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?

EMA has confirmed the link between AZ and a very rare type of blood clotting. It will be listed as a rare side effect.

The EMa said that most cases of blood clots reported occurred in women under 60 within two weeks of vaccination.
EMA further said that symptoms include chest pain, leg swelling, abdominal pain, headaches, blurred vision and tiny blood spots under the skin beyond the area where the injection has been administered and that anyone displaying any of those symptoms should seek medical attention immediately.

Out of 86 cases examined 18 were fatal.

Vaccine is still highly effective (if one avoids all that).

Every young women will have to decide whether the risk of COVID is greater then the risk of the blood clotting.

The most important people to get done next is the 45 to 49 group. As they are still at slightly more risk. These people are not really affected overall by todays news. They are not close enough to 30 to worry to much. Even if the 30 to 44 age range is a bit reluctant. Well they will end up waiting for an alternative to be offered. Most people will still take the jab anyway though is my guess.

@CuriousaboutSamphire

bumbley that is what your explanation boiled down to, as far as I remember. Lots of what about all those who can't have the vaccine, all the unvaccinated kids... that you'd just be one amongst the many etc etc.

Nope. That isn’t my reason for not having it. Maybe an idea to get your facts straight before you step in to defend a poster who is wishing long COVID on people? And even then, is that type of thing justifiable at any time? I wouldn’t wish long COVID on anyone, regardless of whether or not I disagreed with their posts on another thread. Each to their own though. It says more about you than me.

Remember the walking around began a long time before anyone had heard of clotting issues.

The UK government remained quite quiet throughout, so if younger people want to doubt what they said it would be wise to know what they did actually say and in response to what.

There is already a re writing of the timeline here. That will only add to the disinformation. And that is a social media issue!

Your posts are still available for anyone to read.

You do know that, don't you?

@BuggerBognor

I think we will begin to see a lot of AZ vaccine refusal in the 30 - 50 age group. And quite reasonably because the government has lost any strands of credibility it had left in the last couple of weeks. Suggesting that the German, French and Norwegian concerns were politically motivated nonsense until today’s mea culpa. Absolute fuckwits.

Yes, it’s been handled very badly. There was probably always going to be a lower uptake as the roll out went down into the age groups that are lower risk but this isn’t going to help.

I want to clarify myself, I haven't wished anyone Long Covid. I've stated the fact that recommending 40+ staying without the vaccine and waiting for another one the unknown time has got a risk which could be catching covid and having it milk, could be Long Covid or could be die. Saying the vaccine and wait for another one , you'll be fine, it's not real because there is a risk which as MHRA has said the benefit f the vaccine outweighs for any 30+ the risk. That's what I wanted to point out, and not that I wish anyone caught long covid

Apologies if I've not made myself understood

@CuriousaboutSamphire but they weigh risk in a different way to the way I would as an individual (because you have to, obviously, when rolling out vaccination nationally).

Re criticism on handling I can’t see the MRHA hasn’t been above board all along

Great, what about women over 30 who are at risk of blood clots? Everyone keeps saying 'yeah the pill also gives you blood clots'. I can't take the pill as I developed migraines with aura and my GP told me they might give me a stroke. I hope that means I'd get an alternative to AZ? It's stressing me out!

And let’s not forget that Ontario published guidance about this weeks ago. Still have the link somewhere if people haven’t seen it.

Not sure what political interest they had in discrediting the U.K

@Smurftastic

Great, what about women over 30 who are at risk of blood clots? Everyone keeps saying 'yeah the pill also gives you blood clots'. I can't take the pill as I developed migraines with aura and my GP told me they might give me a stroke. I hope that means I'd get an alternative to AZ? It's stressing me out!

Speak with your GP in your scenario , they might be able to help you

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum

The most important people to get done next is the 45 to 49 group. As they are still at slightly more risk. These people are not really affected overall by todays news. They are not close enough to 30 to worry to much. Even if the 30 to 44 age range is a bit reluctant. Well they will end up waiting for an alternative to be offered. Most people will still take the jab anyway though is my guess.

You're right. Still, today's news is a nice bit of distraction from the issue that we've got a slow down of supply and our 45-50 year olds are left unvaccinated whilst we start opening up.

