natural causes.

He told the court this was because the inoculation could have led to Davies’ profound disabilities, which in turn led to his death.

Mr Davies was cared for by his parents at their Fernleigh Gardens home.

At Cannock coroners court, Mr Davies’ parents told Mr Haigh their son had been born fit and healthy. However, at the age of two he received a jab against whooping cough, and subsequently became so severely disabled he was left wheelchair-bound, and completely unable to look after himself.

They had been told he would not live beyond the age of 18.

The couple said they believed the jab had resulted in his brain damage. They told Mr Haigh they had attempted to pursue a claim against the health service, but that they had been turned down for legal aid. And they said medical papers relating to their son had been shredded many years ago.

Mr Davies died on August 4 this year after developing pneumonia as a result of inhaling stomach contents.

Mr Haigh was told he had generally been quite well, but in the week prior to his death, he had been suffering from sickness and diarrhoea.

He had been found on his bed at around 6am, having been sick.

Due to the severity of his condition, an ambulance was called, but he went into cardiac arrest, and was pronounced dead at Stafford Hospital.

The cause of death was aspirational pneumonia.

Pathologist, Dr Hiley, said Mr Davies’ gag reflex had been deficient due to his condition, and that this was the likely cause of him inhaling stomach contents.

Mr Haigh praised Mr Davies’ parents for the care they provided, adding: “He was not expected to live as long as he did, and it is probably down to your care that he did.”