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?

[quote LacyEdge]Here’s what other countries are doing (taken from ITV news site, which was the first that came up in a general search):

*UK: Under-30s should be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca jab

Spain and Italy: Limit to use in those over 60

Belgium: Use suspended in people under 56 for the next four weeks

Sweden and Finland: Used only for over-65s

France and Canada: Restricted to use in over-55s

Germany: Recommended only for those over 60

Denmark and Norway: Use suspended in all age groups until at least next week

Australia: Avoid further use on under-50s*

It’s hard not to notice that we are very much the outliers here.

Link: www.itv.com/news/2021-04-08/covid-astrazeneca-vaccine-how-the-world-has-reacted-to-blood-clot-concerns[/quote]
What if we take into account level of use and where we are with overall case numbers?

Obvious countries that have closed borders aside is our approach bringing its own benefits?

Unlike a few posters I don’t see this as indicating anything nefarious or even the wrong decision.

You need to look at the overall picture and best to do it with a high level of expertise and step back from personal fears.

I can’t really think about this in great detail atm but I do know the MHRA and JCVI and good at what they do and I trust their approach.

@LacyEdge, agree and the U.K. has largely vaccinated the older population which is why the numbers of vaccinated are so high. In some countries who have largely used the AZ on younger people, the incident of the clots are much higher. Expect the same is true for the U.K. just not apparent yet in the numbers.

@BuggerBognor thanks

I do think lots will refuse it now in the 30 to 50 age group now and the goverment need to bare this is mind as it will slow down but we do have other vaccines coming soon and again in the sumner
But surely if we have done the most at risk isn't that most important ? On opening up etc
Wouldn't surprise me if we change soon in line with other countries

@worriedatthemoment

I do think lots will refuse it now in the 30 to 50 age group now and the goverment need to bare this is mind as it will slow down but we do have other vaccines coming soon and again in the sumner But surely if we have done the most at risk isn't that most important ? On opening up etc Wouldn't surprise me if we change soon in line with other countries

Hopefully not too much, there is still the risk of hospitalisation and worse in age group if unvaccinated. Particularly 40 / 45 plus.

There was a good graph showing this but can’t remember where from.

Elswhere someon has posted that covid is pretty much over, so it's all a non problem

As at 8th April

www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/geographical-distribution-2019-ncov-cases

@BuggerBognor

We’ve gone from no cases, to 6 cases in 11 million AZ vaccines (last week) to 1 in 600,000 (2 days ago) to 1 in 250,000 (this morning) and 19 deaths. I fully accept that they’ve been going through incident records to find those (in itself rather worrying as they should have been all over this). It’s still not going in the direction we’d all prefer, is it?

At what point will the risk become too high? I expect everyone on this thread will give a different answer, and they’d all have a point - for me (low platelets, suppressed bone marrow because of chemo) that tipping point has already been reached.

The same is happening in the US with all the other vaccines though. Someone posted the numbers earlier on in the thread. So far the ratios are less but as they take through the data they will potentially find more. Therefore my have to act like we have towards certain vaccines if the risks don't stack up. You can only risk access on the information available and on each countries own situation. At the moment are situation warrants this approach.

Surely though those yellow card warnings should have been monitored from the beginning so that accurate up to date info is being noted and looked into more rather than a last minute trawl through? It makes you question what else is slipping through because of a lack of attention to the report system.

And people wonder why I listened to my consultants from the beginning who mentioned unknown contras.

And why should only healthy people under 30 be offered an alternative if available? Surely this should be also applied to those with underlying health issues or is it well they are medically ducked anyway so it doesn't really matter?

It wasn't lack of attention. It needed GPs etc to go back their records against new guidelines to see if there were any cases to be added.

More information came in, they updated and back checked.

It has happened a few times already, data has been re examined, re cast as more is known

It will happen again if/when something new crops up.

And those with underlying health issues have been dealt with differently form day one.

You make it sound like there are no medical specialists, no previous vaccine programmes and no wealth of data and experience to guide this.

If you have a health condition that would indicate clots are more likely etc then the new guidance covers that. Your GP will get guidance to access and offer an alternative. They have been pretty clear and covered theses issues.

The yellow card system is good but I am guessing not all cases would have been reported. This would happen if the clots thought to be a secondary issue. So once the clots were flagged a couple of weeks again health trusts asked for doctors to review past patient notes etc. People won't necessarily have thought about even asking a patient if vaccinated and then made any connection before the issue was made public. Patients like wise would not necessarily think that the vaccination two weeks before was anything to do with their issue.

People just need to realise none of these decisions are taken lightly. The experts gathered al the information available at the time. Then make the right decisions based on that. Go and watch the EMA and the UK briefings if you haven't already. The were very clear and honest about risks we are talking about.

@MarshaBradyo I know but def some will refuse now , I have had az first dose and I am 45 , will have 2nd dose based on what I have read so far but will be monitoring closely

I listed to the U.K., EMA and Norway briefing. I go with Norway on this.

Norway? What did they say that was different?

They use J+J, AZ is still paused but is still one of the four vaccines they anticipate using in their roll out.

Or do you mean that they WILL have vaccine passports?

They said they will pause AZ until the 15th. Now the EMA and HMRA have published their data they can cross reference it with their specific data and make their own decision. They haven't said anything else yet.

Norway also has Pfizer. They have paused the vaccine and I would say it is unlikely they will use it at all, for any age group. They are certain of the link.

Correction - the doctors who treated the women who died are certain of the link.

@PandoraP

Norway also has Pfizer. They have paused the vaccine and I would say it is unlikely they will use it at all, for any age group. They are certain of the link.

What happens here if we do the same?

Each country has different variables and experts are making the right decisions based on this.

@BuggerBognor, possibly because Norway has used the AZ vaccine in mainly the younger population. The link then becomes more evident.

Which is why the more widely read here have always said that Norway and Denmark had a different response based on their specific demographics.

We'll probably be able to read their specifics next week.

@CuriousaboutSamphire, you just cannot help yourself but refer to yourself (I assume) as more wildly read. Bore off!