An 85-year-old Midlands grandmother died days after receiving a Covid-19 booster vaccination and flu jab, an inquest has heard. Mohinder Kaur Mahal, a widow, suffered a stroke and passed away at Royal Derby Hospital 12 days after the vaccinations.
Family raises concerns about vaccine link
Mrs Mahal's son, Baldev Mahal, who was her primary carer, told Leicester Coroner's Court on Monday, June 22, that he believes the vaccine may have triggered his mother's decline. "When I look back now, I'm convinced, in my own opinion, there's some kind of a trigger. Something's jolted my mum's system to send her down that road," he said. He stressed he was not trying to discourage vaccination but was speaking about his mother's specific circumstances.
Lack of informed consent alleged
Mr Mahal said he and his mother were not informed during the appointment that she was receiving a booster jab. No leaflet was provided about either vaccine, and they were only advised to take paracetamol if she experienced pain. "When you think of it from a clinical point of view, informed consent was not gained," he stated. Senior coroner Professor Catherine Mason asked if his mother had said she did not want the vaccine, to which Mr Mahal replied: "Those words weren't spoken."
Symptoms after vaccination
Mrs Mahal experienced blurred vision, pain, and confusion after the jab. On the same day, she had a severe headache and decided to sleep it off. Her son initially thought her weakness in the legs and blurred vision might be a migraine. On October 26, he found her partly dressed on the bed with a locked jaw, unable to speak, and appearing agitated. Paramedics were called, and she was taken to hospital, where she died on October 31, 2022.
GP's comment after death
After his mother's death, Mr Mahal spoke to a doctor at the GP surgery on November 23. He said: "I told him my mum had died. He checked mum's records and he said she should not have had that one [vaccination]." Mr Mahal subsequently referred the death to the coroner. He emphasised: "It's not about the vaccine. It's about how it's been administered to somebody like my mum with all these health conditions."
Medical expert opinion
Dr James Scott, a stroke consultant at Royal Derby Hospital, told the coroner he does not believe the vaccination played a role in Mrs Mahal's stroke. He noted that she had diabetes, a previous stroke in January 2021, heart failure, and brain injury from the prior stroke. "So she did not have a fair fight on her hands," he said.
Family tribute
In a pen portrait, Mrs Mahal's daughter Jaspal described her mother as frightened of the pandemic and isolated from friends and family. She recalled how her mother would bang pans for NHS workers, breaking them from hitting so hard. Another son, Jasvinder, said in a written statement that "family was everything" to her.
The inquest was moved from Derby to Leicester after Baldev Mahal alleged the previous coroner was biased, a claim she denied. The hearing continues.
