Read this news piece to keep up-to-date with advice and information on the AstraZeneca Vaccine.
ATAGI – 2 August 2021
Click here to read a statement from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) regarding COVID-19 vaccines in the setting of transmission of the Delta variant of concern.
ATAGI – 13 July 2021
On 13 July Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) released updated advice about the optimal time between the two doses of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca in an outbreak setting, as well as the re-assessment of benefits versus risks of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca for adults under 60 years old. Click here to read the updated advice.
ATAGI – 30 June 2021
The Australian Technical Advisory Group (ATAGI) met on 19 May 2021 to review the latest developments relating to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and Thrombosis and Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) cases in Australia and overseas. An update was issued following this meeting, noting there is no update to the ATAGI statement from 17 June 2021 in relation to the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
ATAGI – 17 June 2021
On 17 June, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommended that Pfizer is now the preferred COVID-19 vaccine in adults aged under 60 years. Click here to read more.
‘The Conversation’ – 10 June 2021
Click here or on the image to the left for an informative article on blood clots and AstraZeneca
ATAGI – 23 May 2021
On 23 May 2021, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) and the Thrombosis and Haemostasis Society of Australia and New Zealand (THANZ) released a joint statement on thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) and the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The joint ATAGI/THANZ statement provides further guidance for the AstraZeneca vaccine and reaffirms ATAGI’s previous advice regarding the safe use of AstraZeneca vaccine. It also provides greater clarity on the nature of TTS and narrows the conditions determined to be contraindications for using AstraZeneca.
ATAGI – 19 May 2021
The Australian Technical Advisory Group (ATAGI) met on 19 May 2021 to review the latest developments relating to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and Thrombosis and Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) cases in Australia and overseas. An update was issued following this meeting, noting there is no update to the ATAGI statement from 23 April 2021 in relation to the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
ATAGI – 12 May 2021
The Australian Technical Advisory Group (ATAGI) met on 12 May 2021 to review the latest developments relating to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and Thrombosis and Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) cases in Australia and overseas. An update was issued following this meeting, noting there is no update to the ATAGI statement from 23 April 2021 in relation to the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
ATAGI – 6 May 2021
The Australian Technical Advisory Group (ATAGI) met on 4 May 2021 to review the latest developments relating to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and Thrombosis and Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) cases in Australia and overseas. An update was issued following this meeting, noting there is no update to the ATAGI statement from 23 April 2021 in relation to the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
ATAGI – 30 April 2021
The Australian Technical Advisory Group (ATAGI) met on 28 April 2021 to review the latest developments relating to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and Thrombosis and Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) cases in Australia and overseas. An update was issued following this meeting, noting there is no update to the ATAGI statement from 23 April 2021 in relation to the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT – 23 April 2021
Professor Paul Kelly, Australian Government Chief Medical Officer issued a Statement on 23 April in response to the latest ATAGI advice. He notes that the advice received from ATAGI reaffirms advice provided on 8 April 2021 that the Pfizer vaccine be preferred for adults under the age of 50. The Government’s vaccine rollout plan has been recalibrated based on this advice.
ATAGI – 23 April 2021
In a statement published on 23 April the Australian Technical Advisory Group (ATAGI) reinforced its previous advice on use of COVID-19 vaccines following review of vaccine safety data and benefits. This advice is that Comirnaty (Pfizer) is preferred over AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in people under the age of 50 years; The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine can still be given to adults under 50 years if Comirnaty is not available, if the benefit of vaccination is likely to outweigh risk, and where informed consent has been obtained; In people aged 50 years and over, the benefits of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the risks associated with vaccination. ATAGI continues to recommend that people who have received a first dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine without serious adverse events can be given a second dose.
ATAGI – 9 April 2021
Why it was decided to put the Pfizer vaccine ahead of AstraZeneca for under-50s … click here to view an extract of the twitter feed of Professor Allen Cheng, a member of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, explaining the AstraZeneca decision.
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT – 9 April 2021
The Victorian Government released a Media Statement on Australian Technical Advisory Group (ATAGI) recommendations relating to the AstraZeneca Vaccine on 9 April 2021. The Statement notes that in accordance with ATAGI recommendations to the Commonwealth Government (as summarised in the 8 April Statement extracts below), the Victorian Department of Health has written to health services administering COVID-19 vaccines to communicate these recommendations and ensure they are observed. Click here to read the full Statement.
TGA – 9 April 2021
The Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA) released an updated AstraZeneca vaccine safety advisory on rare and unusual blood clotting syndrome (thrombosis with thrombocytopaenia) on 9 April. The advisory notes that the TGA is carefully reviewing all Australian reports of blood clots following the AstraZeneca vaccine. The TGA has also been in regular contact with overseas regulators on the subject. The TGA and Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) continue to urgently review information and other data as part of enhanced safety monitoring of COVID-19 vaccines. Click here to read the full statement.
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT – 8 April 2021
A joint Statement from Professor Brendan Murphy, Department of Health Secretary and Professor Paul Kelly, Australian Government Chief Medical Officer on COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine advice from ATAGI was released on 8 April 2021. The Statement notes that ATAGI has very carefully considered the latest vaccination findings out of Europe and the UK – which follow extremely rare instances of people, having taken the AstraZeneca vaccine, developing a very specific syndrome involving blood clots with low platelet counts. ATAGI has recommended the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine is preferred over the AstraZeneca vaccine for adults aged under 50 years. ATAGI has further recommended the AstraZeneca vaccine can be used in adults aged under 50 where the benefits clearly outweigh the risk for that individual and the person has made an informed decision based on an understanding of the risks and benefits. It has also recommended people who have had the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine without any serious adverse effects can be given the second dose, including adults under 50 years. Click here to read the full Statement.