We need the focus on prioritising getting vaccines out to this age group (after 2nd doses) as soon as possible. That's where our attention should be.

@EasterIssland

I want to clarify myself, I haven't wished anyone Long Covid. I've stated the fact that recommending 40+ staying without the vaccine and waiting for another one the unknown time has got a risk which could be catching covid and having it milk, could be Long Covid or could be die. Saying the vaccine and wait for another one , you'll be fine, it's not real because there is a risk which as MHRA has said the benefit f the vaccine outweighs for any 30+ the risk. That's what I wanted to point out, and not that I wish anyone caught long covid

Apologies if I've not made myself understood

I don't think you were really misunderstood lovely. It is a matter of some people choose to misunderstand when you slip up as it suits them best. We all have are moments of wording something so it can be miss read or snapping because we are fed up of the narrative being pushed. Just ignore it, laugh it off or whatever ❤

[quote OliverBabish]@CuriousaboutSamphire but they weigh risk in a different way to the way I would as an individual (because you have to, obviously, when rolling out vaccination nationally).[/quote]
I apologise if it seems I am 'having a go' but many people say they need to do their own research, make up their own minds and I think there is a benefit to drilling down to what they actually mean.

That is the most sensible response I've had so far 😊

What would you need to see? Maybe we could start a thread collating data for people between 18-29 to help that individual assessment.

If anyone hasn't seen the slides and wants to see why they've chosen 30 years as the age to stop giving AZ and why someone age 45 should have AZ then the slides are here
twitter.com/alex_freeman/status/1379808289278545922

@MarshaBradyo

Re criticism on handling I can’t see the MRHA hasn’t been above board all along

Me either.

Criticisms about data density were probably valid early on, but their transparency has been seen to be done all the way through. All data is, as ever, publicly available.

@Smurftastic

Great, what about women over 30 who are at risk of blood clots? Everyone keeps saying 'yeah the pill also gives you blood clots'. I can't take the pill as I developed migraines with aura and my GP told me they might give me a stroke. I hope that means I'd get an alternative to AZ? It's stressing me out!

They said your GP will get guidance set out and should risk access. It will be like the people that had AZ instead of Pfizer because of their allergies but the other way around

Thank you for the slides @EasterIssland

@CuriousaboutSamphire

Your posts are still available for anyone to read.

You do know that, don't you?

Yes. I’m aware of that. Perhaps you should go back and reread them yourself so you can clear it up. I’m not sure why you’re so interested though.

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum

The most important people to get done next is the 45 to 49 group. As they are still at slightly more risk. These people are not really affected overall by todays news. They are not close enough to 30 to worry to much. Even if the 30 to 44 age range is a bit reluctant. Well they will end up waiting for an alternative to be offered. Most people will still take the jab anyway though is my guess.

On GMB this morning Adil Ray said he is 46 and had the vaccine weeks ago. He said Birmingham are doing the under 50s, he had no particular priority. The other presenters seemed surprised.

*Remember neither the EMA or the HMRA have said AZ is risky for anyone. 4 people in a million with no clear cut age, sex etc at more risk.

Their different recommendations are based on specific demographics and current roll out status, infection rates etc.

The UK can take the additional precaution because of our specific roll status. The EMA is talking to Europe, with a much smaller % population vaccinated.*

EU health ministers are meeting this evening, it remains to be seen if the regulators in individual states will now all follow the EMA's guidance or some will continue to be more cautious. I think they are in a very difficult position as there are such huge issues with confidence in AZ. I'm in Italy and I think it will be hard to persuade young people here (and not only) that it's safe when the UK, AZ's biggest cheerleader, is now recommending alternatives - whatever the broader public health context of that decision, unfortunately it will reinforce doubts.

I just want to send condolences to the families who had a fatal reaction to the vaccine. They did what they were advised and paid a price for doing something they thought was for the greater good. They are not just a statistic to be bandied about.

@ancientgran
around these threads 40+ are saying they’ve not had the call for the vaccine yet
sone others have had it seems like a postcode lottery

@vickyp0llard

The risk of these brain clots is minimal but slightly higher from Covid itself than from the AZ vaccine. Both are teeny tiny though particularly at your age.

I don't really care if people do or don't have the vaccine but I'd much rather they based their decision on proper advice rather than scare mongering.