The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has issued advice on the suitability of COVID-19 vaccination in people with a history of clotting conditions.
ATAGI said the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) had been reviewing data from tens of millions of people given the AstraZeneca and other COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.
“This shows that there is no increase in the rates of general thromboembolic disorders after vaccination over expected rates, noting these conditions occur commonly in the absence of vaccination,” ATAGI said.
“The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and others have also been conducting ongoing investigations in Europe regarding reports of a specific type of thrombosis (cerebral venous sinus thrombosis; CVST) following AstraZeneca vaccine,” it said.
“It is not known whether this condition is linked to vaccination.”
ATAGI said the cases of CVST reported overseas had mostly occurred following the AstraZeneca vaccine and were rare, with varying reports of one case per eight million doses of vaccine given.
The Advisory Group said no cases of CVST associated with vaccination had been recorded in Australia to date.
“Overall, ATAGI emphasises that the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine far outweigh this potential risk,” it said.
“Based on this information, ATAGI considers that there is no evidence of a risk of thrombotic disease after COVID-19 vaccination in people with a history of clotting conditions.”
ATAGI said vaccination was still recommended for people with a history of clotting conditions, including those with deep venous thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism; people with risk factors for thrombosis; people with thrombocytopenia; people with known thrombophilic disorders; people on anticoagulants; and people with a history of cardiovascular disease.
The Advisory Group recommended that vaccination with any COVID-19 vaccine be deferred for people who had a history of CVST or heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT).
“This is until further information from ongoing investigations in Europe is available and is only a precautionary measure,” ATAGI said.
