Leading health experts have continued to defend COVID-19 vaccines amid links to blood clots, ensuring Australians that any risk of serious side effects from the jab are extremely rare.
Chair for the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness, and former Secretary of the Australian Department of Health, Jane Halton, said that such events occur in about “four in a million” people.
Despite this, Ms Dalton says, it is important Australians understand that the risk of COVID-19 is far greater than that of any vaccine.
“We know that the TGA has suggested that there is likely a link between this death and the use of the vaccine,” she said on Today.
“This is sad. We know these rare events occur at about four in a million and sadly, a quarter of those events do result in death.
“I do think it is important to keep it in that broader perspective because we know that the risk from COVID-19 is much greater.”
Ms Dalton said that people must remember the millions of deaths are attributed to the coronavirus around the world compared to a very small number of deaths linked to vaccines.
“We see every single event that occurs when a vaccine is administered and we think, ‘Oh, that’s terrible, that might happen to me’ but that is not what is likely to happen,” she said.
“It’s important we keep in perspective the millions of people who have died around the world from COVID-19.
“I would encourage you to, when your time is up, if it is your time on the list, if you’re worried, go and talk to your doctor.
“But I am over 50, I will be taking the AstraZeneca vaccine as soon as it’s my turn in the queue.”
This content first appear on 9news