A Queensland man is in intensive care with blood clots after receiving a coronavirus vaccine, as the state prepares to order some Sydney travellers into hotel quarantine.
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young says the 66-year-old suffered abdominal pains after receiving his first AstraZeneca jab in Townsville on March 30.
He was taken to hospital to be treated for thrombosis and remains in ICU.
"So of course my thoughts go out to him and to his family, and it's a very difficult time for them," Dr Young told reporters on Thursday.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration said the man was one of five new clotting cases linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine in Australia, taking the total to 11.
They also include a 70-year-old Tasmanian man, a 74-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman from Victoria, and a 64-year-old woman from Western Australia.
The government has already advised people under the age of 50 to preference the Pfizer jab.
TGA head John Skerritt said there was nothing unusual about a small number of over 50s developing rare blood clots after receiving AstraZeneca vaccine.
"If you're only giving a medicine or vaccine for people over 50, that's the only group who will see an adverse event," he said.
Professor Skerritt said the risk of COVID-19 was far greater to older people than adverse reactions to vaccines.
"By being vaccinated we're not only protecting ourselves, but we're also protecting our loved ones, especially the older, more frail ones, and those around us in the community," he said.
AstraZeneca says its highest priority is patient safety as it continues to support the Australian regulator.
"The extensive body of data from two large clinical datasets and real-world evidence demonstrate (the vaccine's) effectiveness, reaffirming the role the vaccine can play during this public health crisis," it said in a statement on Thursday.
"Our global commitment remains to play an important role in addressing the current global health emergency posed by COVID-19 by providing a safe and effective vaccine, at no profit during the pandemic."
More than 152,000 vaccine doses had been administered in Queensland by Thursday.
The government plans to have Pfizer hubs operational across the state by the end of this month to vaccinate people under the age of 50.
Meanwhile, the Queensland government has issued fresh travel restrictions on people who have been to any Sydney venues visited by two known virus cases.
Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said as of 1am on Friday, anyone in Queensland who has been to the exposure sites will be ordered into mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine.
Anyone in Queensland who has been in NSW since April 27 is also being urged to get tested if they develop symptoms.
"We will be watching very closely what happens with the testing, and whether NSW are able to identify how this first gentleman was able to acquire the virus, having not come into direct contact with these overseas travellers," Ms D'Ath said.
The health minister said no new cases had emerged in the community on Thursday after 5956 tests in the previous 24 hours.
Queenslanders should reconsider their need to travel to Sydney, she said.
Three new cases were also reported in hotel quarantine on Thursday.
Australian Associated Press
