Western Australian Vaccine Safety Surveillance – Annual Report 2021
https://www.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/…
Report describes adverse events following immunisation (AEFI)
Reported to Western Australian Vaccine Safety Surveillance (WAVSS) system
For vaccinations received in 2021.
The format of this Annual Report differs, to enable description of the impact of the program
COVID-19 vaccination started in February 2021
In 2021, Western Australia
5,756,723 vaccine doses were administered,
up from 2,071,167 in 2020.
Of this amount, 3,948,673 were COVID-19 vaccines
In 2021, a significant increase in reports of AEFI
10,726 individual AEFI reports in 2021,
up from 270 in 2020.
(200 reports from Influenza and routine vaccinations in 2021)
Of these AEFI, (adverse events following immunisation)
10,428 (97%) occurred after a COVID-19 vaccine
Similar volume of reports in the rest of Australia
(as reported by the Therapeutic Goods Administration)
https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/arti…[0]=type:189
In Western Australia
Total AEFI rate following a COVID-19 vaccine was 264.1 per 100,000 doses.
26.41 per 10 thousand
2.641 per thousand
0.241%
Non covid vaccinations, WA, 2021
11.1 events per 100,000 doses
0.0111%
Comparison with US in 2021
Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System
https://vaers.hhs.gov/data/datasets.html
148.3 per 100,000 doses
Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca)
306.1 per 100,000 doses
Comirnaty (Pfizer)
244.8 per 100,000 doses
(US, 122 per 100,000)
Spikevax (Moderna)
281.4 per 100,000 doses
(US, 187 per 100,000)
Why the difference?
This likely reflects differences in the sensitivity of passive adverse event reporting systems between the two jurisdictions.
Some of the important AEFI that have been specifically monitored
TGA-coordinated national surveillance vaccine safety program
Anaphylaxis
Thrombosis with thrombocytopaenia syndrome (TTS)
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)
Myocarditis
Pericarditis
Myopericarditis
Chest pain
Deep venous thrombosis
Pulmonary embolism
Bell’s palsy
In 2021
1,125 appointments made at the adult vaccine safety clinic at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital,
up from seven in 2020.
439 appointments made at the Perth Children’s Hospital specialist immunisation clinic,
up from 214 in 2020.
Credit to : DR John Campbell
