Alberta confirms blood clot disorder death linked to AstraZeneca vaccine

EDMONTON — An Alberta woman in her 50s has died from a rare blood clot disorder after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

The province’s chief medical officer of health confirmed in a statement the death linked to vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia or VITT.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw says the fatality is the second VITT case and only death related to VITT out of more than 253,000 doses of AstraZeneca that have been administered in Alberta to date.

Hinshaw says while any death is tragic, “it is important to remember that the risks of dying or suffering other severe outcomes from COVID-19 remain far greater than the risk following AstraZeneca vaccine.”

She notes the global risk of developing VITT has been estimated at approximately one case in 100,000 to 250,000 doses of vaccine.

In comparison, Albertans between the ages of 50 and 59 who are diagnosed with COVID-19 are 350 times more likely to die from that infection than to experience VITT after an AstraZeneca shot. 

Hinshaw says that age group is also at least 1,500 times more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19 than experiencing VITT after getting AstraZeneca.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4, 2021. 

The Canadian Press