PHOTO FILE; A sign for a COVID-19 vaccination clinic is seen as high-risk workers receive their first vaccines at the launch of the program in Victoria, Melbourne, Australia, February 22, 2021. REUTERS / Sandra Sanders /
Australia will continue to review coronavirus vaccines after the death of a 48-year-old woman was probably linked to inoculation, Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Saturday.
On Friday, Australia reported its first blood clot death to a beneficiary of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 shooting (AZN.L). It was the third case of rare blood clots in people receiving the vaccine in the country. Read more
“The government will ask ATAGI (Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization) to ensure the ongoing review of all vaccines in terms of their safety and efficacy,” Hunt told a televised briefing.
He said there would be no immediate change to limit the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine and reiterated that the Pfizer vaccine (PFE.N) remains the preferred option for people under the age of 50.
To date, there have been at least 885,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines given in Australia, equivalent to a frequency of blood clots in every 295,000 cases, the Therapeutic Administration of Goods said earlier this week.
Hunt also said that a decision will be made next week on prioritizing athletes and support staff in the launch of the COVID-19 vaccine with the rapid approach of the Tokyo Olympics. Read more
“We want to see our Olympians reach the Olympics and we want to see that they are safe,” he said.
Australia has been one of the most successful countries in the world in fighting the pandemic, with rapid blockades, border closures and rapid tracking limiting coronavirus infections to just under 29,500 infections, with 910 COVID-19 deaths.
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