Concerned about having second jab of AstraZeneca

[LuluJakey1]

I have read all of the stuff about AstraZeneca and blood clots and felt the EU was making a fuss about something the WHO and EMA were saying was not a significant issue.
However, I have become increasingly worried over the last few days when further reports have emerged. They are all linked to AstraZeneca, not to Pfizer.
This is in The Independent which is the first time I have read of the medical profession here recognising it as an issue and warning Drs about it.
www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-astrazeneca-vaccine-blood-clotting-doctors-b1826144.html
It raises some very interesting points.

I am worried about having the second jab. I am now feeling the government are trying to sweep it under the table' because they have bought so many doses and could not vaccinate everyone without using AZ.
AIBU to be considering not having the second jab?

What I would like to do is leave it for a while and then have two doses of Pfizer. Does anyone know if that is even medically possible?

@LuluJakey1

Does anyone know if it is possible for me to wait a while and have a full course of Pfizer?

Let’s hope they don’t find an increased risk of blood clots in people who have had two different vaccines, otherwise you’re going to look rather foolish.

@ilovesooty

Not another one. The reported figures simply don't bear this out.

I think we will be getting one or two of these posts for a while. It’s the new, “I’m not anti-vax, all my children have their vaxs, but .... [insert link to Twitter or newspaper article]. They will all follow the same format. Await some ardent endorsement from faithful.

It’s like there is a movement of people who want nothing more than people not to vaccinated. They intersect heavily with the people who want nothing more than an end to lockdown. Both have a few loose interpretation of evidence and the truth.

@LuluJakey1

Does anyone know if it is possible for me to wait a while and have a full course of Pfizer?

Yes I know.

I understand your reputation OP i really do, I'm 37, my mother died from one of these very clots at 42, I have a history of 2 x DVT and 7 x pulmonary embolism. I'm anxious too but I had my first dose before all of this came out and I think for the sake of society in general I have to just suck up the general anxiousness I feel and get on with it so I will be having my second dose.

Reputation - trepidation

@PlanBea

1 in 1,000 people in the UK will have a blood clot every year.

1 in 600,000 will have a blood clot after AstraZeneca.

They should just about be giving out the vaccine to prevent blood clots with these kinds of statistics.

What is the age and sex breakdown of those statistics?

Because the key bit here is it appears from the EU data that women aged 30-50 are most at risk of CVST after the Astra jab. We don’t have a sex/age breakdown in the UK yet. But I would be very keen to understand the average risk of a woman aged 30-50 getting CVST compared with the average risk of a woman in that age group getting CVST after the Astra vaccine.

More generally, this story in the Financial Times suggests the incidence rate of CVST and low platelets combined is 10 times higher than normal after the Astra jab in Germany: www.ft.com/content/d5cd63c6-af01-4d29-a5e5-b69ade4f3803

@Johhny4fingers

Funny how the non profit vaccine is coming under increased fire, something sounds fishy to me!

In the UK 30 blood clots in 18 million doses given, works out 1 in 600,000

Exactly! I think it's a smear campaign by other companies. There is no evidence that people vaccinated with AstroZeneca experience a higher level of blood clots than they would otherwise.

@LuluJakey1 7 women. Very sad. How ma g have died from Covid!?

I'm a bit concerned at people using the argument of X amount of people per million will die of covid against X amount of people will get blood clots.
The rare type of blood clot is seemingly being found in women under 55, but the statistics of death from covid are taken from the entire population. I'd be interested in knowing what the statistics are of women under 55 dying from Covid, as it will make a comparison more relevant.

Sorry, cross posted with twoofusburningmatches, same question basically.

Well don’t have it then!! Starting a thread on here about it will achieve nothing.

You know that the risk of complications from catching Covid is far far higher than the possibility of a blood clot from AZ vaccine. Just remember this and have the jab.

@SusannaMorvern

I'm a bit concerned at people using the argument of X amount of people per million will die of covid against X amount of people will get blood clots. The rare type of blood clot is seemingly being found in women under 55, but the statistics of death from covid are taken from the entire population. I'd be interested in knowing what the statistics are of women under 55 dying from Covid, as it will make a comparison more relevant.

Well look it up. Then look up the risk of blood clotting in the same group when unvaccinated. Then look up the risk of blood clotting when vaccinated. Then draw a conclusion.

I had my first jab in January, the Pfizer vaccine. I'm having my second next Tuesday. I know it sounds stupid as the risk seems low, but I'm hoping it's the Pfizer one, because I had a stroke last June, caused by a blood clot.

@LuluJakey1

Druid Not these brain blood clots it hasn't. Both Pfizer and AZ have had other more common blood clots reported. I am not concerned about those blood clots. It is this specific very dangerous brain blood clot I am worried about. Mylovelyhorse Yes, 7 women in Britain have died from this specific blood clot.

