MHRA may change advice for young people receiving AZ vaccine

[IloveSooty424]

I just saw this news story on Channel 4 news tonight.

www.channel4.com/news/uk-medicines-regulator-considers-issuing-new-advice-over-oxford-astrazeneca-jab

It seems the MHRA may follow other European countries and Canada and advise that younger people should not receive the AZ vaccine. It seems the decision will be made imminently in the coming days.

I’m due to book my vaccine this week and don’t know whether to wait and see how this plays out. I’m 42. I’m also concerned that if younger people will only be offered the Pfizer vaccine it will slow down the vaccine programme substantially.

Any thoughts?

They are not saying that the risk of a clot increases if you are younger are they? It’s that the relative risk/benefit of the vaccine dips as your risk of serious complications from catching Covid is very low if you are under 30?
It would be reassuring if there was some data indicating that if you didn’t have a clot the first time round then you wouldn’t with the second jab, but I imagine not enough people have had their second AZ for them to know this.

@Karmatime

They are not saying that the risk of a clot increases if you are younger are they? It’s that the relative risk/benefit of the vaccine dips as your risk of serious complications from catching Covid is very low if you are under 30? It would be reassuring if there was some data indicating that if you didn’t have a clot the first time round then you wouldn’t with the second jab, but I imagine not enough people have had their second AZ for them to know this.

they've said not enough people with 2nd dose to know it now

Is there treatment if you get one of the serious blood clots? So if you know the symptoms to look for could it be treated with no serious implications.

@DayBath

Very nasty comment *@EasterIssland*. If you have nothing to add other than wishing disability on others then just leave the adults to discuss things intelligently.

To be fair, that comment was to a specific poster who has long advised all and sundry that the vaccine isn't essential for most people, she won't be having it because lots of other people have!

I doubt it was meant for anyone else.

@EasterIssland but I imagine there is a whole load of people in my catergory (age 30-40) that have had covid, that wasn't a bad case, that hasn't resulted in long covid - so what do we do? My personal risk level is that the vaccine is more risky than covid but I either take what's offered or nothing at all.

You can try and justify all you like but it's very clear from everyone's reaction that your comment was ill judged and bitter @EasterIssland.

Yeah, I get that. I’m maybe over simplifying things but I can’t work out what’s safer for Dd? What’s the better balance of risk?

At 19yo it looks like AZ and covid are about an equal risk. But she has an autoimmune disease which put her in group 6 which increases her risk of covid but also increases her risk of AZ and clots.

So does she have her 2nd dose or not?

Sorry, I’m worried sick.

@CovidCorvid you did state that it's not safe for under 30s which I picked up on as I do think it's really important to be accurate in how it's discussed.

You said she'd just had her first dose? So that gives a little more time for regulators to answer some of these questions, I expect they'll be more reassuring messaging coming out that if was fine with the first dose it is less of a concern having the second. I don't think anyone has stated that having a general auto-immune disorder is a risk factor for AZ-associated blood clots though?

I'd also recommend chatting to her GP/specialist, as they'll be able to give proper advice based on her history. The main thing to remember is both the risk of blood clots & the risk of getting severely ill from COVID are very low for your DD, I know it's hard, but try not to worry and follow advice from experts

Thank you @CuriousaboutSamphire, it's good to see why I did reply like that to that person

@Karmatime

They are not saying that the risk of a clot increases if you are younger are they? It’s that the relative risk/benefit of the vaccine dips as your risk of serious complications from catching Covid is very low if you are under 30? It would be reassuring if there was some data indicating that if you didn’t have a clot the first time round then you wouldn’t with the second jab, but I imagine not enough people have had their second AZ for them to know this.

The Guardian are reporting potentially slightly increased risk of the clotting disorder in the young.

Pirmohamed says there is a slightly higher risk of the rare clotting condition in younger people than in older people. He says it is not clear why yet. More work needs to be done on this, he says.

God, stupid question alert!

Nick doesn't understand RR measures and STILL wants to prioritize holidays! FFS!

