Ireland halting the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine

[Kaylasmum49]

This just came up on my phone. I had the AZ vaccine 10 days ago. I'm concerned about the news of blood clotting issues.

I think it's normal to worry. I can't take the pill because I'm at risk of blood clots but nobody seems to be able to tell me what this means for the vaccine.

ADRs are under reported. The yellow card scheme is great but it won’t be entirely accurate. I hope they can get an answer soon. At least there are other vaccine options available so they can keep vaccinating the more vulnerable groups while this is being investigated

The problem is the EU aren't really getting on with vaccinating their vulnerable groups are they? They are falling further and further behind.

I believe Hungary is the EU country with the highest vaccination rate and that's because they bought their own supplies from Russia and are using the Sputnik vaccine.

? The link being the body's immune response in an already succeptible individual.

And I agree, no evidence for any need for concern above normal background level.

@AcornAutumn

I had the AZ vaccine and my normally low bp was too high for a few days afterwards, logically that's because I was...ill with a virus...

I think I will refuse the second one.

From the original trials it seemed more common to get symptoms with the first dose of AZ and the second dose of Pfizer, so you've actually already done the hard bit! Have a chat with your GP nearer the time if you still aren't sure, see if that's still the case. It'd be a shame not to get the boosted protection if you wouldn't even get side effects next time!

Can I ask what the gist of it was about obesity please?

If you're obese, you're likely to suffer from underlying conditions (diagnosed or as yet undiagnosed). High cholesterol, high BP, diabetes etc. Also, if you can think about it purely physically, when you're obese, you're probably not aerobically fit. So your little heart, still has to pump blood all around a larger body as it did when you were young and slim. Except it's the same little heart, so it's under increased strain. Then, you have the pressure the extra weight has on your lung capacity, plus the simple fact that your body weight is pressing on your lungs.
Add to that a presumption that your diet is probably unhealthy, therefore your immune system also.

Covid attacks the respiratory system first but when that is put under pressure, it feeds oxygen to the heart, so if heart not getting enough O2, then heart also put under pressure.

LAYMAN'S assessment of the 'gist'.

@murbblurb

Cap fits?? Your vaccine choice is take or leave. This kind of scaremongering in a world where many are fools does not help.

There are risks. My drive to get the vaccine was probably higher personal risk than the vaccine itself. Worry about that.

Anyone who isn't a fool can assess risk and say 'yes it is there but we must make hard choices'.

Oh be quiet insulting the op

AcornAutumn the vaccine could not cause you to be ill with a virus because the vaccine does not involve a live virus.

Here’s the link @SunshiningBetty
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p099k5fx

TLDR, yes obesity does increase your risk and serious obesity over a BMI of 35 increases it significantly but age is still the dominant factor so if you’re relatively young and presumably female then be cautious but not too fatalistic. Remember that the vast majority of octogenarians will still survive Covid 19, and you’re almost certainly at much lower risk than them.

MRex

I didn't actually want the vaccine, I took it because I thought
A) my doctor would give me grief
B) the totalitarian regime might force me to have it to use public transport

Now I feel more ready to be strong and say no, and clearly many others are doing the same.

@pinkearedcow

AcornAutumn the vaccine could not cause you to be ill with a virus because the vaccine does not involve a live virus.

It does however cause flu-like symptoms which require treatment in the form of analgesics at the very least.

As far as I'm aware, only 4 adults have had this issue. Not sure how many people they have vaccinated yet but I'm imagining that currently this is a very, very small percentage, much less than 1% of vaccine receivers and I'm sure if they knew the full picture yet of why they had these blood clots. It's probably the same, or less of a percentage than for women who get blood clots from hormonal contraceptives.

There are not many who willingly will parade in for a shot which they know is going to cause them usually, at least some short time side effects. The government have pressed on with endorsing it and making us feel like chimps for not obeying the science, or them.

I'm just taking my time before I rush to get it.

@Whichjab

You will be swamped soon with people telling you that you are scaremongering, but I agree this is worrying. The clots probably aren't linked but the UKs refusal to consider that there maybe an issue and the desire of many to shut down the conversation is scary. The acceptance that its caused 'by a dodgy batch ' is also terrifying.

This, combined with the severe outbreak of covid in the Sidmouth care home which hasn't been widely reported, makes me much less optimistic.

