Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and the side effects

[LeSquigh]

Morning all

Many of my colleagues have now received the first dose of the Oxford vaccine and every single one of them has reported side effects, quite a large number have had to take time off work and been bedridden. Are we in the minority or is this true for all that have it? Not really looking forward to my turn!

Just because someone knows of 30 people who have had the vaccine and didn't get side effects, doesn't mean those of us who are experiencing feeling a bit shit are lying or skiving off

I had the AZ vaccine yesterday. No side effects at all, not even a sore arm.

One of my colleagues had the Pfizer jab last week and had a very sore arm and a headache the next day.

Local care home done and none of the residents who are very vulnerable had any side effects. My father not done yet but cannot wait.

My partners father in 80's both vaccine's and no side effects at all and ex's mother both vaccines and had cancer a few years ago but now has other health problems and no side effects at all....

Strange that a group of 100 all together..... I believe over 4 MILLION have now been vaccinated in the UK

@Sparklingbrook So am I! It would save me a fortune in car repairs and would give me a more valid reason for having no medical training but also being 999 services 🤣

[quote LeSquigh]@Sparklingbrook So am I! It would save me a fortune in car repairs and would give me a more valid reason for having no medical training but also being 999 services 🤣[/quote]
But now I want to know if an AA bod would have medical training. because I might faint while they are mending my car or something.

Steinar Madsen, medical director of the Norwegian Medicines Agency (NOMA), told The BMJ. “There is no certain connection between these deaths and the vaccine.”

There is a big rise in anti vax posts at the moment. Ummm interesting

@Timeontimeoff well this isn’t one of them.

I think there are some people on here who are displaying worrying levels of paranoia at people discussing and sharing experiences. If your paranoia has become so acute that this thread is causing you panic, can I strongly recommend you speak to your GP? I know these times are unsettling, but being sent into a panic by people discussing a subject really isn’t a healthy reaction.

How are these side effects severe? You and you're colleagues must be very delicate if you think that's severe. I get the exact same from the flu jab I have every year - sire arm, feeling a bit achey and under the weather for a d at or two and bit of a headache. Have you seen anyone with severe covid?

These side effects are nothing to do with the vaccine itself, it's just a sign your immune system is activating well and building up immunity. Think yourself lucky and be grateful, many of us would kill for the vaccine and won't get it for many months.

Oh so now the 'anger' has been replaced as 'paranoia'

@pinbinpin I do know I am lucky to get the vaccine earlier than most.

I would say that being confined to bed and being unable to move with a fever is fairly severe as a side effect. I’ve had many vaccinations and never had side effects like this. I’ve also had COVID and my symptoms were much less than my colleagues are suffering with side effects.

thanks for posting OP, it is useful to know and means that we can plan around this, ie ensure that if we have side effects the next day, its not a disaster. This is useful information.

if you're really "unable to move with a fever" then you should be in hospital.

I am very interested in reading about side effects for Oxford vs Pfizer - as I have allergies. Anaphylaxis level - food allergy + penicillin and sensitive to certain chemicals, plants etc.
My mum had Pfizer and she said she was asked the question ‘do you have any allergies?’ She doesn’t, and I have no idea what the response would be if she’d said ‘yes’.
I will take whichever vaccine I’m offered , probably around March/April as I’m only early fifties. But still a tad nervous .

@Sparklingbrook Displaying high levels of distress and fear that something bad might happen as a result of people discussing a medical treatment? Yes, I would suggest that is paranoid behaviour.

I would say that being confined to bed and being unable to move with a fever is fairly severe as a side effect.

Clinically anything you self-treat with OTC drugs, a warm duvet and daytime tv is mild. Physically unable to move - ie paralysed needs 999. I'm guessing unable to move doesn't actually mean unable to move though does it.

[quote Whatisthisfuckery]@Sparklingbrook Displaying high levels of distress and fear that something bad might happen as a result of people discussing a medical treatment? Yes, I would suggest that is paranoid behaviour.[/quote]
I am not seeing high levels of distress or fear TBH, it's a Talk Forum!

Sigh.

Yes, it is very clearly stated in the patient information leaflet. It is not a surprise.

Whilst not an ideal way of describing it, people will. You can’t really blame the OP.

the government clearly need to do a better job of communicating the side effects (public information adverts?) otherwise people will be put off when information comes from unofficial sources and here say like this.

Here is what it says in the green book which is readily available latest source of information on the vaccines.

”From early phase trials, mild pain and tenderness at the injection site was common with AstraZeneca COVID- 19 vaccine occurring in 88% of 18-55 year olds, 73% of 56-69 year olds and 61% of people aged 70 years or over; similar levels were reported after each dose. Short lived systemic symptoms including fatigue and headache were also common but decreased with age being reported in 86%, 77%, and 65% of those aged 18-55, 56-69 and 70 years or over respectively; most of these were classified as mild or moderate. These reactions were unusual after the second dose (Ramasamy et al, 2020). Mild fever (>38 ̊C) was recorded in the first 48 hours for around a quarter of younger participants and but was not reported in those over 55 years of age or in any age group after the second dose (Ramasamy et al, 2020). Fever can be modified by the prophylactic use of paracetamol, which does not affect the immune response to this vaccine (Folegatti et al, 2020). “

Reports from the local care home near here that got the Oxford vaccine was that quite a few staff had bad flu symptoms for a couple of days afterwards. My mother is getting her vaccine today so I'd already warned her what she might expect and she'd read the leaflets sent out so she's all ready. Better than getting a dose of covid.

I’m surprised this thread hasn’t been whooshed yet as not conforming to the views MN insists we all have.

@EmmanuelleMakro

I’m surprised this thread hasn’t been whooshed yet as not conforming to the views MN insists we all have.

Somebody would have to have reported it first.

I would also highlight this:

“ Vaccinated individuals should be advised that the COVID-19 vaccine may cause a mild fever which usually resolves within 48 hours. This is a common, expected reaction and isolation is not required unless there are epidemiological or other clinical reasons to suspect SARS-CoV-2 infection.”

OP, do you think that some of your colleagues are over-egging it a bit??

Or did literally everyone get sick? Because if so, I would say that is reason enough to get everyone tested. It is far beyond the expected number of people with side effects and we are in the middle of a pandemic here, so it is also entirely possible they got covid.

I would take into account whether older people also got the symptoms, whether everyone was together for this vaccination and whether you are in an area of high transmission at the moment.

@pinbinpin

if you're really "unable to move with a fever" then you should be in hospital.

Rubbish. Thousands of healthy people suffer those symptoms for a day or two with seasonal flu every year, and some very unlucky people suffer them briefly as side effects of the flu jab. Even in normal times it’s not cause for hospitalisation, let alone in the middle of a health crisis.

Exactly!

And the fact you are experiencing the mild side effects mean you are not old and still have a tip top immune system - again, lucky.