@EasterIssland oh don’t be ridiculous. It’s hardly an either/or choice The vast majority of people have the virus mild/asymptomatically and with no long term symptoms. Of course people who are at high risk or even those who are concerned about the virus may prefer to have the vaccine sooner rather than later but it’s not compulsory and no one should feel forced into something they’re unsure about.

JVT saying the risk/benefits are clear. In the 40 to 49 age group, not using the AZ vaccine would avert 0.5 harms per 100,000 people. But it could risk an extra 51.5 ICU admissions. He says it would have been “absurd” to stop using the vaccine on people in that age group in those circumstances

Well apparently you will still be offered your 2nd dose
I don’t see the logic in this. It’s under 55 in Europe. The UK say under 30?
The EMA said today there is not enough data to mix vaccines. Is the UK proceeding to offer to under 55s as otherwise their vaccine rollout has to be reset?

The Guardian are reporting potentially slightly increased risk of the clotting disorder in the young.

Pirmohamed says there is a slightly higher risk of the rare clotting condition in younger people than in older people. He says it is not clear why yet. More work needs to be done on this, he says.

@cathyandclare

The only thing I've been able to find on this is that CVST blood clots are slightly more common in younger people anyway, which might explain the trend observed. The problem is they are so rare anyway there is very little data on risk factors and prevalence.

You're mixing up EU nationalist decisions and the EMA advice, I think.

[quote bumbleymummy]@EasterIssland oh don’t be ridiculous. It’s hardly an either/or choice The vast majority of people have the virus mild/asymptomatically and with no long term symptoms. Of course people who are at high risk or even those who are concerned about the virus may prefer to have the vaccine sooner rather than later but it’s not compulsory and no one should feel forced into something they’re unsure about.[/quote]
Absolutely. And despite the comment history of the poster Easter directed her vitriol to that doesn't justify wishing a disability on anybody. The context does not justify the scaremongering.

Let’s see if someone on this thread knows the answer. I keep asking on various threads.

As we know the vaccines reduce how bad you get the virus, free up hospital stays and of course deaths.

However. You’ve had the vaccine, get the virus what about Long COVID?

Yes @oldegg123 and COVID appears to cause CVST so the figures since the pandemic will be higher than the data we had previously collected.

[quote usernotfound0000]@EasterIssland but I imagine there is a whole load of people in my catergory (age 30-40) that have had covid, that wasn't a bad case, that hasn't resulted in long covid - so what do we do? My personal risk level is that the vaccine is more risky than covid but I either take what's offered or nothing at all.[/quote]
usernotfound0000 have you seen the images other people have posted? I think they're in previous page, someone age 30 has at least 3 times Moore chances f ending up in icu (and this is when there is barely no covid) than with the vaccine

I’m 28 and I’ve had the first dose of AZ.. I’m concerned and I need to contact my GP to get some professional advice.

Like, what do we do? Do we just wait and see what happens? Get checked over? Ignore it all?

It’s a weird one.

Didn't have chance to watch the press conference, did they mention what would happen if people refused either their first or second AZ jab because of this news? Will am alternative option even be available at a later date or will we be left as covid cannon fodder?

In answer to are there treatments if you get a clot...

The mechanism that triggers immune response is not clear ( like the heparin version) but they are working on it, will use that data as and when it comes in.

JVT saying the risk/benefits are clear. In the 40 to 49 age group, not using the AZ vaccine would avert 0.5 harms per 100,000 people. But it could risk an extra 51.5 ICU admissions. He says it would have been “absurd” to stop using the vaccine on people in that age group in those circumstance

But is the covid risk in that group higher depending upon general health already, i.e is a healthy 40 at the same risk as an overweight one. Statistically the older you get the more likely to be overweight, health problems etc but individually not necessarily the case.

This is scary as my mum and great grandma died from this specific blood clot. My sister has had this vaccine and is worried and doesn't want to get the second one.

They haven't talked about that @DayBath
They keep reiterating that the vaccine is safer than Covid.