Victoria will start giving the AstraZeneca vaccine to Australians under 50 after fears of blood clots saw the rollout scheme paused
- Victoria to resume administering the AstraZeneca vaccine to people under 50
- State paused providing the jab following warning of blood clot risk on April 8
- The vaccine was still made available to people who were aged 70 and over
- Three Australians have already developed blood clots after getting the vaccine
Victoria will resume administering the AstraZeneca vaccine to people aged under 50.
Health Minister Martin Foley announced on Sunday the jab will once again be available to people from Wednesday.
The state had stopped using the vaccine following advice from the Technical Advisory Group to the federal government on April 8.
The ATAGI had warned against the use of the vaccine because of its rare and potentially fatal blood-clotting side effect.
Health Minister Martin Foley announced on Sunday the jab will once again be available to people from Wednesday
The state had stopped using the vaccine following advice from the Technical Advisory Group to the federal government on April 8
Health services across Victoria were advised to continue administering the vaccine to people over the age of 70.
Three people across the country have already developed blood clots after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.
A Western Australian woman, aged in her 40s, was admitted to hospital after receiving the vaccine in mid-March.
Then a 44-year-old Melbourne man was taken to hospital after getting the jab on March 22.
He was treated for serious thrombosis and a low platelet count at Box Hill Hospital.
The third case was 48-year-old New South Wales woman Genene Norris, who received the vaccine on April 8.
She developed thrombosis with thrombocytopenia before passing away in hospital.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration’s Vaccine Safety Investigation Group have issued a warning alongside the vaccine.
‘Common side effects include fever, sore muscles, tiredness and headache. These usually start within 24 hours of vaccination and last for one to two days. These side effects are expected and are not of concern unless severe or persistent.
‘The reports of these rare clotting complications have occurred later (between day 4 and 20 after vaccination) and have generally been severe, requiring hospitalisation.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration’s Vaccine Safety Investigation Group have issued a warning alongside the vaccine