FILE PHOTO; A sign for a COVID-19 vaccination clinic is seen as high-risk workers receiving the first vaccines during Victoria’s rollout of the program in Melbourne, Australia, February 22, 2021. REUTERS / Sandra Sanders /
Australia will continue the review of coronavirus vaccines after the death of a 48-year-old woman likely linked to the vaccination, Health Minister Greg Hunt said Saturday.
On Friday, Australia reported its first fatal accident from blood clots in a recipient of AstraZeneca’s (AZN.L) COVID-19 injection. It was the third case of the rare blood clots that have occurred in people who have received the vaccine in the country. read more
“The government will ask ATAGI (Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization) to ensure that all vaccines are continuously evaluated for their safety and efficacy,” Hunt said during a televised briefing.
He said there will be no immediate change to further restrict the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine and reiterated that the Pfizer (PFE.N) vaccine remains the preferred option for people under 50.
There had been at least 885,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines in Australia to date, which equates to a frequency of blood clots in every 295,000 cases, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said earlier this week.
Hunt also said a decision will be made in the coming week on whether or not to prioritize athletes and support staff in the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine with the Tokyo Olympics rapidly approaching. read more
“We will want to see our Olympians come to the Olympics and we want to see them safe,” he said.
Australia is one of the world’s most successful countries in curbing the pandemic, with rapid lockdowns, border closures and rapid tracking, limiting coronavirus infections to just under 29,500 infections, with 910 COVID-19 deaths.
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