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The cause of rare blood clots in a COVID-19 vaccine that killed eight people in Australia may have been found in a new study by local researchers.

The AstraZeneca vaccine was one of the two primarily used in Australia during the early stages of the pandemic, but caused blood clots in about two to three people out of every 100,000 who received it.

The condition was called vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis, 173 confirmed or probable cases of which caused by the vaccine were recorded.

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In many cases, the symptoms were minor and people made a quick recovery, however other cases were far more serious and, in aight instances, fatal.

A team of researchers led by Australian scientists at Flinders University in Adelaide found that in some people, the immune system can confuse a normal adenovirus protein – something used in the AstraZeneca vaccine – for a human blood protein called platelet factor four (PF4).

Their study was released in the latest edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The presence of PF4 causes the body to produce antibodies that trigger blood clotting, which can cause serious injury or death.

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Through linking the two, scientists believe they can now manufacture vaccines to avoid this rare symptom.

"This was the missing link that explains how a normal immune response can, in very rare cases, become harmful," Dr Jing Jing Wang from Flinders University said.

"By modifying or removing this specific adenovirus protein, future vaccines can avoid this extremely rare reaction while continuing to provide strong protection against disease."

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Symptoms of thrombosis included severe headache, blurred vision or shortness of breath, with these occurring from four to 42 days after receiving the first dose of the vaccine.

To minimise the risk of the rare side-effect, the Australian government recommended the AstraZeneca vaccine only be given to people over 60 years old.

This is because younger people have a higher risk of producing a stronger antibody response and developing severe blood clots.

Despite this, many people below 60 years old received at least one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine due to shortages of the Pfizer vaccine amid the push to reach certain vaccination targets and lift lockdown restrictions during the pandemic.

The AstraZeneca vaccine hasn't been available in Australia since 2023.

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When Caitlyn Goodman was growing up as one of four girls in her family, she never dreamed she would one day be building houses as a carpenter.

The prospect of becoming a female tradie just never occurred to her, she said.

But the signs were there, even from a young age.

"My dad was a fencer, and growing up, he taught me how to use power tools. I was always very drawn to it." Goodman, 22, said.

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During her final year of high school, Goodman worked at Bunnings in the timber yard.

"I was becoming very familiar with all the types of timbers and power tools. I was learning a lot," she said.

After finishing her higher school certificate, Goodman briefly toyed with the idea of becoming a nurse, having also worked as a ward clerk, before deciding to follow her heart and become a carpenter.

"One day, I just said, Screw it. I'm just going do it, why not? Why can't I do it?" Goodman said.

With the construction industry facing a critical shortage of workers, particularly in carpentry, getting apprentice job proved to be easy, especially after her dad put a call out to builders he knew, Goodman said.

"We got in contact with Chris, who is my boss now. He had an interview with me. He was really happy, and said, 'When can you start?'" Goodman said.

Goodman is now a third-year apprentice, helping build residential homes in the Greater Melbourne area. 

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) says Australia desperately needs more people like her to have any hope of meeting Australia's ambitious construction targets.

Chippies top list of workers in demand

At the top of the "short supply" list are carpenters – the very trade Goodman is mastering. 

According to the HIA, the math of the National Housing Accord simply doesn't add up without a massive influx of new boots on the ground.

Under the Accord, the Federal Government has set a target to build 1.2 million homes over five years. But according to Mike Hermon, HIA Executive Director for Future Workforce, the industry is currently missing a vital piece of the puzzle.

"Workforce shortages remain one of the biggest constraints on increasing home building activity, with the nation needing an estimated 83,000 additional skilled workers across our key trades," Hermon said.

"Shortages across key residential construction trades, particularly carpentry, are limiting building capacity across the states. Builders across the country are telling us the same thing – demand for housing is there, but access to skilled labour is holding projects back."

Recent HIA data reveals a sobering reality for the sector. A survey of small business members found that 67 percent of respondents are having trouble recruiting or retaining staff.

"If we do not train more apprentices now, the homes Australia needs simply will not be built," Hermon said. 

