After European regulators described a “possible link” between AstraZeneca’s vaccine and rare blood clots, the vaccine faced increasing hurdles on Thursday as countries around the world move to restrict its use in younger people. The decisions are the latest setback for AstraZeneca, the company behind the world’s most widely used coronavirus vaccine.
Although European regulators said that the vaccine’s benefits outweighed the risks for most people, several countries are now using the AstraZeneca shot only on older people who are most at risk of dying from the coronavirus. Several countries in Europe and Asia have temporarily stopped administering the vaccine to people age 60 and under.
Australia will fast-track two other coronaviruses vaccines and order more of each amid recommendations to use other options than AstraZeneca for people under 50.
Officials admit the move could hinder the already delayed rollout, with the opposition blasting the government for not ordering more varied vaccine options.
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said Australia’s two other vaccines, Pfizer and Novavax, are being fast-tracked and more could be ordered.
Pfizer is already approved and being used, while there are 51 million Novavax doses on the way – through it still needs to be given the green light by Australian regulators.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said Novavax could be given out in the “third quarter” of this year.
Professor Kelly admitted the rollout will be affected but refused to be drawn on just when most Australians will be vaccinated.
Australia is due to pass the 1 million vaccination mark today when it had planned to have done 4 million by now.
“Clearly with these changes overnight, we will need to look at our rollout schedule,” Professor Kelly said.
“It’s likely that will affect that rollout.
“We’re looking to increase the number of alternative vaccines that we have.
“The Novavax, we have 51 million doses of those on order. We hope they will come in the second half of the year.
“And the Pfizer vaccine, we have those 20 million doses coming.
“They have guaranteed they will increase the rate at which that’s coming.
“We’re in negotiations with them in terms of potentially increasing that number of doses.”
Professor Kelly said the rare blood clot reaction appeared in only about four to six people per million cases.
Out of those who developed it, the death rate was 25 per cent, meaning about one person in a million could die.
Announcing the change in advice last night, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the incidence of blood clots was rarer than those associated with taking the oral contraceptive pill.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said the AstraZeneca vaccine was no riskier than a long-haul flight.
Professor Kelly said leaders at National Cabinet today will discuss how the rollout might be affected, including when the nation might be able to reopen to the world.
Leaders have repeatedly said borders would not open until the majority of the population was vaccinated, which means that the much talked about early 2022 border re-opening may be in jeopardy.
Professor Kelly didn’t say if all Australians would be vaccinated by October as has always been planned, or how many people would have the jab by the end of the year.
However, he said 10 million people out of Australia’s 25 million population would be able to have two Pfizer jabs by the end of the year.
He said “most” border and quarantine workers have been vaccinated and said the aged care rollout was “going very well”.
Professor Kelly said anybody who has had their first AstraZeneca dose would be “perfectly fine” to have the second.
However, he added the government is “working out” which vaccine to give younger people working in aged care and as well as younger disabled people who are next in line.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese blasted the Federal Government, saying it had placed “all our eggs in one basket” by relying on the AstraZeneca vaccine so heavily.
Mr Albanese said Australia should have secured more doses of alternative vaccines – such as Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer – to fill the void in the event of an issue.
Other countries, including the UK and US, are also using those vaccines, and Australia is way down on the list of vaccines completed globally.
“Quite clearly best practice was that other countries signed up to both Pfizer and Moderna,” the Labour leader said, describing the rollout as a “debacle”.
“They did that for a reason. They’re doing better than us for a reason.”
Mr Albanese said Prime Minister Scott Morrison had undermined public confidence in the vaccines and their rollout.
“Australians just want to know when they’ll be vaccinated,” Mr Albanese said.
“And they deserve that certainty.
“Vulnerable Australians, such as aged care residents particularly, deserve that certainty.
“And the government must get on top of this issue and stop the addiction to announcements and the spin cycle and saying, ‘she’ll be right, mate, don’t worry about that, whilst Australians remain concerned about the failure to deliver on the commitments that the government has given.”
The blood clots have drawn heightened concern because of their unusual constellation of factors: blockages in major veins, often those that drain blood from the brain, combined with low platelet counts.
As of March 22, regulators had carried out a detailed review of 86 cases, 18 of which were fatal, they said.
Concerns about the shot became acute enough in Britain this week that the University of Oxford, which developed the vaccine with AstraZeneca, stopped giving doses as part of a two-month-old trial in children.
There are too many inconsistent rules set by countries on the Astra Zeneca vaccine, with the UK who is also the biggest supporter of the vaccine now not administering the vaccine to the under 30’s, whilst most countries in Europe do not administer the Astra Zeneca vaccine to under 60’s and some have completely suspended it.
Australia has set the age limit to under 50’s. However, no one is talking about the vulnerable categories that are over the set age limit and particularly in Australia. Will the vulnerable over the 50’s categories have a choice of another vaccine?
Written By Joe Cusmano
Source: www.straynomad.com
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