SYDNEY, April 23 (Reuters) - Australia has reported three more cases of blood clots "likely" linked to the AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN)'s COVID-19 vaccine, taking the total number to six, the country's drug regulator said on Friday.
The latest cases were in a 35-year-old woman, a 49-year old man and an 80-year old man with symptom onset ranging from 9 to 26 days after vaccination, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
The TGA's Vaccine Safety Investigation Group (VSIG) concluded that all three of the cases were "likely linked" to vaccination. All three patients are clinically stable, have responded well to treatment and are recovering, it added.
One of the six affected, a woman under 50, died earlier this month. of the six cases are in people aged under 50 years, who were vaccinated prior to Australia's decision earlier this month that the Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) PFE.N vaccine was preferred for patients under 50.
Up to April 22, about 1.1 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Australia, the TGA said.
"The risk... appears lower in older adults," the TGA said.
"Vaccination remains the best way to protect against severe illness and death from COVID-19 and is a core element of the pandemic response," it added.
AstraZeneca says regulatory reviews in Britain and Europe have noted its vaccine offers a high level of protection and that its benefits far outweigh any risks.