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!

I think it all boils down to this OP

“I also do understand that these are all listed as side effects, we are just surprised at how severe they are.”

When the leaflets talk about mild to moderate, what they really mean is you don’t require hospitalisation.

But your perception and description of your colleagues’ symptoms is that they are severe.

It is just a matter of expectation versus reality and I think the government should manage that expectation.

Particularly for younger people as they have much stronger immune reactions and therefore side effects.

How very odd that every person you know OP that has had it has had such reactions when every person I know who has had it had nothing if at most, some soreness where injected. Except two men (one @30 who took part in the trials, the other 57) all have been very elderly.

So if true, let’s hope they have actually reported their side effects.

My husband had the Oxford vaccine last week and had a few adverse effects which lasted about three days ie headache, muscle aches, temperature and feeling generally rubbish. He says a few of his colleagues have reported the same. Not feeling poorly enough to be off work but just feeling a bit unwell. He's still very pleased he had it though! He has a yearly flu jab but has never had a reaction to that.

His parents who are in their 80s also had the Oxford vaccine with no side effects at all.

@pinbinpin

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

That is one of the silliest comments on this thread

Had the Pfizer one yesterday and feel sick and shivery today. Dh had it a week ago and had a slight sore arm.

My colleagues, about 35 people, had the Oxford jab. Most felt pretty rough, a couple who had already had covid said the symptoms were very similar. A few had to take a day or two off work with muscle aches, shivers, headaches, exhaustion. Some had no symptoms at all. We all had a covid test - we have two or three tests every week each -the day after the jab and all we’re negative.
I had the Pfizer jab and had no symptoms at all

I had the Oxford /AZ vaccine yesterday, I've had an unpleasant headache since and a mild fever and generally feeling a bit muzzy headed and tired - sort of like when you know you're beginning to come down with a cold. My arm is absolutely fine, the flu jab made it hurt more.
I'm having a quiet day but fully expect to feel much improved within a day or so. I'm in my late 40s and haven't had COVID.

Not read all of the replies on here but I dont think the OP is being alarmist.

Why do so many people need to have such polarised thinking?

Why does the vaccine have to have no side effects and possible side effects = anti vax = conspiracy theorist?

How have we all lost are ability to think critically and see not just black and white but shades of grey?

So what if the vaccines work but they also make some people feel like shit?

Why does it matter? Does pro vax have to equal nothing but blue sky rainbows and unicorns?

It's like the anti Tory or pro trump type of thought process

Tory = bad = must hate every single thing about government

And trump = saviour = storming capital hill = justified.

So what if there are side effects? Does the mean the OP said dont have it? It will kill you? It wont work? NO.

She is asking a critical thought process question about side effects.

So how come people dont like that?

If your pro vax you must never ever talk badly about it as the only side effect is unicorn dust coming out of your arse and if your a conspiracy theorist is has to be full of nano tech?

Is that really the only two options? Could there not be a whole host of possibility in between.

Maybe because I'm.scientist I think show me the data and proof. How nice and simple and reassuring life must be where you pick one agenda and look for things that support your agenda at the cost of seeing the whole picture.

By the way I'm not anti vax. But because I believe in this vaccine doesnt mean I wouldn't shout out poppycock if evidence came out that is was 100% safe 100% of the time for 100% of people as that would make me a bit of a numpty

...younger people or those who have had the disease are more likely to experience side effects.

That's interesting, I know 5 elderly (over 80) people who had the Oxford vaccine and absolutely no side effects at all, not even a mildly sore arm.
Perhaps getting a strong reaction is a good thing and shows the immune system is working well?

Other injections do this though, I can still remember having a typhoid and cholera jab for a holiday and feeling ill and fluish the next day with a temperature.

Ugh christ another poorly veiled antivax thread.

Change the record OP.

Just want my life back. I really don't care about feeling a bit ill. So what, so do my babies when they get the meningitis vaccine.
Really irritating post that implies something is being hidden when it isn't.

@PaddyF0dder if you had read the thread you would see that I am far from an anti vaxxer. I and my children have all recommended vaccinations, they have had private ones such as chicken pox on top of the NHS ones and I will be having the COVID vaccine just as soon as I am able to. Whilst I may have been mildly hesitant in the past about the COVID vaccine with it being so new, I don’t think that viewpoint is anything unusual and I am absolutely going to be having the vaccine, hopefully next week, as soon as I am able to. The only reason I haven’t yet had it is because I have had COVID within the last month and am not yet allowed to.

