Two women die from rare syndrome after AstraZeneca shot
The TGA has confirmed the first Australian deaths from Guillain-Barré syndrome among patients who received AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, Vaxzevria.
The two fatal cases of the rare immune disorder in the elderly women — a 77-year-old from Victoria and 81-year-old from NSW — bring the total deaths associated with the viral-vector vaccine to 11.
Although there remained some uncertainty, the medicine regulator’s external Vaccine Safety Investigation Group said both cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) “were deemed likely to be related to vaccination”.
“This was based on the time period between vaccination and GBS developing; the absence of other identifiable causes; and evidence from international investigations of a possible link between GBS and Vaxzevria,” the TGA said in its latest COVID-19 vaccine safety report.
