ATAGI advice on Pfizer, AstraZeneca remains the “guiding light”: Hunt

Health Minister Greg Hunt insists the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation’s revised recommendations remains the “guiding light” amid concerns over blood clotting associated with the AstraZeneca jab in younger Australians.

It comes as Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young told residents to ignore Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s advice for under-40s, who have consulted their GPs, to receive the Oxford-produced vaccine.

‘Critically, what we’ve done is continue to follow the medical advice and the medical advice is that AstraZeneca is preferred for over 60s, that Pfizer is preferred for under 60s,” Minister Hunt told reporters.

“So there is no change in the medical advice … It continues to be the guiding light.

“And so it’s an important part of the national armoury and the advice remains very clear that AstraZeneca is preferred for the over 60, Pfizer is preferred for the under 60s and the ATAGI advice … remains unchanged.”