You are making yourself sound quite ridiculous suggesting this is think it veiled anti vaxxer propaganda. NOTHING I have said suggests that at all, and you are just taking from it what you want to hear rather than what has actually been said. But it’s a free country, believe what you like. All I can state is the facts as I know them regarding people I know.

@tatutata I am not suggesting anything of the sort! I am not implying something is being hidden, I am saying that I am surprised that the side effects being as severe as they are is not something I had heard about. Maybe not enough people have reported them and that’s why? I’m not suggesting a cover up at all, I am asking if anyone has had similar symptoms and it turns out a good many people have.

My parents got their jabs on Saturday. My mum felt like shit all Sunday (but not bedridden, more sat on the sofa all day) but was fine by Monday. My ancient, frail old father has been fine.

I do think these are vaccines that come with the "risk" of feeling rubbish for 24-48 hours after them but that's nothing compared to how rubbish even a mild case of cv can make you feel.

I think people need to understand this is not like the flu vaccine. The rate of side effects is much higher. If you read the MHRA document 53% of people will get a headache, 53% of people will get fatigue, a quarter of people will get chills etc. This is much higher than Pfizer (which in turn is a bit higher than the normal flu shots). But these symptoms are transitory and proof that it’s working.

I for one think it’s important to know this advance so you’re not worried when they occur. The press is not reporting it presumably because they don’t want to provide any ammunition to the anti-vaxxers.

For fuck sake, OP can discuss the side effects of a vaccine without being an anti vaxxer.

My husband had his second dose of Pfizer last week, and was flat on his back for almost two days,which is very unlike him.

Should he lie for the good of the nation and pretend he felt fine?

He had no hesitation about getting the vaccination and would happily do so again, despite feeling dreadful for 48 hours.

Surely that is a better message to send out than pretending everyone will feel 100% wonderful?

Because then people who don't feel wonderful will start chirping away about how they think the vaccine is dodgy, it made them REALLY SICK when apparently it WAS ALL SUPPOSED TO BE FINE.

I agree @ReallySpicyCurry

@LeSquigh OK well that's how it comes across, partly because there are so many posts like this that are just thinly veiled conspiracy theories.

Isn’t it like with the flu vaccine, where you feel a bit rotten afterwards...
My uncle had covid over Christmas and has his jab this week. He’s still not feeling great, so hope this doesn’t set him back. He’s in his eighties with emphysema.

Ignore me if this has already been posted, but the info on the Patients' Information Leaflet is here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-approval-of-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca/information-for-uk-recipients-on-covid-19-vaccine-astrazeneca

It includes:
Very Common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)
Tenderness, pain, warmth, redness, itching, swelling or bruising where the injection is given
Generally feeling unwell
Feeling tired (fatigue)
Chills or feeling feverish
Headache
Feeling sick (nausea)
Joint pain or muscle ache

Even at "more than 1 in 10 people" though, it's a bit disappointing to hear it affected so many so badly

My sister had the Oxford vaccine and said all the ones who had it at work including her felt feverish and weak.
My adult dd also had the Oxford one and has had temp, shivering for two days, she had Covid earlier in the year too.

I’ve actually found this thread very helpful. If I’d felt really quite ill after having it I would have worried, so it’s useful to know that this is fairly common and helpful as I’d now ideally arrange for myself and my DH to have it at different times as we have young children to look after. I don’t think the thread is alarmist or anti vax.

@Bettydot thank you. I also have young children and will need to make sure that I have it on a day when I know my DP will be off work too in case I am too unwell to look after them.

I’m glad the thread has been helpful to some people. 🙂

@ReallySpicyCurry

For fuck sake, OP can discuss the side effects of a vaccine without being an anti vaxxer.

My husband had his second dose of Pfizer last week, and was flat on his back for almost two days,which is very unlike him.

Should he lie for the good of the nation and pretend he felt fine?

He had no hesitation about getting the vaccination and would happily do so again, despite feeling dreadful for 48 hours.

Surely that is a better message to send out than pretending everyone will feel 100% wonderful?

Because then people who don't feel wonderful will start chirping away about how they think the vaccine is dodgy, it made them REALLY SICK when apparently it WAS ALL SUPPOSED TO BE FINE.

Also ^^ this. Grow up. It’s going to have side effects! Good grief, do you think you have it and feel amazingly bouncy like it’s the God damn elixir of life. Really is a nest of vipers on here lately. Very stupid vipers.