Australians in their 50s who had been reluctant to get the AstraZeneca vaccine say they are "relieved" to be given access to Pfizer doses instead.
Key points:
- The expert group on vaccines is now recommending people under 50 get the Pfizer vaccine
- It follows concerns about rare blood clotting cases in people aged 50 to 59
- Some experts have questioned why the change in advice was not made sooner
The federal government has accepted the advice of its medical experts recommending Pfizer as the preferred vaccine for people under the age of 60.
The vaccine had previously been recommended for people under the age of 50, however the advice was updated following seven new blood clotting cases in people between the ages of 50 and 59.
Demi Kastanos, 54, described the decision as "wonderful", saying she had declined to get the AstraZeneca vaccine because of concerns about the very rare blood clotting condition.
"I think there are many, many people in the over-50 category who took a stance and that stance was not to be vaccinated with the AstraZeneca and to really try and advocate and lobby so that consumers can have choice," she said.
"And I think that was potentially a policy mistake that the federal government made in putting all of their eggs into one basket or one major basket and that's AstraZeneca."
Supplied
)Dean Withers, 52, said he would "absolutely" book a COVID-19 vaccination now he was eligible for a Pfizer dose.
"But also a little bit sad because it took the death of another person before the government changed its policy."
The national medical regulator last week revealed the death of a 52-year-old woman who developed the rare blood clotting condition, known as TTS, after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.
According to the latest safety update from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), there have been 60 confirmed or probable cases from more than 3.8 million AstraZeneca doses administered.
Of those, two people have died, while 22 patients are in hospital and 36 have been discharged.
Experts back advice, question timing
Infectious diseases physician Michelle Ananda-Rajah said she hoped the change would encourage more people in their 50s to book their vaccines but she questioned why the decision was not made sooner.
"So I think it's a little unfortunate actually that it's taken this long for the revision to occur, especially after the tragic death of a 52-year-old woman last week."
ABC News
)Julie Leask from the University of Sydney said the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) had made the right decision by changing its advice.
"It's balancing a lot of things and responding to recent data showing the risk from AstraZeneca vaccine of this rare clotting is just a little bit higher than previously thought," she said.
"It shows the system is working."
People in 50s urged to return for second AstraZeneca dose
More than 800,000 Australians aged 50 to 59 have already had a first AstraZeneca dose and are waiting for their second.
The secretary of the federal Health Department, Brendan Murphy, urged anyone in that category to get their follow-up shot as planned.
"And even in the UK, which has got the biggest experience, it's a very, very, very rare incidence of probable cases that they've seen.
"So it's a completely different picture for second doses and I'd strongly encourage everyone to get that full protection.
"You need the two doses of your vaccine to be protected."
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2021-06-17 09:20:20Z
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