April 24, 2021
People who develop serious symptoms a few days after being injected with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine should seek immediate medical attention.
Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said on Saturday people who receive COVID-19 vaccines can experience common side effects – such as fever, sore muscles, tiredness and headaches. These will start within 24 hours and last for one or two days.
However, people should seek immediate medical attention if, a few days after vaccination, they develop:
- A severe or persistent headache or blurred vision,
- Shortness of breath, chest pain, leg swelling or persistent abdominal pain,
- Unusual skin bruising and/or pinpoint round spots beyond the site of injection.
The warning follows the news that three more people across Australia – including a Queensland man – have experienced the rare blood clotting reaction to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
There have now been a total of six cases of the blood clotting disorder – known as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) – in Australia, including one death.
Dr Young said the recovery of the latest three individuals was thanks to the fast reactions of both patients and staff.
“It is important that both the vaccine recipient and their treating clinician are educated on the signs and symptoms of TTS,” Dr Young said.
“This information can and will save a life, we have seen just that with these cases.
“I will also stress that these reactions are still extremely rare. I thank the TGA for their fast review and their continued feedback.”
The Queensland patient, a 49-year-old man, received his vaccination from a South Brisbane GP.
He was treated for two days at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and has since been discharged.
Figures released by the Federal Government on Friday show there have been a total 1,914,047 doses of either the Pfizer of AstraZeneca vaccine administered across Australia so far, including 135,196 in Queensland delivered in hospitals or by GPs.
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Following Western Australia’s three-day lockdown, Queensland Health has announced that anyone who has been in the Perth or Peel regions on or since April 17 is required to comply with the following requirements:
From midnight Friday, residents will be allowed to re-enter Queensland. Non-residents will require an exemption to enter Queensland.
Everyone entering Queensland will be required to enter hotel quarantine for up to 14 days.
Anyone who was in Queensland before 11:59pm, April 23, is required to attain a COVID-19 test as soon as possible this weekend and remain at home or their arranged accommodation until they receive a negative test.
Even after a negative test is received, they will be required to remain at home or in their accommodation except for the following essential reasons until 2:00am on April 27:
- To attain essential goods such as food, groceries, medical or necessary supplies
- For medical or health care purposes
- Outdoor exercise
- End of life visits if allowed by the facility you are attending
- For safety reasons.
They must not attend Anzac Day services.
Masks must be worn at all times when leaving home or accommodation. Children aged 12 years and under and where people have certain medical conditions are exempt.
NB. These requirements are ONLY for people who have been in the Perth or Peel regions on or since April 17.
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UPDATE April 26: Queensland has revised its restrictions for people returning from Western Australia.
From noon on Tuesday (April 27), anyone in Queensland who has been quarantined because of travel to WA can leave if they:
- Have returned at least one negative COVID-19 test,
- Have not attended any of the venues listed as being linked to the three WA cases,
- Provide contact details for the further 14 days since they initially entered quarantine, and
- Agree to immediately test and isolate if they develop any symptoms in the further 14 days since they entered quarantine..
People who have been in the Perth or Peel regions on or since April 17 are not allowed to attend aged care or disability residential facilities, hospitals or prisons unless they obtained an exemption for an end-of-life visit or it had been 14 days since they left WA.
