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NSW woman, 34, dies of rare condition after AstraZeneca vaccine

A NSW woman in her 30s has died from a rare blood clotting condition after receiving the first dose of the Covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccine.

The woman, aged 34, died on Wednesday from a confirmed case of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), the government's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) revealed in a report on Thursday.

"The TGA extends its sincerest condolences to her family and loved ones," it said.

"We are in close communication with NSW Health, who are undertaking further investigation of this case."

It is not known whether the woman had any underlying health issues.

Australia sought to rely on the AstraZeneca vaccine as the 'workhorse' of the rollout before blood clotting questions began surfacing. Source: Getty
Australia sought to rely on the AstraZeneca vaccine as the 'workhorse' of the rollout before blood clotting questions began surfacing. Source: Getty

The blood clotting condition is exceedingly rare with 93 reports assessed as TTS following the AstraZeneca vaccine out of 6.8 million doses in Australia.

There were two further cases of TTS likely linked to the vaccine reported in the week up to August 5. Both were women in NSW, one aged in their 50s and the other aged in their 60s.

"In Australia, severe cases of TTS appear to be more common in women in younger age groups," the medical regulator explained.

Nearly half of the TTS cases in women have required treatment in intensive care.

Health authorities continue to urge the public to vaccinate against Covid-19, saying any adverse effects from either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer jabs pale in comparison to threat of the coronavirus.

"The protective benefits of vaccination against Covid-19 far outweigh the potential risks of vaccination," the TGA said.

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