An 85-year-old mother, Mohinder Kaur Mahal, tragically passed away at the Royal Derby Hospital just five days after being admitted following a stroke. Her family has since raised concerns about a possible connection between her stroke and the Covid-19 booster jab she received a week prior. The coroner, Alison Noble, is overseeing an inquest to explore any potential link between Mrs Mahal’s stroke, her recent vaccination, and the circumstances surrounding her death. The two-day inquest at Derby Coroner’s Court has heard that Mrs Mahal had a history of strokes, with a previous one in January 2021. After receiving her first Covid vaccination in March 2021, she experienced stroke-like symptoms and was treated at the hospital.
Despite initial concerns, medical professionals, including Dr. James Scott, a consultant stroke physician at Royal Derby Hospital, noted that Mrs Mahal did not suffer another stroke following her Covid vaccination. Over the next 18 months, she had several hospital admissions for issues related to her previous strokes. Her son, Baldev Mahal, shared that his mother was uncertain about receiving another vaccination but decided to do so after being hospitalised for other health issues. Mrs Mahal received a bivalent Pfizer booster against the Omicron variant at her home. However, her health deteriorated rapidly after the jab, with symptoms including mobility issues, confusion, and difficulty taking medication.
On the day of the stroke, Mrs Mahal’s son found her unable to speak or move, prompting him to call for emergency medical assistance. Dr. Scott explained that due to the timing of the stroke, medical intervention to dissolve the clot was not effective. He highlighted that Mrs Mahal had pre-existing health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation, which are known risk factors for strokes. Dr. Scott emphasised that strokes typically occur suddenly and not over days, suggesting that Mrs Mahal’s condition post-vaccination was likely due to other factors unrelated to the stroke itself.
The family’s concerns about a potential link between the vaccination and Mrs Mahal’s stroke and subsequent passing were acknowledged by Consultant Pathologist, Cordelia Kirchoff-Stewens. She mentioned the temporal relationship between the vaccination and stroke symptoms, raising the possibility of a causal link. As the inquest continues, Ms Noble will review all the evidence before announcing her findings. The family seeks clarity on whether there was a direct connection between the Covid vaccination and Mrs Mahal’s stroke, underscoring the need for thorough investigation and transparency in such cases.