Coronavirus SA: Thousands of South Australians aged under 50 given AstraZeneca COVID-19 jab before blood clot warnings

Thousands of South Australians aged under 50 received the AstraZeneca vaccine before warnings over blood-clots emerged.

More than 6000 South Australians aged under 50 had an AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine before blood-clot medical warnings were issued, official figures show.

New Federal Government data reveals the controversial COVID-19 jab has been used in almost 60 per cent of the state’s total vaccine recipients.

SA Health’s sluggish vaccine plans are in disarray over medical warnings linked to “rare but serious” blood clots in AstraZeneca jabs for patients aged 50 or younger. Federal and state governments are scrambling to revamp the rollout, which has protected almost 70,000 South Australians, including at least 6000 people under 50.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group for Immunology’s advice prompted Prime Minister Scott Morrison to this week overhaul the program. Pfizer vaccines will be prioritised to those aged under 50, considering AstraZeneca carries a one-in-250,000 chance of developing a rare blood clot.

Latest Australian Immunisation Register data, obtained by the Sunday Mail, shows 41,240 “high-risk” people in SA have been inoculated with AstraZeneca compared to 27,556 people with Pfizer jabs.

Nicola Spurrier gets her second Pfizer vaccine from Registered Nurse Tovah Green at the RAH, Monday March 15, 2021. Picture: Brenton Edwards

So far in the rollout’s first two stages, SA Health has administered 36,473 vaccinations to “high-risk” frontline workers in medi-hotels and hospitals.

Jabs have also been issued through GP clinics and in Commonwealth aged-care and disability facilities. SA has among Australia’s slowest rollouts.

Authorities are urgently trying to redistribute Pfizer supplies – mostly in aged-care homes – so younger frontline workers can swap from an AstraZeneca option.

SA Health figures show more than 46,000 vials are being stored in fridges – including 26,280 AstraZeneca doses.

Labor health and wellbeing spokesman Chris Picton criticised the “stockpiling”.

“No wonder we have the second-slowest rollout when there’s so much stock sitting in storage not being used,” he said.

Acting Health Minister John Gardner said SA has been “well placed … to ramp up our rollout”.

“We are opening more clinics across the state where they are needed,” he said.

“We are delivering a safe, steady and effective rollout.”

He said almost 10 per cent of delivered doses had been administered in the past 24 hours – “well above our share of the population”.

Mr Morrison and Premier Steven Marshall have both refused to guarantee reaching rollout targets that involve every adult being offered a jab this year.

Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier has urged people to keep getting vaccinated.

SA Health plans are under review and the Federal Government will spend millions of dollars to double Pfizer supplies by October.

An SA Health spokeswoman said they were “working closely” with the Commonwealth on new rollout plans.

“(We are) reviewing engagements with vaccination providers and suppliers in anticipation of a revised and updated rollout program,” she said.

GP clinics on Friday were flooded with patient queries.

Confused nursing home workers have also been left anxious while in a “vaccine limbo”, said the United Workers Union’s Carolyn Smith.

“Aged care workers were told they would receive their vaccinations on-site and they were prioritised as 1A in the vaccine rollout,” she said.

“Now we hear aged care workers are missing out altogether. Others can’t even get their second jab on-site.

“Even worse, when they try to find out where to go, they get the run-around and they are left in vaccine limbo.

“Workers are being left without vaccinations or partially vaccinated, with no advice about the path forward.

“It’s just another example where the Federal Government is failing to keep older Australians safe in aged care.”