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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Reassure me about the AstraZeneca vaccine as Denmark have banned it

106 replies

Urbanhymngirl · 14/04/2021 17:33

I have my first vaccine tomorrow and it’s the AstraZeneca one - Denmark have banned it today over the risk of blood clots- Aibu to ask for some reassurance? I feel REALLY anxious 😬

OP posts:
Wizzbangfizz · 14/04/2021 19:04

Unhelpful but I think the AZ vaccine is the new schools being open are going to kill us all thread for the hysterical.

MarshaBradyo · 14/04/2021 19:07

I feel we’re losing it a bit on this or posters are deliberately stirring

JustDanceAddict · 14/04/2021 19:08

I had mine 2.5 weeks ago as a middle-aged woman (younger than 50) and am fine. Barely any SEs.
The risks are tiny, dying risk is 1 in a million. Much more likely to get a clot from Covid.
I will have my 2nd dose.

I got mine just before they announced the link.

JustDanceAddict · 14/04/2021 19:11

@Lunar567 - good luck w that!

Tealightsandd · 14/04/2021 19:14

The risk of abnormal clotting from covid and long covid is much much higher (including to people under 50).

I don't know if there's any politics or trade deals (i.e. with Pfizer) motivating Denmark and other places because the decision seems disproportionate and odd.

The only possibly understandable reason I can think of is they want the 90% efficacy of Pfizer over the 60-70% of AZ. But that's only really a decision a country can make if they have the luxury of time. Somewhere like Australia, for example, with almost no cases due to their closed borders.

I wonder whether the real motivation is lack of supply tbh.

cardibach · 14/04/2021 19:24

@Tealightsandd there’s a really good video around explaining why those efficacy figures are not saying what we think they are somewhere. I’ll see if I can find it. Suffice to say, AZ (and J&J which has a slightly lower figure) are every bit as good, so I doubt it’s that.
Supply seems possible.

caringdenise009 · 14/04/2021 19:26

When I had my first dose I only found out the brand when I arrived at the centre and there was a notice up saying today's vaccine is AZ. Is that information only available in certain areas? This was in n London

cardibach · 14/04/2021 19:26

Here’s the video I mentioned

Not sure how to embed it, but the link should work if this doesn’t do that.
Original poster
Urbanhymngirl · 14/04/2021 19:30

Someone said to me it might be political as AZ aren’t profiteering from the vaccine & big pharma don’t like it

OP posts:
PandoraP · 14/04/2021 19:35

And Denmark is in the hands of big pharma? I think it’s more to do with taking a cautious approach which other countries have done from the beginning of the pandemic. U.K. has not managed this pandemic well. So numb from the high date rate people have become statistics.

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 14/04/2021 19:36

@Urbanhymngirl

I have quite bad health anxiety to be honest. The way my mind works is that it disregards the data and thinks I will be the unlucky one 😬
You're not the only one, and I do get it! It's the same thing that keeps us playing the lottery, I suppose.

Here's a fairly brutal way of looking at it: unless you're planning on hiding away for the rest of your life, which would be a really crappy way to live, you have to play a round of Russian Roulette. The good news is, you get to choose between two guns. Each has one bullet, but one (the vaccine) has a million chambers. The other (COVID) has between 200 and 400 chambers.

Chicchicchicchiclana · 14/04/2021 19:37

There is a Covid-19 topic for this sort of question, which comes up all the time. Maybe have a look on there or post on there?

YABU.

Tealightsandd · 14/04/2021 19:40

Thanks for the link @cardibach

I'm happy that I've had AZ.

I think it might be about supply then.

Treppidayshon · 14/04/2021 19:43

@Urbanhymngirl the risk is no more than going on a long-haul flight. And you're much more likely to get lethal blood clots from covid itself.

Original poster
Urbanhymngirl · 14/04/2021 19:47

@Chicchicchicchiclana why do the post police ALWAYS turn up? I posted on here for traffic if that’s ok with you?

OP posts:
Poppytroll · 14/04/2021 19:51

I’m getting my second dose happily for what it’s worth but the risk can’t be lower than the risk of getting hit by lightning surely?! I’ve read this a few times. Who are all these people who have been hit by lightning since January?!

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 14/04/2021 19:52

Here's a fairly brutal way of looking at it: unless you're planning on hiding away for the rest of your life, which would be a really crappy way to live, you have to play a round of Russian Roulette. The good news is, you get to choose between two guns. Each has one bullet, but one (the vaccine) has a million chambers. The other (COVID) has between 200 and 400 chambers.

And to build further on my above analogy - currently, there are hundreds of stories in the media about how dangerous these million chamber guns are, and how many countries are banning them. Meanwhile, the deaths from the 200 chamber guns are reported as a statistic, and that statistic is so high, and we've been hearing it for so long, that we've become numb to it.

This skewed logic has led to the hard-of-thinking saying things like, "If you want to risk your life with a million chamber gun, go ahead. I prefer to rely on my skull to stop a bullet from a 200 chamber gun."

BreakfastClub80 · 14/04/2021 19:59

Around the time I had my AZ vaccine, the links to blood clots were just starting to become more serious. What helped me was learning what the symptoms of CVST were and when they might appear as I’d read that it was generally treatable.

I don’t know if this would help you (I don’t generally have health anxiety but have had abnormal immunological activity involving clotting before) but for me, I needed to acknowledge the risks and understand it.

Having said that, the relative risks are now known to be so low compared to other activities that this might in itself reassure you.

Chicchicchicchiclana · 14/04/2021 19:59

There's loads of traffic on the Covid board so no, it's not alright with me. Which is why I mentioned it.

rarari · 14/04/2021 20:04

what's confusing me is that I know the risk is low but then Denmark has stopped it & other countries have a higher age cut off which spooks me.

Mytiredeyeshaveseenenough · 14/04/2021 20:10

I've got all manner of stuff going on. I've had AZ dose 1and although it beat me up I'm ready for the second.

Have a look in the paperwork with virtually every drug going, you know the sheet that you crumple up and bin. Virtually every drug has some really rare serious side effect.

You'll be fine.

Original poster
Urbanhymngirl · 14/04/2021 20:14

@Chicchicchicchiclana please stop policing people’s threads. If you don’t like it, don’t read it

OP posts:
Oblomov21 · 14/04/2021 20:16

Pp has a point. You should post in the covid section. Sorry you don't like the rules. And respect for others that we all try and adhere to.

MumofSpud · 14/04/2021 20:16

@Urbanhymngirl

I have my first vaccine tomorrow and it’s the AstraZeneca one - Denmark have banned it today over the risk of blood clots- Aibu to ask for some reassurance? I feel REALLY anxious 😬
I had my first vaccine this morning! It was the A-Z one, I kept / keep telling myself they benefits outweigh the risks!! Good Luck
sansucre · 14/04/2021 20:19

I had my first dose a few weeks ago. About six hours after the jab, I felt dreadful and continued to feel dreadful for 48 hours afterwards but it passed and feel fine now.

What I will suggest is that you have some paracetamol to hand as that will help you through. Also, be sure to have the jab in the arm you don't use to write.

I actually wanted to AZ and was glad this is the one I was given. The risk of blood clots are tiny, I really wouldn't waste you time being anxious about this.

PS. I genuinely believe a lot of the hoo ha surrounding AZ has to do with the fact it's the only Covid vaccine that is being sold at cost price i.e. not for profit.