EDMONTON, AB – A 60-year old Alberta man has been treated and is recovering, after he developed a rare blood clot disorder linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
A statement from Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Saturday morning (Apr. 17) says this is the second case of what’s known as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) out of more than 700,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine that have been administered in Canada to date.
However, Hinshaw says this does not change the risk assessment previously communicated to Albertans. “While every adverse reaction is unfortunate, it is important to remember that these blood clots are extremely rare and that this vaccine helps prevent the much higher risks that come from COVID-19 infection.”
She continues to recommend that those over 55-years old should still get the AstraZeneca shot.
Hinshaw notes, in comparison, that Albertans over that age have a one in 200 chance of dying from COVID-19, and they are also at least 1,500 times more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19 than experiencing VITT after getting the vaccine.
