Pfizer or AstraZeneca

[EveryDayIsADuvetDay]

I'm lucky enough to have been offered a choice (well not a direct choice of vaccine, but I can book at a large centre that I know is using Pfizer, or my GP which is AstraZeneca).

What would you prefer, and why?

I'm hoping for Pfizer. I had a last minute text this afternoon but couldn't attend, but I think I can book next time there is a clinic now that I have the text from the surgery. Today was AZ and so is the rest of the weekend, but no appointments left, but I don't mind waiting to see if it might be Pfizer at the next one - they were using that in January, and only switched to AZ lately. I'm not going to be extra choosy about it all, but if I can book on the right day for the one I want, I will try. Not sure they will say which they have when, though!

Even though I had a text from the surgery to book, I can't book on the national service, so my surgery must be well ahead of the game. I didn't expect to be called for ages yet. Unless they were really desperate in looking for people to fill the clinics this weekend, and were calling anyone in any of the groups? I expect to be group 9, but it's possible they've put me in group 6. The national booking link doesn't seem to know that, though, or maybe they're not on to group 6 anyway.

I hope the surgery link lets me book again when there is another clinic in a week or two, and it wasn't just a one-off chance for this week's unfilled spaces!

I’d much prefer Pfizer. It’s a complete no brainier.

Brainer*

@nolovelost

I wanted the AZ but was given Pfizer even though I have autoimmune conditions and a penicillin allergy and I've been fine. Apparently I'm fine with both.

The nurse didn't inject me, she stabbed me!! It's not really sunk in yet that I've had it, although the sore arm keeps reminding me!

I also have autoimmune conditions and allergies, I thought I would only be able to have the AZ .

@nolovelost

I wanted the AZ but was given Pfizer even though I have autoimmune conditions and a penicillin allergy and I've been fine. Apparently I'm fine with both.

The nurse didn't inject me, she stabbed me!! It's not really sunk in yet that I've had it, although the sore arm keeps reminding me!

I went with my great Aunt and it looked to me more like playing darts than an injection. A definite hard jab.

@doireallyneedaname

I’d much prefer Pfizer. It’s a complete no brainier.

I'd like Moderna:/Pfizer-BioNTech.

Hmm I had AZ. I guess Pfizer looks maybe a bit preferable at the moment, had i had a free choice, but I am not that bothered. I am not old/no health issues (had it for work reasons) so really only concerned about avoiding severe disease or long covid and cutting transmission. Which AZ seems to do.

I'm going for mine on Sunday. I have no idea which one I am getting, I'm just grateful I'm getting one. I had Covid five weeks ago which was horrible and I don't want to have to go through that again. For some reason we have only just become eligible. I work for a children's care home and the virus ripped through both staff and our children. At one point there were barely enough staff on duty to look after the children. Scary time.

My mum and dad had the Pfizer jab on Wednesday. My mum has had a bad reaction to penicillin before but has had no issues other than a sore arm.

I think I’d like the Pfizer but would be happy with either

@SirVixofVixHall that's what I thought, even though they were trying to reassure people a while back that it was a very small number of people, who had very severe allergies and they were fine after a while.

The nurse said I was fine because I hadn't had a life threatening reaction (just a horrendous rash from top to toe!) and there had been no known interactions - ( my autoimmune problems/clotting issues).

I was a bit nervous beforehand. Had it yesterday and nothing yet, apart from a sore arm.

Suprised but happy I've had the Pfizer.

Thank you. I know someone with an allergy who has had the Pfizer, she was fine, but I have read that it is not given if you carry Epipens, which I do.
All so confusing !

@SirVixofVixHall oh okay, well I'm not sure then, definitely check. When do you qualify to have it? I've only had it this soon as I'm a carer, nothing to do with my conditions.

Not sure, should be group 6 as I am coeliac, but I haven’t had an official diagnosis yet as I can’t cope with two months of being really unwell eating gluten. So I need to talk to my GP about that. Group 8 with my age (50s) .

So do we know if there is an actual difference in what GP's are giving compared to the large centres ? Or is it random ?

It seems a bit random around here, but more AZ lately. GPs have been more likely to have Pfizer here, or they were at first, whilst larger centres were more AZ, but now they're mostly all AZ.

I read somewhere that GPs etc only get 2 days notice before a vaccine shipment is available - does anyone know if that's true? And that they don't know which one? Or do they request one and see if they can get it - only some places can use the Pfizer because of storage etc.

My GP had a clinic this weekend but I couldn't get to it, and no-one knows when their next one will be. I am not eligible for the national booking yet, so I'm waiting to see when the GP will release more. I'd thought they would be quite regular, so I wasn't worrying about cancelling work last minute to get there this weekend, but if they are only getting 2 days notice ever, then maybe I will always have to be prepared to go last minute, which is OK if I know that's the situation. I assumed GPs were more like the hubs, just on a smaller scale - that they'd be doing a continuous operation, but it seems that they are more intermittent.

@SirVixofVixHall yes speak to your GP ASAP, see if you can have it anyway.

I had pizer at gp surgery, cev .Didn't feel a thing. Felt cold the next day and I had stiff sore arm but that went after couple of days. I think it has been a mix of pizer and Az as far as I can tell .