A 41-year-old Scottish woman has suffered a serious adverse reaction to the AstraZeneca viral vector Covid vaccine which left her in agony due to a severe painful rash that broke out all over her body.

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Leigh King, of Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, got her first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on March 12 but is still suffering from intense pain from the rash, which covers her face, chest and arms.

“My skin was so sore and constantly hot. I have never felt pain like this – it has been a horrible experience,” said the hairdresser, the mother of a 13-year-old autistic boy named Aidan.

“I am a very healthy person and am not on any medication or anything like that. I am not even in a vulnerable category,” King told the news outlet. “I only got the vaccine as I am an unpaid carer for my son, who has autism and mobility issues.”

She added: “I haven’t even been able to care for him since I got the vaccine as I am in such pain.”

King said she began to feel the alarming reaction almost immediately after receiving the shot at the Ravenscraig super center.

“It was a horrible feeling. Never in my life was I prepared for what I was about to experience,” she said. “To say it’s been the worst time of my life is an absolute understatement.”

She said a letter she received the day of her inoculation instructed her to seek medical help if side effects persisted after 48 hours.

“I went to Wishaw A&E but was turned away,”

“I went back twice more and the last time I was in such pain I could barely walk out the hospital,” King added.

She said the condition has seriously affected her ability to care for her child.

“Aidan has also found this whole thing difficult. He is scared to come near me because of how my skin looks and he struggles to understand what is going on,” .

“At home is his happy place and I am his best pal, I got this vaccine to care for Aidan but I haven’t even been able to do that,” she continued. “This has just been such a tough situation, and has been so physically and mentally draining for the whole family.”

King emphasised that she is not against vaccines but believes there has been a lack of follow-up care in her case and that there are many unanswered questions about potential side effects.

“I feel so let down on every level. I’m now waiting to see a skin specialist as it’s been such an extreme reaction and also need an eye test as my eyes are so dry,” she said.

“I wish there was more support for people if this happens to them,” King added.

A National Health Service spokesperson said that the agency is “unable to discuss individual patient care and would ask the patient to contact us directly to discuss their concerns.”

The NHS said in a general statement: “The vaccines approved for use in the UK have met strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness set out by the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

“Any coronavirus vaccine that is approved must go through all the clinical trials and safety checks all other licensed medicines go through. The MHRA follows international standards of safety,” it continued.

You may be interested in reading our latest analysis of adverse reactions to the Covid vaccines which have been reported to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme, rather than just taking their word for it. You can find it here.