The tragic death of a young woman after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine could lead to a full coronial inquest. Coroner Catherine Fitzgerald has indicated she will be closely examining expert reports as extensive medical information accumulates in the case.

Natalie Boyce, 21, passed away in March 2022 at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, five weeks after receiving a Moderna booster shot. During a court hearing on Wednesday, Moderna Australia lawyer Jesse Rudd mentioned that their expert required more medical information, specifically regarding symptoms noted by a rheumatologist who treated Boyce for lupus in 2018.

Fitzgerald agreed to the request but warned she would limit future similar requests, stating:

“These sorts of requests will be scrutinised.” She noted the overwhelming volume of material, saying, “There’s lots of paper,” and expressed reluctance to pursue additional reports, likening it to “chasing the rabbit down this hole. If this continues on the current trajectory, this could lead to an inquest.”

Lawyers for Boyce’s family opposed the request, arguing that the rheumatologist saw her four years before her death.

Rudd countered that the significance of lupus was addressed in all reports. Mulgrave Private Hospital's lawyers successfully requested to be excused as an interested party, while Shannon Finnegan, representing Boyce’s family, objected, citing slow triage processes.

Fitzgerald excused the hospital but noted its actions would be reviewed. Boyce’s GP had been excused previously.

The court heard that Boyce, a Deakin University student, spent her last three weeks unconscious, with her death certificate listing myocardial infarction with subacute myocarditis as the cause.

Boyce's mother, Deborah Hamilton, previously told a parliamentary inquiry she believed her daughter would still be alive if she hadn't received the booster.

Hamilton also criticised vaccine mandates and the Victorian health system, blaming both for her daughter's death. The case will return to court in October.