New Western Australian case of vaccine blood clotting admitted to Royal Darwin Hospital

A top health official has revealed the most recent case of blood clotting associated with the troubled AstraZeneca vaccine has been admitted to the Royal Darwin Hospital.

THE head of the Therapeutic Goods Administration has revealed the latest case of blood clotting associated with the troubled AstraZeneca vaccine has been admitted to the Royal Darwin Hospital.

TGA head associate professor John Skerritt said today that the case of clotting reported by Western Australian health authorities had been moved to the Territory from Kununurra Hospital after being diagnosed with a brain haemorrhage in late March.

The woman has been admitted to the Royal Darwin Hospital. Photograph: Che Chorley

“The patient was admitted to the Royal Darwin Hospital because patients often in the far north of WA are closer to Darwin than to Perth,” Mr Skerritt said.

“So we have worked with the Northern Territory and the West Australian authorities ... I have not heard that they are deciding on a pause but that will be their decision,” he said.

The Australian newspaper reported today that authorities didn’t realise until early April that the woman had received a dose of the AstraZeneca jab.

“The good news is ... she is in a stable condition and the outlook looks pretty good,” Mr Skerritt said.

He said only two cases of blood clotting had been recorded from the approximately 700,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine administered within Australia so far.

A woman in her 40s has become the second case of clotting associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. Picture: Geoff Caddick / AFP.

Concerns over side effects of AstraZeneca prompted Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week to urge anyone under 50 years old to opt for the Pfizer vaccine.

WA premier Mark McGowan took the step to suspend the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine to anyone under 50 after the advice was handed down from top vaccine experts.

Meanwhile, the NT Government last week also acknowledged the renewed advice would slow the rollout of jabs to Territorians and would release revised timelines.

NT Health confirmed on Monday afternoon that a blood clotting case had been admitted to the Royal Darwin Hospital, with a spokeswoman for the department saying the patient had experienced no change in her condition.