Photographer: SeongJoon Cho / Bloomberg
Photographer: SeongJoon Cho / Bloomberg
The death of a 48-year-old woman in New South Wales is likely linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine, although the case was “complicated” by underlying conditions, Australian health officials said on Saturday.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has expressed condolences to the family of the woman, whose death is the third in Australia due to blood clots associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. She received the vaccination before the government’s announcement on April 8 that the dose of Pfizer was preferred for people under 50 years of age.
“Vaccines are overwhelmingly safe, recommended and effective,” Hunt told a news conference on Saturday, adding that they are constantly being reviewed by the vaccination task force.
The balance between the risks is still a preference for vaccinations, as the deceased “was a very typical case and this issue is being investigated further”, said Professor John Skerritt of the Administration Therapeutic Goods at the conference. The incidence of complications associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine in Australia is about one in 300,000, similar to those seen in the UK, he said.
The government continues to receive criticism over delays in the introduction of the vaccine, which relies heavily on the AstraZeneca shot. Prime Minister Scott Morrison this week refused to set a new target date for all Australians to get their first push, as a year-end deadline seems out of reach. According to the latest census, more than 1.4 million people have been vaccinated, including more than 885,000 with AstraZeneca, according to the health minister.
Hunt said there would be a “pressure in the last quarter of the year” to vaccinate as many people as possible with the available Pfizer doses “for those who are unable to take the AstraZeneca due to age. ”
AstraZeneca vaccine risks prolong pandemic
Asked about the return of Australians stranded overseas, Hunt said: “Our aim is very clear to bring as many Australians home and as early as possible.” The reopening of quarantine in the state of Victoria should help the process, he said.
The United Nations Human Rights Committee has called on the government to “facilitate and ensure” the immediate return of two U.S.-stranded nationals, according to a report in The Guardian Australia.
Meanwhile, authorities are investigating a possible transmission of the virus among seven travelers who recently returned in two separate family groups quarantined at the Adina Hotel in Sydney’s central business district, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
(Updates detailing deaths in the second paragraph.)