Winners to be announced virtually June 9 at a free online event. About 2,300 cases of long-lasting COVID symptoms and permanent health conditions could also be averted between now and October, the model estimates. As the virus surges in the province and hospitalizations shatter records, the research found the average risk of rare blood clots linked to the vaccine — estimated from one in 50,000 to one in 1,000,000 — is still far less than the risk of COVID-19, particularly in high-transmission areas like the Lower Mainland. “If someone has a lot of exposure, like many frontline workers do, or lives in a more high-risk situation, like in a multi-generational home, then their risk from COVID would be higher,” said lead author Amin Adibi in an interview. “As a result, the AstraZeneca vaccine would be even more beneficial for them.”