PM, premier urge calm after NSW clot death

Scott Morrison and Gladys Berejiklian have warned against rushing to conclusions after the death of a NSW woman who developed blood clots a day after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

The NSW Premier also reiterated her enthusiasm to receive her second AstraZeneca jab in early June.

The death of the woman has prompted the Therapeutic Goods Administration and NSW Health officials to seek clinical information and test results as they try to figure out what caused it.

“It has not yet been established whether there is any link between the COVID-19 vaccine and the tragic death reported by NSW health officials,” the Therapeutic Goods Administration said in a statement overnight.

The 48-year-old woman was a diabetic and worked for Sanitarium, the company that makes Weetbix, according to the The Daily Mail .

“We understand this case is under investigation by the coroner and the health department,” a Sanitarium spokeswoman said.

“The company is saddened by the loss of a much loved employee, and we offer our heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and workmates.

The Prime Minister on Thursday said state and federal authorities would continue to look into the 48-year-old woman’s death.

“There is a lot more to understand and learn about that issue and I would caution others in making conclusions about this at this point as well,” he told reporters in Western Australia.

“We’ve been very transparent, very transparent when it comes to information on these issues.”

Mr Morrison said potential concerns around vaccine hesitancy meant it was important that the matter was fully investigated.

A NSW Health spokesman said the department would not speculate on individual cases but offered condolences to the dead woman’s family.

The TGA is responsible for regulating and monitoring the use of COVID vaccines in Australia but NSW Health is notified when a serious or unexpected adverse event occurs.

It has not been publicly confirmed which vaccine the woman received.

Ms Berejiklian on Friday morning said the matter remained in the hands of federal authorities, and said mass vaccination remains crucial for resuming international travel.

“The vast majority of our citizens know the benefits of taking a vaccine, they also know the risks, as slight as it is,” she told the Nine Network.

“I turned 50 last year and got the jab and am very excited to get the second one. The vast majority of our citizens want a vaccine, want to get ahead of it ... some of the things I hear about potential travel, that depends on us getting a safe vaccine.”

The TGA said the blood clotting disorders being investigated in connection with the AstraZeneca vaccine are very rare and differ from common blood clots.

Australians under 50 were last week warned off receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine after a link was confirmed between the jab and the clots.

Two people have developed bloods clots likely linked to their AstraZeneca jab in Australia - a woman in Western Australia and a man in Victoria, both aged in their 40s.

“The clotting disorder being investigated in connection with the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is now referred to as ‘thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome’, has been confirmed in only two cases out of over 700,000 people who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine in Australia,” the TGA said.