Underlying Health Conditions

The following medical conditions listed below are put forth by the Alberta Advisory Committee on Immunization and affirmed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health. As per current guidelines, if you have one or more of the below conditions, you should NOT receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Individuals with congenital or acquired asplenia and functional hyposplenism

All forms of cancer are included, except non-invasive skin cancer.

Chronic heart disease and vascular disease such as congenital heart disease,
heart or kidney complications from high blood pressure, chronic heart failure,
rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, heart valve disorders, ischaemic heart
disease, atrial fibrillation, peripheral vascular disease or a history of arterial and
venous thromboembolism, cerebrovascular diseases including stroke, TIAs, and
aortic aneurysm. High blood pressure alone is not included.

  • Individuals with moderate, severe or end stage CKD:
  • Moderate CKD: stage 3, estimated glomerular filtration rate eGFR=
    30-59 mL/min
  • Severe CKD: stage 4, eGFR= 15-29 mL/min
  • End stage CKD: stage 5, eGFR <15 mL/min

Individuals with chronic liver disease including cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, alpha1-Antitrypsin deficiency, hemochromatosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, BuddChiari syndrome, and Wilson’s disease, and any other liver disease of similar
severity.

Individuals with chronic neurological disease including epilepsy, Parkinson’s
disease, dementia, cerebral palsy, stroke, transient ischaemic attack (TIA),
multiple sclerosis, conditions in which respiratory function may be compromised
such as motor neuron disease, muscular dystrophy, mitochondrial myopathy,
hereditary and degenerative disease of the nervous system such as Huntington’s
disease, and any other neurological disease with similar severity.

Individuals with chronic respiratory disease.


Examples include COPD, pulmonary hypertension, bronchiectasis, cystic
fibrosis, interstitial lung disorder, pulmonary fibrosis, pneumoconiosis,
bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), and severe asthma, with severity defined as
someone who has had an asthma-related emergency department visit or
hospital admission in the past year.

Diabetes that requires insulin or other anti-diabetic medication.

Individuals experiencing immunosuppression due to disease or treatment,
including patients undergoing chemotherapy leading to immunosuppression,
patients undergoing radiotherapy, HIV infection at all stages, multiple myeloma
or genetic disorders affecting the immune system (e.g. complement deficiency,
severe combined immunodeficiency, homozygous sickle cell disease,
thalassemia major).


Individuals who are receiving immunosuppressive or immunomodulating
biological therapy including, but not limited to, anti-TNF drugs, alemtuzumab,
ofatumumab, rituximab, patients receiving protein kinase inhibitors or PARP
inhibitors, and individuals treated with steroid sparing agents such as
cyclophosphamide and mycophenolate mofetil.


Individuals treated with, or with a condition that will likely need to be treated with,
systemic steroids for more than two weeks at a dose equivalent to prednisolone
at 20mg or more per day for adults.


Anyone who may require long-term immunosuppressive treatments such as
individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and
psoriasis.

Individuals who are currently pregnant

Individuals with a hospital admission in the last year where schizophrenia,
anxiety disorders, affective disorders, non-organic or organic psychosis,
substance use disorders or any other mental illness is the most responsible
disease for the admission.

Individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI)≥40 kg/m²

Individuals with severe or profound learning disabilities or severe developmental
delay.


Examples include chromosomal abnormalities including Down syndrome, fetal
alcohol syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, Rett syndrome, severe or profound
intellectual disability. ADHD is not an eligible condition.

Individuals who have received these transplants, regardless of the date that the
procedure occurred.

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