What happens if AZ is paused and you are due your second dose?

[Florelei]

Hi, I’m not trying to be a doom monger but there seems to be a lot in the news about AZ and it potentially being paused whilst things are investigated.

I’ve had my first dose and am due my second in a few weeks. What happens if due to any pause I miss my appointment? Can I have another type of jab?

I suppose nobody knows but I’m starting to worry now. I just really want my second jab.

Yes @Sansaplans that's my hope that we will know more by then, I will trust the scientists on this quite frankly, as despite my anxiety (probably causing the headaches frankly) the thought of having covid itself is far worse to me.

Don't want the vaccine then don't have it. There will be someone else who does. 🤷‍♀️
The press have a lot to answer for and if AZ is suspended I hope they feel responsible for the roadmap being very very slow. Scaremongering is dangerous. There was a reason the press were so important during the war (a tube station was destroyed by a direct hit, killing 93 people, but was never reported. Because the government knew no one would use the tube stations as shelters anymore and many many more would die as a consequence.)
Statistics can be made to prove many different things - depends how you manipulate them.

I'm under 50 and I do have some concerns about the blood clotting issues, but I'm far more concerned about the risks posed by covid itself.

Ultimately, I will trust whatever conclusion is reached by the scientists who have spent many years studying these things, as I respect the fact that they know far more about these matters than I do. If they conclude that it's safe for me to have the second AZ jab when it's due, then that's what I will do.

I do understand the mistrust that people have for the government, but I struggle to understand why so many non-experts assume that they know better than the scientists who specialise in this area. I am not educated enough on the science to be able to make my own assessment, so I will trust those who are qualified to do so.

The stats for the likelihood of getting a clot are calculated on those who have had the jab and then scaled up

No, these are the figures based on the actual number of AZ vaccines administered in Germany and Norway.

You can't seriously argue that being hit by lightening is a comparable risk for the average woman under 60.

I am 36 and had my first dose of AZ 3 weeks ago and not been feeling right ever since. Was very unwell after having it and now left with a weird brain fog and tiredness. I didn’t expect these side effects and now worried about having the 2nd dose. I am feeling really anxious about the way I have reacted to the first one and never normally have health anxiety but feel like I don’t know what’s going on inside my body and if there’s still a risk after a certain amount of time. I am annoyed at myself for trusting a vaccine that really doesn’t have the data available to make a more informed choice regarding risk. I wish I hadn’t had it and I am in no way anti vax just feel like I went in a bit blind due to feeling we all had to do this for the greater good.

Yes , I was wondering about the mixing of vaccines,as in having one type, and then another type for the second jab. We have all heard so much about all the different vaccines now, and which is the best etc. we should all be very knowledgeable , but hearing so much, day in and day out, tends to swamp your brain,and you need to clock now.!

Clock off.!

Is the conference on BBC 1?

I'm over 50. Covid is a much greater threat to me than a second AZ jab. I owe it to my children who are all still in secondary school to be here for them.

I’m well on in my 50s and had my first AZ one at the start of March. Sore arm for a day that’s all. I have many different friends of all ages who have had the AZ one too and the worst had ‘flu like symptoms for about two days. Everyone I know is going for the second dose, whatever that is, and personally I think that anyone would be mad not too.

We've all had AZ, even our DD's so it's quite a concern, that's said 3 of us are a month out with no issues, another was vaccinated yesterday

I'm also well on in my 50s. I wasn't over enthusiastic about having the jab but had it because I have a DD with SN and am her sole carer.

I had my first AZ jab last Wednesday and have had nausea ever since. I will probably have the second one but have this niggling feeling that I shouldn't have had the first one. I know there is no logic to this and am trying to look at statistics and be rational. I am by no means an anti-vaxxer, DD has had all her jabs (and more because she was premature). I know that I am probably subconsciously being affected by negative press coverage (even though I am not particularly worried about blood clots) and that if I didn't still feel nauseous I wouldn't give it a second thought.

Due mine tomorrow and desperately hoping I can have it !! I'm 49 and was in the shielded group but now back at work as an early years teacher, no social distancing possible.

BBC news channel will be giving live coverage of conference shortly. Van Tam has been mentioned as speaking.

EMA on at present.

EMA has said blood clots very rare, benefits still outweigh risks, so MHRA likely to say the same?

So the EMA is confirming that the clotting disorder is a side effect of the vaccine but they're not changing their guidelines. 18 people (most, if not all women) have died FFS.

UK to restrict AZ to over 30s.

Apparently they are going to say women under 30 should have Pfizer or moderna 🤷‍♀️

I'm worried that although it is a very rare side effect this is going to put so many people off.

AZ if what we have a good supply of in the UK and if people don't want it because of the blood clot issue we are fucked. And I'm not normally a doom mongerer at all!

I'd like someone at these press conferences to come out and say "your risk of dying with covid is FAR FAR higher than of dying from the vaccine" because I'm worried that with cases down and restrictions relaxing that message may get lost.

So the EMA is confirming that the clotting disorder is a side effect of the vaccine but they're not changing their guidelines. 18 people (most, if not all women) have died FFS.

But how many people have died from covid in that period, who wouldn't have died if they'd had the vaccine?

Oh and the EMA have confirmed that is a VERY VERY RARE side effect and the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risk @sakura 7

Context is important

1 in 1000 risk when on the pill and I bet women took it !!
I am not worried at all going for my 2nd

@Sakura7

So the EMA is confirming that the clotting disorder is a side effect of the vaccine but they're not changing their guidelines. 18 people (most, if not all women) have died FFS.

Most vaccines and medicines have rare side effects that can cause death. It's about balancing risk from disease with risk from vaccine and the risk from disease is far far greater

Some people ridiculed as antivac are/were in fact just pro “vaccines done properly”. And some people are, rightly or wrongly,
concerned that some Covid vaccines were rushed before we had enough time to fully study short term side effects (never mind long term ones) . This will be doing nothing to ease their concern. Pausing them for under 40s/50s while further research is done might be the logical thing right now.

@NannyElle
I don’t think at the rate we’re currently seeing. They wouldn’t be approved for use if they were directly responsible for killing people every year. Correct me if I’m wrong!