ATAGI – 8 April 2021
A Statement from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) on the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in response to new vaccine safety concerns was released on 8 April 2021. In the statement ATAGI notes further evidence of a rare but serious side effect involving thrombosis (clotting) with thrombocytopenia (low blood platelet count) following receipt of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca. ATAGI recommends that the COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer (Comirnaty) is preferred over COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca in adults aged under 50 years. This recommendation is based on the increasing risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 in older adults (and hence a higher benefit from vaccination) and a potentially increased risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia following AstraZeneca vaccine in those under 50 years. COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca can be used in adults aged under 50 years where the benefits are likely to outweigh the risks for that individual and the person has made an informed decision based on an understanding of the risks and benefits. People who have had the first dose of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca without any serious adverse effects can be given the second dose, including adults under 50 years. Click here to read the full Statement.
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT – 2 April 2021
A joint-statement on The AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine was released on 2 April from the Acting Australian Government Chief Medical Officer, Professor Michael Kidd and Head of the Therapeutic Goods Administration Adj. Professor John Skerritt. In this Statement it is noted that a small number of people, predominantly overseas (in the United Kingdom and Europe) have presented with clotting disorders following vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine. One case has been reported in Australia today and is being investigated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Both ATAGI and the TGA will continue to monitor the situation closely over the next few days. We remind anyone receiving a vaccination that the reports of possible clotting complications are rare and have occurred in a very small number of cases. Click here to read the full Statement.
ATAGI – 2 April 2021
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) notes that a case of an unusual thrombosis following the AstraZeneca vaccine has been reported. This is one case in more than 400,000 doses given to date. ATAGI have issued communication for consumers and clinicians on the significance of this condition and to be alert for the symptoms and signs of thromboses. ATAGI has not changed its advice on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine at this time. ATAGI and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) are currently investigating this case and working with international experts and regulators to provide advice on the optimal use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Click here to read the full Statement.
ATAGI – 25 March 2021
Following the ATAGI statement of 19 March 2021 on the safety of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, ATAGI notes that the European Medicines Agency and others have been conducting ongoing investigations in Europe regarding reports of a specific type of thrombosis (cerebral venous sinus thrombosis; CVST) following AstraZeneca vaccine. It is not known whether this condition is linked to vaccination. Cases of CVST reported overseas have mostly occurred 4 to 14 days following the AstraZeneca vaccine and have been rare (varying reports of 1 to 8 per million doses of vaccine given). No cases of CVST associated with vaccination have been recorded in Australia to date. Overall, ATAGI emphasises that the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine far outweigh this potential risk.
However, for the time being, ATAGI recommends that vaccination with any COVID-19 vaccine should be deferred for people who have a history of the following rare conditions. This is until further information from ongoing investigations in Europe is available and is only a precautionary measure:
- people with a confirmed medical history of CVST; and/or
- people with a confirmed medical history of heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). HIT is an immune-mediated complication of treatment with heparin that affects platelet function. A HIT-like mechanism is being investigated as a potential, but unconfirmed, pathway to CVST post COVID-19 vaccination.
More information on this statement can be found here.
TGA – 21 March 2021
On 21 March, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved manufacture of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine (ChAdOx1-S) in Australia. This follows on from the 16 February 2021 approval by TGA of the overseas-manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine. This approval is a critical and very exciting milestone in Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific approval of Australian manufacturing by TGA was required to ensure that the locally-manufactured vaccine had exactly the same composition and performance as overseas-manufactured vaccine, was made to the same quality and is free of contaminants. More information can be found here.
TGA – 19 March 2021
Independent expert review of recently reported cases of suspected anaphylaxis following the AstraZeneca ChAdOx1-S COVID-19 vaccine has concluded that there is no increased risk of anaphylaxis associated with the vaccine above the expected rate for any other vaccine. Anaphylaxis is a very rare side effect that can occur with any vaccine. More information on this advice can be found here.
ATAGI – 19 March 2021
A 19 March 2021 statement from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) updates advice previous provided on 16 March. It follows the European Medicines Agency (EMA) safety review of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. ATAGI notes that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have completed a preliminary review on 18 March 2021 of reports of thrombotic (clotting) events following AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. They have concluded that the benefits of vaccination using AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine continue to outweigh any risk of side effects. The EMA review has found that the AstraZeneca vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of blood clots. More information on this statement can be found here.
TGA – 19 March 2021
The Therapeutic Goods Association’s (TGA) updated advice (19 March 2021) re AstraZeneca is at the link below, and is being updated regularly. It advises that The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the United Kingdom (UK) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have completed preliminary reviews of the risk of blood clots in people vaccinated with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. These reviews have found the benefits of the vaccine continue to outweigh the risks, and the vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of blood clots. More information on this advice can be found here.
EMA – 18 March 2021
The European Medicines Agency’s safety committee, PRAC, concluded its preliminary review of a signal of blood clots in people vaccinated with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca at its extraordinary meeting of 18 March 2021, advising that the vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of blood clots (thromboembolic events) in those who receive it. More information on this advice can be found here.
ATAGI – 16 March 2021
A statement from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) regarding recent decisions in Europe suspending the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine was released on 16 March 2021, noting that current evidence to date does not indicate the need to pause the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Australia. You can read more here.
TGA – 16 March 2021
Therapeutic Goods Association’s (TGA) updated advice (16 March 2021) re AstraZeneca is at the link below, and is being updated regularly. The TGA advises that as of this time there is no indication of an increased rate of blood clots happening or cause and effect with the AstraZeneca vaccine in Australia. More information on this advice can be found here.
You can also click here to access a 16 March 2021 Statement attributable to Australian Government Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly stating the Australian Government remains confident in the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, with no current evidence that it causes blood clots.