New Aussie AstraZeneca guidelines

The AstraZeneca vaccine should now only be given to those aged 60 and above, the chief immunisation body has told the government.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (AtagI) made the recommendation after a 52-year-old woman died from a brain clot last week.

Hunt said the government accepts the advice.

Chief medical officer Paul Kelly said that anybody aged 50-59, who has had a first AstraZeneca dose should not hesitate to get their second.

He said the UK has reported 23 clot cases in 15.7 million people after receiving a second dose.

Under previous advice in Australia, Pfizer was only the preferred vaccine for people under the age of 50.

Now, Pfizer doses will immediately be made available to anyone aged between 40 and 59.

Hunt said the country remains on track to provide a vaccine dose to every Australian who wants one by the end of 2021.

The woman’s death, the second believed to be linked to the vaccine in Australia, occurred after 3.6 million doses of AstraZeneca had been administered.