'British model' dies in Cyprus in 'blood clotting incident' days after receiving AstraZeneca jab

A 39-year-old British woman who died in a Cypriot hospital after a blood clotting incident after receiving the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine has been identified as model Stephanie Dubois.  

Health authorities have not yet confirmed the identification, but Dubois was widely named as the deceased by close friends, colleagues, and local media.

Dubois suffered a brain haemorrhage and was in a coma before her death on Saturday.   

Cypriot health authorities are investigating whether Dubois’s death was linked to the AstraZeneca jab. 

The British born model posted publicly about feeling ill after having the vaccine on May 6, saying she felt ‘horrendous’ after the first dose. She fell ill days later. 

A 39-year-old British woman who died in a Cypriot hospital as after a blood clotting incident after receiving the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine has been identified as model Stephanie Dubois

A 39-year-old British woman who died in a Cypriot hospital as after a blood clotting incident after receiving the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine has been identified as model Stephanie Dubois

Health authorities have not yet confirmed the identification, but Dubois was widely named as the deceased by close friends and colleagues

The British born model posted publicly about feeling ill after having the vaccine, saying she felt 'horrendous' after the first dose

The British born model posted publicly about feeling ill after having the vaccine, saying she felt ‘horrendous’ after the first dose

On May 14, Dubois made a second public post about her condition, revealing she had woken up with full body shakes, seized joints, dizziness, a headache, and that she was struggling to breathe

On May 14, Dubois made a second public post about her condition, revealing she had woken up with full body shakes, seized joints, dizziness, a headache, and that she was struggling to breathe

On May 14, Dubois made a second public post about her condition, revealing she had woken up with full body shakes, seized joints, dizziness, a headache, and that she was struggling to breathe. 

She said she though she had contracted Covid-19 but had a test, which came back negative. 

Tributes rushed in for the British born model, who had been living in Cyprus for the last five months. 

Stafford hairdresser Francesco Group Church Lane expressed their condolences, writing on Facebook: ‘Very sad to hear that Stephanie Dubois has died. Stephanie modelled for us some years ago and was part of our winning collection. Our sincere condolences to her family.’

A GoFundMe page set up by Kamran Abassalty for Dubois’s funeral and memorial arrangements has so far raised £1,810. 

Photographer Marc Bergmann wrote on it: ‘Stephanie was much more than just a model for me, she was an open minded friend, a serious as well as funny person, and in her job so wonderful professional. 

‘I will miss her, but I hope I can keep her alive with my pictures of her, talking about her, and keeping her in my heart forever.’

Tributes rushed in for the British-born model

Dubois had been living in Cyprus for the last five months

Tributes rushed in for the British born model, who had been living in Cyprus for the last five months

A GoFundMe page set up by Kamran Abassalty, a friend of Dubois's brother Ali Davenport, for her funeral and memorial arrangements has so far raised £1,810

A GoFundMe page set up by Kamran Abassalty, a friend of Dubois’s brother Ali Davenport, for her funeral and memorial arrangements has so far raised £1,810

Charalambos Charilaou, the spokesperson for the state health services, said the European Medicines Agency (EMA) would investigate Dubois’s death and whether it was linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Cypriot authorities are investigating another four other cases of ‘mild’ blood clotting incidents – three of which occurred after an AstraZeneca shot and one after a Pfizer jab – are also being investigated by Cyprus.

Some countries have restricted or dropped AstraZeneca shots from national vaccine campaigns over very rare blood clots, though the EMA says the benefits outweigh the risks.

AstraZeneca is the backbone of the vaccination rollout in Cyprus, where family doctors also allowed to administer the jab to anybody aged over 20.

But many people booking online to get the vaccine have snubbed AstraZeneca and opted for other shots.

A 39-year-old British woman died in a Cypriot hospital after a blood clotting incident after receiving the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, the official Cyprus News Agency said on Monday

A 39-year-old British woman died in a Cypriot hospital after a blood clotting incident after receiving the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, the official Cyprus News Agency said on Monday

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF THE RARE BLOOD CLOTS LINKED TO THE JAB?  

Health officials say anyone who has one or more of the below symptoms for longer than four days after vaccination should seek urgent medical advice.

  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
  • Swollen leg
  • Persistent stomach pain
  • Severe headache
  • Blurred vision
  • Skin bruising beyond the site of injection  

The Oxford-developed jab has been marred in controversy since the European Union’s drug watchdog found a possible link between the vaccine and very rare blood clot cases in mid-April.

However it said the risk of dying from Covid-19 was ‘much greater’ than the risk of mortality from rare side effects, which affect around one in 100,000 people given the British-made jab. 

Regulators have so far spotted major blood clots in 242 people, of whom 49 died, with more than 28million doses now administered.

The clots have so far occurred in 141 women and 100 men aged from 18 to 93, and the overall case death rate is 20 per cent.

They appear to be more common in younger adults and slightly more common in women.  

On May 6 – the day the woman received the AstraZeneca jab – the British government announced under-40s would be offered an alternative jab.

Despite wavering confidence in the AstraZeneca vaccine, evidence is mounting that it is effective. 

On Thursday, a British study suggested that two doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine may be around 85 per cent to 90 per cent effective against symptomatic COVID-19. 

Since the pandemic started in March 2020, Cyprus has reported 71,911 infections and 354 deaths (pictured, Covid testing in Nicosia, Cyprus)

Since the pandemic started in March 2020, Cyprus has reported 71,911 infections and 354 deaths (pictured, Covid testing in Nicosia, Cyprus)

Earlier this month, MHRA chief Dr June Raine said the benefits of the vaccine clearly outweighed the risks for elderly adults but the ratio was ‘more finely balanced’ for younger people. 

She said: ‘Our position remains that the benefits of the Covid-19 vaccine AstraZeneca against Covid-19, with its associated risk of hospitalisation and death, continues to outweigh the risks for the vast majority of people.

‘The balance of benefits and risks is very favourable for older people but is more finely balanced for younger people and we advise that this evolving evidence should be taken into account when considering the use of the vaccine, as JVCI has done.’

According to Our World in Data figures, Cyprus is ranked third in the European Union for vaccinations per population, administering 57.54 doses per 100 people.

Nearly 49 per cent of Cyprus’ adult population has received a Covid-19 vaccine shot, and 21 percent are fully vaccinated.

Total infections since the pandemic in March 2020 started is 71,911 and 354 deaths.

source: dailymail.co.uk