Don't have it then, I'll have your dose.

@Bluebellbike it will be the Pfizer as it needs to be the same as the first.

OP you will be able to wait a while and then pay for a course of whichever covid vaccine you prefer (subject to mhra approval obviously).
The while you'll wait is until the world is vaccinated for the first time and there is an abundance of vaccines available.
If I had to guess, around 5 years

I'm not getting any COVID vaccines. Absolutely not, I would have before but I have severe health anxiety and of course brain aneurysms are my biggest fear. I genuinely would rather die of COVID than risk having a blood clot in my brain.

@identitytalks

I'm not getting any COVID vaccines. Absolutely not, I would have before but I have severe health anxiety and of course brain aneurysms are my biggest fear. I genuinely would rather die of COVID than risk having a blood clot in my brain.

It's likely that Covid will give you a blood clot. Oh the irony!

@Johhny4fingers

Funny how the non profit vaccine is coming under increased fire, something sounds fishy to me!

In the UK 30 blood clots in 18 million doses given, works out 1 in 600,000

This.

At the end of the day, 7 possible deaths out of tens of millions is, I'm afraid, what would and should be seen as a tolerable risk. I read a very interesting piece about this some months ago . Apparently a vaccine for one of the previous coronaviruses that swept through Asia, out of millions, caused a serious chronic illness is around 1800 people. The article I read said that once vaccines are rolled out in vast numbers, a tiny rate of dangerous side effects may be discovered - but will likely have to be tolerated compared to the cost of a dangerous virus being unchecked. And while there are other vaccines, the speed of getting vaccinations

So if AZ does turn out to be connected to these clots, I think the cost must be bourne, and we have to understand that the risk of having the vaccination is still incredibly low, lower than death by coronovirus.

identitytalks
I've seen people die of brain blood clots and of Covid and personally, I'd take the blood clot every single time.

@serin

identitytalks I've seen people die of brain blood clots and of Covid and personally, I'd take the blood clot every single time.

This makes no sense whatsoever. There is no proven link with the jab and Covid and Covid can give you a blood clot. That is proven.

In the UK 30 blood clots in 18 million doses given, works out 1 in 600,000

Yes but this figure is all people who have had the AZ vaccine. There is evidence emerging, that is not being widely reported in UK, that the people affected by the blood clots are female and under 55. So straight away that number of 18 million shrinks if you consider the cohort who seem to be at risk. Say 50/50 male female so number drops to 9 million. Then take away from that 9 million the over 55s. No, I dont have that final break down of figures yet but I think that number keeps shrinking. Paints a bit of a different picture. I've been very no nonsense attitude of just have the vaccine and get on with it etc. But now, I'm not sure. I don't see the same coverage here as two SIL in Germany and Denmark are reading about. I suddenly am not sure. So that's enough for me to hold off on second vaccine until there is more coverage and understanding of who, specifically is being affected.

OP, totally understand where you coming from.

Of course it is your choice- every medical procedure carries risks. However statistically I would rather take my chances with my second jab than have covid. I am in my 40s and the risk of long covid worries me much more, (or death-people in their 40s do die of covid). Mumps, measles and rubella killed or caused long term disability in tens of thousands. I think people are very sheltered now about how devastating these illnesses can be because of the successful vaccination programmes and hurd immunity. One dodgy study managed to really undermine MMR to the extent in some parts of the country these disease became a real concern again. The same with infections and antibiotics, we just take it for granted now we probably will not die. Yes some people have allergic reactions- would you rather risk a life threatening infection? We are so bloody lucky to see the advances in medicine we have since the mid-20th century. The fact scientists have been able to produce several vaccines for covid-19 is a bloody miracle and I am very grateful that these underpaid, very clever people have probably worked day and night for a year.

@Aunthe

In the UK 30 blood clots in 18 million doses given, works out 1 in 600,000

Yes but this figure is all people who have had the AZ vaccine. There is evidence emerging, that is not being widely reported in UK, that the people affected by the blood clots are female and under 55. So straight away that number of 18 million shrinks if you consider the cohort who seem to be at risk. Say 50/50 male female so number drops to 9 million. Then take away from that 9 million the over 55s. No, I dont have that final break down of figures yet but I think that number keeps shrinking. Paints a bit of a different picture. I've been very no nonsense attitude of just have the vaccine and get on with it etc. But now, I'm not sure. I don't see the same coverage here as two SIL in Germany and Denmark are reading about. I suddenly am not sure. So that's enough for me to hold off on second vaccine until there is more coverage and understanding of who, specifically is being affected.

OP, totally understand where you coming from.

In the uk the cases have all been male.