Clot chances tiny, says local infection expert
Speaking on Sky News, Professor Collignon said the risk of developing blood clots is extremely low, on data from Europe where a lot of people have received the jab.
“If it really is associated with this vaccine at increased numbers, it’s occurring at one in 100,000 cases,” Professor Collignon said. “While there is a valid concern because the complication they’re worried about is clots in the veins and in the head associated with something called platelets
“But to put this in perspective, if you’re over the age of 70 and you get COVID you’ve got a one in 100 chance of dying, and if you’re over 85, you’ve got a one in five or one in 10 chance of dying.”
Professor Collignon cited the contraceptive pill — which has a much higher rate of risk of blood clots but is widely prescribed — as another reason why people should not be alarmed.
“If somebody is on the contraceptive pill, it’s about one in 1000 cases per year that develop clots where they get it in their veins or in their lungs,” he said.
During Thursday’s late-night press conference to announce the upgraded guidelines for the use of the AstraZeneca jab, Brendan Murphy said Australia’s low rates of community transmission gives health authorities more time to assess the data.
“This is a very, very rare event, and it is a highly precautionary position that Australia can take because we’re in a fortunate position with COVID,” Professor Murphy said.
“All vaccines have adverse effects, some serious. But this syndrome, after all of the work we’ve done with the UK and Europe, does seem to be a real syndrome, and we now feel that out of an abundance of caution, given that this syndrome seems to occur mainly in younger people for whom the risk of severe COVID is not so great, that there is a basis to have a preferred recommendation for those under 50s.”
Professor Collignon backed this sentiment, saying we need more data to know the real risk of blood clotting associated with the vaccine.
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Infectious diseases expert Peter Collignon has moved to quash fears over the AstraZeneca vaccine, saying the risk of death from COVID-19 for elderly Australians is much higher than the risk of blood clots.