Vaccination Hub The Australian Government received important advice from Australia’s expert vaccine advisory body, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) about the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for people under the age of 50.
The side effect involves thrombosis, which is blood clotting, and thrombocytopenia, which is a low blood platelet count. This very rare side-effect can affect 1 in 250,000 people.
The risk of this side effect may be greater for people aged under 50 years, and ATAGI has advised that the Pfizer vaccine is preferred over the AstraZeneca vaccine in adults aged under 50 years.
Barwon Health will re-prioritise our Pfizer doses to the under 50 age group. This will not impact on vaccine delivery for those requiring their second Pfizer dose. We will work closely with the Victorian Government to secure the supply we need to continue the vaccine roll-out for our region.
If you need advice to help you make an informed decision about vaccination, please talk to your doctor or call 1800 020 080.
The following Frequently Asked Questions provide more information. You can also keep up-to-date with information about COVID-19 vaccination on the Department of Health website.
We, Barwon Health, acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land, the Wadawurrung people of the
Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to the Elders both past and present.