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NSW, Victoria report 40 new COVID-19 deaths as the TGA approves AstraZeneca booster

NSW and Victoria reported a total of 40 deaths on Thursday as the Therapeutic Goods Administration provisionally approves the AstraZeneca booster vaccine for adults.

Members of the public queue in their cars for a COVID-19 PCR test in Sydney.

Members of the public queue in their cars for a COVID-19 PCR test in Sydney. Source: AAP

Another 24 people have died from COVID-19 in New South Wales and 16 in Victoria.

The number of patients in NSW hospitals fell from 1,906 to 1,795.

Of those, 121 are in ICU, dropping from 132 on Wednesday and Monday's 137.
In NSW, the state reported 10,130 new cases of COVID-19. These case numbers are a slight drop from 10,312 on Wednesday but up from 9,690 on Tuesday.
More than 1,600 people have died in the state from COVID-19 and more than a million have contracted the virus.

Meanwhile, in Victoria, 543 people are in hospital after contracting COVID-19, slightly up from 542 on Tuesday, with 75 in ICU and 23 on ventilators.

On Wednesday the state recorded 9,391 infections, down from 9,908 cases on Wednesday and slightly up from 8,275 cases on Tuesday.

The new cases include 6,045 from rapid antigen tests (RATs) and 3,346 from PCR tests, the health department confirmed on Thursday.

AstraZeneca boosters provisionally approved

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has provisionally approved the AstraZeneca booster for adults, but it is not the preferred option.

The TGA has stressed Pfizer and Moderna remain the preferred booster options, regardless of what vaccines someone has previously received.

A person must talk to a doctor and receive approval before receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. 

"The decision to receive Vaxzevria [AstraZeneca] as a booster must be made in consultation with a medical professional," the TGA said in a statement.


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2 min read
Published 10 February 2022 9:28am
Source: SBS News


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