The Australian Government remains confident in the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and there is currently no evidence that it causes blood clots.
We are aware of some further European countries pausing the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine due to reports of blood clots in people who have been vaccinated. While the European Medicines Agency is investigating these events, it has reinforced its view that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is successful in protecting against COVID-19, and should continue to be used in the rollout.
The World Health Organization continues to caution against suspending access to vaccines. It has also noted there is no evidence that links these events to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Other countries, such as Canada and the UK are continuing their AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine rollouts on the basis that there is no indication that the vaccine caused these events in Europe and have seen no such information within their own systems.
Our focus during the vaccine rollout remains the safety of all Australians. With a vaccine rollout like this, we need to monitor carefully for any unusual events. We will find them, but this does not mean that every event following a vaccination is caused by the vaccine. We take these events very seriously and investigate, just as countries overseas are currently doing as a precautionary measure.
There have been more than 11 million people vaccinated in the UK without evidence of an increase in blood clots.
Because of Australia's close working relationship with European regulators, the TGA is one of the first non-European regulators to routinely receive early notification of any possible serious adverse events with COVID-19 vaccines. As noted by the European Medicines Agency, the action taken by several European countries is a precautionary measure so that a full investigation can be rapidly conducted.
We have a very strong and clear mechanism for adverse event reporting in Australia around immunisation and adverse events will continue to be reviewed by the TGA.
- Read the statement from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI)
- Read the statement from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
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