Older Australians stuck in vaccine limbo due to GPs' advice not to receive AstraZeneca, ineligibility for PfizerFor months, federal health authorities and the Prime Minister have urged Australians to talk to their GP about being vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is associated with extremely rare blood clots.
But some older people with various health conditions say their GPs have told them not to take the Oxford-developed vaccine, leaving them in a position where their doctor's advice conflicts with that of federal health authorities.
Advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) states that the AstraZeneca vaccine is recommended for over 60s with a range of health conditions, including a history of most clotting disorders.
That's because the clots linked to a small number of AstraZeneca recipients are caused by a "different mechanism" to most blood clots.
But some GPs, like the doctor of Maureen Hickey's 88-year-old mother, have advised patients not to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine for other reasons.
Timing is crucial for Ms Hickey's mother, who is set to undergo medical treatment that needs to be separated from vaccination.
Pushing back the treatment to allow for the 12-week AstraZeneca dose regime risks permanent immobility, but for the past six weeks she has been turned away from hospitals and left without clear advice on how to receive the Pfizer vaccine, even with notes from her GP and specialist.
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- "There's a big void in there — they keep saying this is what you've got to do and everyone's doing it, then nothing’s happening," Ms Hickey said.
Ms Hickey has called the vaccination hotline three times only to be told, on all three occasions, to consult her GP and specialist — which she had already done.
They are now considering whether to delay vaccination until after treatment, but their case isn't isolated.
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Several Australians have contacted the ABC saying they have been stuck in vaccine limbo after obtaining advice from their GP that recommended against the AstraZeneca vaccine, even though the ATAGI advice would likely recommend it for them.
Pamela Gilbert said her doctor wrote her a note recommending Pfizer because of multiple health conditions.
The signed note said, "although low in probability, I do not believe it is medically responsible to expose her to the blood-clotting side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccination".
But when Ms Gilbert took it to a vaccination clinic in east Melbourne, she was told she was not eligible for Pfizer.
"[She said] you can't have Pfizer, we'll have to give you AstraZeneca … I said no, I will not have AZ for the reasons outlined in the letter," she said.
"I almost burst into tears."
She has since consulted further with her doctor and now plans to receive the AstraZeneca shot despite their concerns, so she can be protected against COVID-19.
ATAGI recommends AstraZeneca for over 60s
As of Monday, doses of Pfizer were available at 500 GP clinics nationwide, with more set to join in the weeks ahead.
Asked what Australians should do when their doctor's advice conflicted with the ATAGI advice, Royal Australasian College of GPs (RACGP) president Karen Price said GPs were guided by ATAGI.
GPs will look at each patient’s unique health considerations when determining their suitability for the AstraZeneca vaccine, as they do with all other vaccines," Dr Price said.
"ATAGI provides guidance to Australia’s health professionals on contraindications to AstraZeneca and other vaccines, which may mean a patient is considered not suitable for vaccination."
The ATAGI advice says the AstraZeneca vaccine is suitable for most people with pre-existing health conditions including many clotting disorders.
But it says Pfizer is the preferred vaccine for people with:
- A past history of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST);
- A past history of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT);
- A past history of idiopathic splanchnic (mesenteric, portal, splenic) vein thrombosis;
- Antiphospholipid syndrome with thrombosis; and/or
- Contraindications to COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca ie anaphylaxis to a previous dose or to an ingredient of the vaccine, thrombosis with thrombocytopenia occurring after the first dose of AstraZeneca, or other serious adverse event attributed to the first dose of AstraZeneca.
Under the ATAGI advice, both Ms Hickey and Ms Gilbert would be ineligible for the Pfizer vaccine, despite the attempted intervention of their doctors.
Richard Hanlon, 75, who falls into the 1b priority group, has a low platelet count similar to that caused by the AstraZeneca vaccine and has been strongly advised against the vaccine by his GP.
That's left him unsure of how to access any vaccine.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-08/gp-vaccine-covid-rollout-pfizer-astrazeneca/100270284
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