Canada's Alberta confirms first death linked to AstraZeneca vaccine

The Canadian province of Alberta reported its first death of a patient from a rare blood clot condition after receiving the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, its chief medical officer confirmed late Tuesday.

The Alberta case marks the second case of blood clots, and the only death after more than 253,000 doses of AstraZeneca were administered in the province, the statement added.

AstraZeneca did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for a comment.

Last month, the province of Quebec reported Canada's first death of a patient after receiving the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

The rare complication, which some regulators including Health Canada are calling Vaccine-Induced Prothrombotic Immune Thrombocytopenia, involves blood clots accompanied by a low count of platelets, cells in the blood that help it to clot.

Reuters