over55 Suspend AstraZeneca use for people under 55, vaccine committee recommends The updated guidelines come following reports of rare blood clots Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is recommending provinces pause the use of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine on those under the age of 55 because of safety concerns — guidance most provinces said today that they would follow. The change comes following reports out of Europe of very rare instances of blood clots in some immunized patients — notably among younger women. suspended Why Canada is suspending use of AstraZeneca vaccine in people under 55 "This vaccine has had all the ups and downs — it looks like a roller coaster," said Dr. Caroline Quach, chair of NACI and a pediatric infectious diseases expert. "The problem is because data are evolving, we are also evolving our recommendations." Quach said the risk of rare blood clots appears to only occur in younger populations, which is why NACI recommended suspending the vaccine in those under 55. But 18 of the cases in Europe were of an extremely rare type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) — where veins that drain blood from the brain are obstructed and can potentially cause fatal bleeding. The EMA said on March 18 at least nine deaths have been associated with the adverse events in Europe and the agency is continuing to investigate the situation. Health Canada changes AstraZeneca vaccine label to add information about blood clots Germany's medical regulator told The Associated Press on Monday it had received reports of 21 cases of rare blood clots in people who had recently received AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine. The Paul Ehrlich Institute also said that seven people affected by the blood clots have died. It added that of the 21 cases reported in Germany until March 25, 12 also involved an abnormally low level of platelets in the patients' blood. cdc 'Right now, I'm scared,' CDC head says as she warns of potential 4th pandemic surge in U.S. CDC director makes emotional plea as COVID-19 cases inch up again U.S. officials issued what was intended to be a sobering warning Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic could still get a whole lot worse. Their unusually emotional message carried obvious international implications, especially given that the U.S. has already vaccinated its citizens at a rate triple Canada's. The theme of a White House briefing Monday was that this is a terrible time for the country to let down its guard and reopen as some states are doing. The head of the Centers for Disease Control, Rochelle Walensky, said she plans to speak with state governors Tuesday to encourage continued mask-wearing and physical distancing. She said U.S. case loads had risen 10 per cent in a week, and hospitalizations and deaths are ticking up again. She said the country is on the same trajectory as some European countries were a few weeks ago before they hurtled into their latest wave. "We are not powerless; we can change this trajectory of the pandemic," she said. "But it will take all of us recommitting to following public health-prevention strategies."

young 1 in 3 new COVID-19 cases in Toronto are young people, says de Villa Younger people account for a concerning number of recent COVID-19 cases, warned Toronto's Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa on Monday. The city reported 670 new cases of COVID-19 — the most anywhere in the province. There were 302 people in hospital, including 53 in the ICU, and two more deaths, said de Villa. Just shy of 35 per cent of new cases were people aged 20 to 39. "Anecdotally, I am hearing from colleagues at Toronto hospitals that increasingly admissions are of younger people and often directly to the ICU," de Villa said at a Monday press conference. germany Covid: Germany limits use of AstraZeneca Covid jab for under-60s Germany is suspending routine use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for people aged below 60 because of a risk of rare blood clots. The German medicines regulator found 31 cases of a type of rare blood clot among the nearly 2.7 million people who had received the vaccine in Germany. Canada earlier suspended use of the AstraZeneca jab in people under 55.