Meanwhile, another one dead from AstraZeneca ...
Sixth death linked to AstraZeneca clotting, as COVID fatalities climb
By Rachel Clun, Mary Ward and Lucy Carroll
Updated August 5, 2021 — 5.46pmfirst published at 4.50pm
A 34-year-old woman from NSW has died after developing the rare clotting disorder linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine, the country’s medical regulator has reported, the sixth death connected to the side effect in Australia.
It came on the same day that NSW reported a further five people had died from COVID-19, taking the death tally in the current outbreak to 21 from a total of 4319 cases.
So far, about 7 million doses of AstraZeneca have been administered across Australia since March. Two further cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) were reported in the last week, taking the total number of cases to 93.
Seven people have died in total after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine, including one woman who died on July 2 from immune thrombocytopenia linked to the vaccine. That takes the death rate to one in every one million doses. In the Sydney outbreak, the death rate from COVID-19 is just over one in every 200 cases.
On July 24 the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation said all adults in greater Sydney should consider getting any available vaccine, including AstraZeneca, as the outbreak continued to grow.
NSW recorded its worst day of the pandemic on Thursday, with five deaths and 262 new COVID-19 cases.
There have been 21 coronavirus deaths during the Sydney outbreak, including 27-year-old man Aude Alaskar, who died on Tuesday night, and 38-year-old woman Adriana Midori Takara.
There are currently also 290 COVID-19 patients in hospital with 51 patients in intensive care, and 24 of those patients are on ventilators.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration said NSW Health was doing further investigation into the death of the 34-year-old who developed the clotting condition.
“The TGA extends its sincerest condolences to her family and loved ones,” the regulator said in a statement.
A hospital source speaking on the condition of anonymity said the woman had a reaction seven days after receiving her vaccine, was treated in intensive care at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and died two days later.
Of the 93 cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome confirmed so far, 38 have been classified as “tier one” serious cases, and the regulator said severe cases appear to be more common in women from younger age groups.
“Nearly half of the TTS cases in women required treatment in intensive care,” The TGA said. “Cases meeting the criteria for Tier 1 were also twice as likely to occur in women compared to men.”
Five of the six deaths occurred in women - the 34-year-old, two 48-year-olds, a 52-year-old and a woman aged 72.
NSW and ACT Chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners,
Dr Charlotte Hespe, said it was important for people to understand the symptoms of TTS, even though their chance of getting it from the AstraZeneca vaccine was very minimal.
The college this week instructed GPs to advise patients receiving AstraZeneca of the symptoms, which include a severe headache, blurred vision, seizures, shortness of breath, leg swelling and unusual bruising.
The TGA said the most common time period for the onset of TTS symptoms was four to 30 days after vaccination.
A blood test and then a D-Dimer test, which measures the amount of a protein that breaks down clots in the blood, should be given to patients to help diagnose their case, the college told GPs.
“It is an extremely rare side-effect, but it is important for both patients and doctors to be informed because it often can be well treated with early intervention,” Dr Hespe said.
www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/sixth-death-linked-to-astrazeneca-clotting-as...
Forum
Pages: 
