Could ATAGI advice hit pharmacies?

IT IS too early to tell what impact, if any, new advice regarding the rollout of the AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccines in patients under 50 years will have for community pharmacists.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia National President, Trent Twomey, told Pharmacy Daily that the organisation was yet to hear about any changes to the planned Phase 2a rollout of the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign through pharmacies, following the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation’s (ATAGI’s) recommendations last night.

ATAGI issued the advice after evidence emerged linking the AZ vaccine with incidence of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia, in one in every 250,000 patients.

“The specific advice from ATAGI is that people under the age of 50 years should be offered Pfizer (Comirnaty) as a preference,” Twomey said.

“However they can still be offered the AstraZeneca vaccine if the benefits outweigh the risk for the individual and they have been able to make a fully informed decision.

“As of this morning the Guild has not been provided additional information relating to the Phase 2a rollout.”

While pharmacies are expected to join the campaign from Phase 2a, the new advice could have a greater impact on the sector’s involvement in Phase 2b, which will include people aged 18 to 49 years, with the AZ vaccine currently the only option approved for use in community pharmacies.

In a joint statement issued last night, Department of Health Secretary, Professor Brendan Murphy, and the Chief Medical Officer, Paul Kelly, noted incidence of the blood-clotting syndrome was “very rare”.

“The decision by the Government to accept the ATAGI advice will have implications for the vaccine rollout program,” they said.