24/08/2021
Dear patients and GPs:
It is extremely heartening and pleasing that the uptake of COVID vaccination amongst our patients remains high, especially since the effects of COVID in patients who are elderly, have cardiovascular disease, or a history of arterial or venous thrombosis is so devastating.
Unfortunately, we have noticed that there are still patients and doctors with concerns about vaccination with Astra Zeneca (Vaxzevria) in patients with a history of arterial or venous thrombosis, particularly due to the risk of TTS (immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopaenic syndrome).
The advice from ATAGI and the Thrombosis and Haemostasis Society of ANZ is very clear – a history of clotting alone is NOT a reason not to get vaccinated, or not to receive the AZ vaccine.
Our practice will NOT be issuing letters to individual patients to delay or change their preferred vaccine for this reason. Please feel free to cite this statement and the ATAGI and THANZ documents located at:
https://www.health.gov.au/news/joint-statement-from-atagi-and-thanz-on-thrombosis-with-thrombocytopenia-syndrome-tts-and-the-use-of-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca
In the meantime we encourage all patients to be fully vaccinated as soon as possible. The only way that we can ensure that our health system is not overloaded with COVID-related illness is by preventing it through vaccination.
Without this, and other public health and protective measures (such as masking, testing, distancing and hand-washing), elective surgery and routine treatment for serious medical conditions will be seriously delayed for the foreseeable future.
Please keep safe, keep well, get vaccinated, wash your hands, wear a mask, get tested and then stay home if you have symptoms.
A joint statement from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) and the Thrombosis and Haemostasis society of Australia and New Zealand (THANZ) on Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) and the use of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca.