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Sunday, February 9, 2025

Risk of COVID outweighs blood clot risk says health chief

The risk of COVID-19 far outweighs that of a blood clot from the AstraZeneca vaccine, especially for those who already had the first dose of the vaccine, Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has told a news conference.

“If you are over 60, do not delay,” Professor Kelly said.

“The benefit far outweighs the risk of AstraZeneca and you need to get on and get that vaccine,” he said.

“You need to have that second vaccine to get the full protection from the AstraZeneca. It is an effective vaccine.

“The risk of this very rare side effect is extremely rare 1.5 per million in a second dose. This a is far outweighed by the risk posed by COVID at any stage“.

Australians aged under 60 will no longer receive first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine due to the rare risk of a serious blood clotting disorder among people aged 50 to 59.

The move comes after the Federal Government accepted the advice of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), which recommends those aged under 60 now receive the Pfizer vaccine. It had previously recommended Pfizer to those aged under 50.

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