An expert medical panel has confirmed a second case of a rare clotting disorder has occurred in a patient in Australia after receiving the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
The new case was in a woman in her 40s from Western Australia. She remains in hospital in a stable condition.
A second case of the rare but serious clotting disorder has been confirmed in Australia, and linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.Credit:AP
The vaccine safety investigation group, which advises the Therapeutic Goods Administration, met on Monday evening and concluded the case of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia was likely to be linked to vaccination.
“There have been about 700,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine administered in Australia to date, so while numbers are small, two cases of the thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome equates to a frequency of 1 in 350,000,” the TGA said in a statement.
The vaccine safety panel found the case was similar to those in the UK and Europe. The thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome includes blood clots, a low blood platelet count, and blood test results similar to other cases of the syndrome.
“The TGA is carefully reviewing all Australian reports of blood clots following the AstraZeneca vaccine, and are requesting further information from reporters where needed, to identify any further possible cases of [thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome] to better characterise this potential risk,” the TGA said.
The first case of the rare side effect was confirmed on Good Friday, in a 44-year-old Victorian man.
Last week the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation updated its advice on COVID-19 vaccine in response to its review of increasing data about the serious condition, saying the Pfizer vaccine was now preferred for people under the age of 50.
The government signed a new agreement with Pfizer in response, with Australia set to receive a further 20 million doses of that vaccine before the end of the year.
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