CANBERRA – Australia’s medical regulator has linked five new cases of blood clots to the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, reported the Xinhua news agency.
John Skerritt, head of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), today announced that five recipients of the jab have developed clotting and low platelets.
The patients are two men in their 70s, one in his 60s, and two women in their 50s and 60s.
“You’ll notice that all of those people… are over 50, but if you step back and think about who is now getting the AstraZeneca vaccine, it is only with a few rare exceptions (and) only people over 50.
“So, it is obvious that future cases will be in the over-50s.”
The latest cases of blood clots take the total recorded in Australia to 11 since the country began its vaccine roll-out.
Skerritt said for every 1,000 Covid-19 vaccines administered in Australia, TGA receives six or seven reports of adverse reactions.
“These are people who have felt unwell, or have presented to a doctor or hospital after being vaccinated.”
There were 2.47 million vaccine doses administered in the nation as of this afternoon.
The government endorsed a new roll-out plan last month to fast-track vaccinations for people over 50 “by better utilising the available stock of AstraZeneca doses” and offering the Pfizer jab to under-50s. – Bernama, May 6, 2021