First vaccine-related death in Canada
Health officials commented on the situation.
The situation around the AstraZeneca vaccine has been tense since March, when some vaccinated people in the European Union were diagnosed with a rare thrombosis. Similar cases have already occurred in Canada.
A 54-year-old Quebec woman has become the first person in Canada to die after being vaccinated with AstraZeneca. The cause of death was thrombosis. Dr. Horacio Arruda, director of public health in Quebec, confirmed this on Tuesday, April 27.
"My condolences to this woman. If we had known in advance how this would end, she would not have been inoculated. But that's not possible," Arruda said in a statement. — Still, we are confident that by vaccinating we are preventing more deaths and complications."
Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubet says the province is currently investigating 4 cases of serious complications in 400,000 people vaccinated with AstraZeneca. Dubé said the government is aware of the risks associated with COVID-19 vaccines.
A rare complication that AstraZeneca can cause is called vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia (VIPIT). VIPIT is characterised by the formation of blood clots that are accompanied by low levels of platelets, the cells responsible for blood clotting. 40% of people in Europe who have been diagnosed with VIPIT have died as a result.
"I think that's the price to pay for getting vaccinated and getting back to normal," Dube said.
AstraZeneca vaccine is now being offered in Quebec to people 45 to 79 years old and, according to Dubet, the government has no plans to change tactics. According to the most recent recommendations of the Canadian National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), the AstraZeneca vaccine can be used for people 30 years of age and older.
