The husband of an Oxford University executive who died after taking the AstraZeneca jab is calling on the institution to admit its culpability in her death.
Nicola Weideling, 45, a senior manager at Oxford University, died in hospital on May 15, 2021, while being treated for blood clots caused by the Covid vaccine – developed by her university alongside AstraZeneca.
Just days earlier, Mrs Wiedeling attempted to put on a brave face as she posted ‘fun fact’ about her illness and told people not to worry about her, The Telegraph reports.
She wrote on Instagram: ‘I am now a vaccine statistic! My neck pain and back pain over the last week or so was in fact masking… a blood clot (or two, they are still doing scans) resulting from my AZ vaccine a few weeks ago…
‘But the good news is that I have a correct diagnosis and am in the right place to get better. God bless the NHS!! And everyone. I would still recommend the AZ vaccine. I am an anomaly! An absolute outlier statistically.’
Tragically, Mrs Wiedeling was later struck down with a catastrophic bleed to the brain and her life support was switched off.
The adverse reaction suffered by Mrs Wiedeling is understood to be extremely rare, with VITT affecting around one in 50,000 people under the age of 50 who received the AstraZeneca jab.
Her widower Kurt Wiedeling, 54, has now called on Oxford University to accept responsibility for its part in his wife’s death.
Since rolling out the AstraZeneca jab, the university has received £143million in royalties for its role developing the vaccine.
Mr Wiedeling believes some of these proceeds should be shared with the bereft families suing AstraZeneca over deaths and serious health episodes caused by the jab.
After Mrs Wiedeling’s death, the university paid out a £1,000 bonus to 13,000 staff but a source denied this money was linked to AstraZeneca royalties.
Ironically, Mrs Wiedeling, who was a senior marketing executive for the university’s publishing department, would have been entitled the bonus.
But she was never able to claim the sum as the vaccine killed her.
An inquest concluded that Mrs Wiedeling died of Vaccine-induced Immune Thrombocytopenia and Thrombosis, or VITT, a ‘rare bur recognised’ complication of the vaccine.
Mr Wiedeling described his wife, who he was with for 25 years, as ‘very, very generous’ and added she was ‘committed to doing the right thing and helping others’.
He said she received her first vaccine jab on April 21, 2021, when AstraZeneca already knew about the risk of blood clots.
Regulators were also aware of the potential complications and pushed against its use for the under 30s, who were offered Pfizer or Moderna vaccines instead. In May, under-40s were also added to this category.
Mrs Wiedeling is reported to have begun feeling unwell about a week after her first jab, feeling a pain in her neck.
A GP suggested this was a muscle spasm but by May 8, her husband became seriously concerned by her severe headache and unexplained bruises on her arms.
Mr Wiedeling, who at the time worked for the Health Research Authority, which oversees medical trials, was aware of the possible side effects of AstraZeneca vaccine and called an ambulance.
His wife was transported to Winchester Hospital where doctors diagnosed to her with VITT.
She was then transferred to a specialist neurological unit at Southampton General Hospital.
While there on May 9, she made her Instagram posts and told followers how she expected to be in hospital for at least a week while being given blood thinners and steroids.
The next day, she remained upbeat and posted again on Instagram, describing her ‘highlights of the day – which included having one of her cannulas removed.
She also posted her ‘lowlights’, namely a coughing fit after her drink went down the wrong way, which she said led to ‘an absolutely blinding headache all day’.
Doctors also found a second clot in her lung and a suspected clot in her stomach, but Mrs Wiedeling attempted to reassure friends it ‘could be worse I suppose!’
The following day, on May 11, Mrs Wiedeling suffered a stroke from which she was unable to recover. Her husband signed consent forms for her heart and kidneys to be donated to three other patients and her ventilation was switched off on May 15.
Mr Wiedeling, who has since moved to Manchester, added: ‘I said my goodbyes on Saturday afternoon. I was still in shock.
‘The last thing I did for Nicola was ensure her wishes as an organ donor were fulfilled. For me that was finding a genuine ray of light in it all. There is comfort in that.’
Sources at Oxford university told the Telegraph: ‘Any royalties made from the vaccine are reinvested back into medical research.’
Oxford University has been approached for comment.
AstraZeneca is staunchly defending cases in the High Court brought by two VITT victims. The drug firm 7does not accept liability and rejects the claimants’ assertion the vaccine is ‘defective’.
The AstraZeneca jab is thought to have saved over six million lives worlwide in over 180 countries in the first year of its rollout.
40 further cases against AstraZeneca are expected to be brought to the High Court next month, including a claim by Mr Wiedeling, who has received a £120,000 payment from the Government under its Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme
Speaking of his wife, he added. ‘I miss her every day. I will never get over this.’
A fundraising campaign has been set up help families bringing legal action against AstraZeneca.
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