"Every new home starts with an apprentice on site."

For Goodman, the reasons behind the shortage aren't a mystery. While she loves the reward of "building someone's dream," she said the financial barriers for young people were steep.

"People start their apprenticeship, and then it's just not everything they want – like the pay," Goodman said. "They don't want to stick around and bend over backwards for $16 an hour. Carpenters are one of the lowest-paying trades."

While the government has introduced incentives like a $10,000 apprentice grant, Goodman said the fine print often excluded those who needed it most.

"You have to be living out of home [to get the full grant], but I can't afford to move out of home," she said. "Rather than giving out grants and all that, I think, honestly, just increase the pay."

No looking back

Goodman admits that stepping on site for the first time as an apprentice was daunting.

"I was really scared, honestly, starting out," she said. 

"I'd heard quite a few stories of apprentices not being treated the greatest on site, which is really disheartening to even hear now."

However, those fears were quickly dispelled. 

Goodman said she found herself in a small, supportive team and was even working alongside a female chippie.

"She's made me feel a lot more comfortable working in the industry," Goodman said. "I don't get treated differently, and I don't get treated with disrespect."

Goodman is a staunch advocate for the trades, especially for other women.

"Every single time I tell people what I do, they go, 'Oh, really?' or they think I'm lying," she said.

"I tell other girls – why not? Just do it. 

"I'm going to graduate and be able to actually save up to buy a house, rather than paying off student debt."

Tradie salaries by occupation

• Electrician $95,000 – $115,000
• Plumber $85,000 – $100,000
• Carpenter $80,000 – $95,000
• Painter $80,000 – $90,000
• Bricklayer$75,000 – $85,000

(Source: Seek.com.au)

Do you have a story? Contact reporter Emily McPherson at EM********@******om.au

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A massive brawl has broken out in Turkish parliament, as opposition politicians looked to block the appointment of the new justice minister.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had appointed former chief prosecutor Akin Gurlek to the position; however, opposition legislators attempted to stop him from taking the oath of office this morning.

Video shows punches being thrown and some MPs being separated from each other.

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It is not known if any injuries were sustained during the melee or if any politicians will be sanctioned for their actions.

In his previous role as Istanbul chief prosecutor from 2021, Gurlek had been involved in the sentencing of several prominent opposition politicians, including Selahattin Demirtas and Sirri Sureyya Onder.

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He was also the lead prosecutor in multiple trials involving members of the main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), which has labelled the proceedings politically motivated.

Despite the drama within the parliament, Gurlek was able to swear his oath later on, surrounded by other members of the ruling party who had formed a protective circle around him.

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Demonstrations have been held in Turkey over the last year, including when Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested in a corruption probe.

Imamoglu was a member of the opposition party, and protests in Istanbul and other cities were the largest seen in the country in a decade.

The government has previously insisted the judiciary is independent.

Reported with Associated Press

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Applications for first home buyer loans rose by nearly seven per cent in Australia, the sharpest rise since 2023, according to new data.

A new five per cent deposit scheme and the federal government's Help to Buy scheme saw nearly 32,000 first home buyer loans in the December quarter, the largest rise since 2023, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

This also saw their value increase by 15.5 per cent.

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Head of finance stats at the ABS, Dr Mish Tan, said buyers in one state were driving the changes.

"The size of the average first home buyer loan rose by a record 8.5 per cent to $607,624 this quarter and was largely driven by first home buyers in NSW," he said.

"The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme has increased the eligibility criteria for first home buyers and we are seeing the early effects of this in our data."

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First home buyer loans in New South Wales grew by nearly 11 per cent, with Western Australia and Queensland also having rises of 9.8 per cent and 6.4 per cent respectively.

The only state that saw falls in this area was Tasmania, with first home buyer loan applications dropping by 1.9 per cent.

There were also over 60,000 new investment loans approved in the same time frame, a rise of 5.5 per cent compared to the last quarter and a 23.6 per cent rise compared to the same time period last year.

The total value of these loans was $43 billion, a rise of $3.2 billion.

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