The UK is not refusing to consider there may be an issue. They are closely monitoring all reported issues, having rolled out more AZ vaccine than anywhere in the world. I'm far from being a fan of Boris under any circumstances, and I certainly do not credit him with the successful rollout of the vaccine, so I am certainly not defending or sticking up for the government on any issue. But scientists and clinicians have been clear in the fact that they are monitoring the situation but that there is not a shred of evidence linking these very small numbers of deaths to the vaccine.

It is inevitable that after having the vaccine, some people will die. Of other things. It is equally inevitable that some of those not having the vaccine will die afterwards. So if three people who haven't had the vaccine all die of strokes (for example), should we link their deaths to not having had the vaccine? Of course not. That would be ludicrous. But based on just as compelling evidence as suggesting the vaccine has resulted in deaths.

As for the deaths in Sidmouth and Exmouth, they are tragic, but they certainly have been reported (I'm in Scotland and knew about them) but again one has to keep things in proportion. These are care homes with residents who are the oldest and most vulnerable members of society. They are very vulnerable to lots of things, including Covid, and having had the vaccine - even after two doses - does not make anyone invulnerable. In a care home setting the flu is just as dangerous, and the vaccines for flu are typically less protective than those for Covid are testing at.

It's rubbish. All part of the EU plan to discredit the AZ vaccine.

Same @Silverandgoldsparkles . I think it would be highly irresponsible of me to take a vaccine that is technically still in trials where safety concerns have been raised . Especially as the risk factor for covid is so low for me. Therefore I am not an anti vaxxer but waiting to see the outcome of these and when I go ahead go with the vaccine with the best safety record

@Viviennemary

It's rubbish. All part of the EU plan to discredit the AZ vaccine.

I can't help but be suspicious that there is some of this at play here. EU and individual member governments coming in for some serious flack about delays, even questioning whether some states are getting more of their share of the vaccine than others. Far easier to discredit the AZ vaccine to deflect from all this.

I have name changed. Had the first vaccine a few weeks. Suffered the sickness, under the weather symptoms for first 48 hours like many people. About 7-10 days later suffering from blunt and sharp pains in shoulder, neck and head. One side of face a bit slack. Am on tablets now to thin the blood.

had the AZ vaccine and my normally low bp was too high for a few days afterwards, logically that's because I was...ill with a virus...

I think I will refuse the second one.

Yes, that’s going to get us out of this, a lot of half vaccinated people running round the country.

@PantherPantherus

I have name changed. Had the first vaccine a few weeks. Suffered the sickness, under the weather symptoms for first 48 hours like many people. About 7-10 days later suffering from blunt and sharp pains in shoulder, neck and head. One side of face a bit slack. Am on tablets now to thin the blood.

Sorry to hear that - have you had a diagnosis?

@PantherPantherus have you reported this as it’s important that these are tracked too. Hope you feel better soon

There are not many who willingly will parade in for a shot which they know is going to cause them usually, at least some short time side effects.

Well @Silverandgoldsparkles, there are currently over 23 million people in the UK who disagree with you.

Regarding the Sidford care home outbreak, I am in the SW and we had a long report on this on our local news. Questions were asked about how come this happened when they'd nearly all been vaccinated.
It turns out that the vaccinations were only a couple of weeks ago and it seems likely that if the virus takes ten days to incubate, the residents would most likely have been infected during the time when their bodies were still building up antibodies from the vaccinations. The doctor being interviewed said this is why it is so important to continue with social distancing post-vaccination as it takes up to 4 weeks for the vaccine to become effective.
There is also a police investigation going on into how Covid entered the care home, obviously they didn't say too much about that but it did make me wonder how it all started.

@Grimbelina

This might reassure you:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56357760

With so many millions of doses administered just in the UK, I think we would hear if there were a significant number of these events don't you?

Amazingly, there have been no reports of any deaths, blood clots or any other adverse events in those who have taken the vaccine.

I'm now looking forward to taking the vaccine and the prospect of eternal life.......

After alle the cries of "vaccines are not tested enough", now to cry "they are too scrupulous" seems strange.

By the way: Germany (STIKO recommendation 12.03.2021) is still using the AZ and the idea we'd tank the economy further to spite the British vaccine creators seems to be caused by a slightly off (in what direction I leave to you to decide) mindset.

Lots of things have side effects of blood clotting. The pill does but millions of women still take it, on balance the risk seems pretty small from the vaccine.