Australians have more chance of winning the lotto than suffering a blood clot due to the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, says TGA chief
Australians have more chance of winning the lotto than suffering a blood clot after taking the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, the boss of the medicines regulator has said.
Professor John Skerritt, head of the Therapeutic Goods Administration, said only two people in Australia have suffered the rare clotting event after about 700,000 received the AstraZeneca vaccine.
That’s a rate of one in 350,000. Oz Lotto says one in 55 players win a lotto prize, although only one in 45 million win the jackpot.
Talking about the chance of getting a blood clot caused by the vaccine, Prof Skerritt said: ‘It is an extremely remote and unlikely event. It is a very rare finding. As I said before, your chances of winning Lotto are much higher.’
Australians have more chance of winning the lotto than suffering a blood clot after taking the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine
It came after a woman in her 40s in Western Australia was hospitalised with blood clots after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The woman is receiving treatment for ‘thrombosis with thrombocytopenia’ and is in a stable condition with a good chance of recovery, said Professor Skerritt.
The Federal Government have recommended anyone under the age of 50 seek alternative vaccines to that of the AstraZeneca jab due to concerns surrounding blood clots.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed last week they had ordered an additional 20million Pfizer vaccine doses, but they won’t be in the country until the end of the year.
A woman in her 40s has been hospitalised with blood clots reportedly after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine
The Federal Government have recommended anyone under the age of 50 seek alternative vaccines to that of the AstraZeneca jab due to concerns surrounding blood clots
The government had been planning on opening borders before the end of October but the recent scuppering of the AstraZeneca vaccine roll-out means that will now be impossible.
It is now recommended that under 50s no longer seek the University of Oxford jab, instead should receive the American Pfizer vaccine.
Australia is not expected to be fully vaccinated until next year, with the Pfizer doses not available until the final quarter of 2021.