Now 79 cases of AZ-related blood clots in the U.K. and 19 deaths *title edited by MNHQ at OP's request*

[Boringlynormal]

How have we gone - in the past 10 days - from:

5 cases - all men
To
30 cases, 7 deaths
To
79 cases and 19 deaths, 2/3 of them are women.

What the hell is going on?!

Yes I know it’s still low compared to overall number than have had the vaccine but that’s not reassuring when they don’t seem to have had a clue about the numbers and let us all continue getting the vaccine with no warning even when Europe was sounding huge alarm bells.

I’m 12 days post AZ, mid 30s and very upset.

This thread is everything that is wrong with social media platforms like this.

Yes there have been unfortunate deaths, but the sheer numbers of people being vaccinated means this was always going to be the case. Lots of everyday medication has more chance of severe side affects and mortality if given in these numbers - someone has posted as much earlier in the thread.

It is absolutely ludicrous to not have the AZ jab, and risk having Covid or spreading it instead.

@Boringlynormal
The mortality rate for these blood clots is far higher. And they have no idea who is more at risk

Maybe this will change now that doctors are aware of this side effect.

It’s been established that it can be detected with a simple blood test and there are guidelines of how to treat it.

Now they know what they’re looking for, I think we should all feel more hopeful the death rate of people experiencing this condition will be much lower.

I still wouldn’t want it, but I feel like that about so many potentially deadly illnesses out there.

@Roonerspismed

This was why many of us here decided to watch and wait before making our minds up on a vaccine

Stage four trials means something was bound to come up. I was screamed at on MN for being thick and stupid and not listening to scientists

I’m still not impressed. Covid individually to me presents a tiny risk even though I’m older than 30 as I have no risk factors. So thanks for the platitudes but I will continue to watch for medium term data.

I have told the NHS about two weeks ago, that I am waiting and seeing what happens. [I had long covid with blood issues, so as soon as something came up about blood issues and the vaccine, that made my mind up for me].

"Your chances are still much much higher developing clots catching covid."

Apparently not if you're under 30.
Also, catching Covid is something we try to avoid whereas the vaccine is something we go actively seeking so for me the risk assessment is different. I accept that if I fall down the stairs I might die, but I don't go looking for wet stairs.

Many more deaths and abnormal clots from covid itself.

Canada stopped giving the AZ jabs to under 55s because apparently most of those who got blood clotting were under 55, so why are the over 30s being thrown under the bus..It will probably be a few more months before say they say the government should not be offering the AZ at all..I am early 40s and no way am I going to get the AZ jab..I'll take my chances with covid .

@ASchuylerSister

They said that 23% of people with Covid in ITU develop some type of blood clot.

I’d rather take my chances with the vaccine.

You have to also consider your chances of ending up in ITU if you get Covid. Most people don't.

Sorry to quote a famous line from a much loved film, but they may well have just said:

“Some of you will die, but that is a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”

(But not the under 30s. We like the under 30s. We need them to give us the next generation. The rest of you are dispensable.)

Everyone should have the right to choose. Oxford now, or one that’s not got the potential to kill you in a few weeks/months.

They are recommending under 30s take another vaccine. Subtle difference.

@Gerla

Funnily enough a few weeks ago when the EU temporarily stopped using AZ vaccine, there were loads of posts on MN calling them fuckwits and saying it was a conspiracy theory. Now apparently there is something in it....

The EU data emerged earlier because of the profile of the populations vaccinated - the EU had vaccinated a broadly younger population, whereas the UK had an oldest first strategy (which resulted in fewer incidences of blood clots as they are more prevalent in a younger age group seemingly).

I think it was the right approach to analyse a greater population sample before jumping to conclusions.

Let's not forget that the UK is no longer part of the European Medicines Agency either (thanks Brexit ) so perhaps the full data wasn't shared immediately?

Well covid holds a 0.6 risk of non survival in the vast majority of people and yet we have stopped the world for that!

It’s not even about people dying though is it. It’s because it’s a virus that spreads rapidly via human to human transmission and can cause serious illness. If these ill people go to hospital they pass it on to hospital staff which means they’d become ill/have to isolate resulting in not enough staff etc. If it was just about people dying the world would have treated it like other diseases.

@Gerla

Funnily enough a few weeks ago when the EU temporarily stopped using AZ vaccine, there were loads of posts on MN calling them fuckwits and saying it was a conspiracy theory. Now apparently there is something in it....

You forgot to add that the EU's EMA today still highly recommends the AZ vaccine. They said the benefits of the vaccine far outweighs the very rare chance of a blood clot.

As more and more people are vaccinated, smaller and smaller risks will become apparent. Trial sizes cannot be near big enough to pick up everything.

With such a huge roll-out and so many people aware there will be more thorough reporting of side-effects. I don't think this has ever been the case with a vaccine before.

Whilst this is a big unknown, it is a very heavily monitored unknown.

I have an under 30 DD who has had the first vaccine so is probably watching this with some trepidation.

From what I understand it does not cause more blood clots in under 30s; they are very unlikely to get blood clots at all, so any increase in the risk of blood clots is significant.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-56602894

31 year old health coach now ill with long covid. Including clotting in the lungs.

Op frankly, what you need is a clairvoyant.

[quote HJ40]@BigWoollyJumpers I understand what's been presented in the data and I understand the relative risks. However, if you had the choice of Pfizer or AZ, who now would choose AZ? Which is why in this middle ground age group, I feel let down. I feel at the mercy of the quantities of vaccines available. [/quote]
I completely agree with this. Im in my 30s, have life insurance for my kids, I will take all the relatively greater risks of leaving the house and crossing the road or whatever... but would still prefer Pfizer now

Totally agree @Everythingfromhome
I wonder - did everyone read the Pill risks and side effects leaflet back to front and anguish about it similarly? And yet the risks of blood clotting with that are far higher.

200 people died from taking paracetamol in 2019, why haven't we all stopped taking that? Where's the newspaper headlines about that?

www.hriuk.org/health/your-health/lifestyle/people-with-coronavirus-are-at-risk-of-blood-clots-and-strokes

However, higher rates of strokes in patients with COVID-19 is somewhat unusual because it also seems to be happening in people under 50 years of age, with no other risk factors for stroke.

Check your stonking great privilege, you clueless sheltered idiot.

Risk of serious harm and death in pregnancy (or dying in childbirth and leaving my newborn) is EXACTLY why I cannot have a child of my own.

So rude!
Maybe you’re the idiot as those who’ve had children already can still be at risk of serious complications and death in pregnancy and birth.

Op frankly, what you need is a clairvoyant.

Haha - I tried science and now I’m going with woo? Sadly I can’t have the time machine I’d like (and yes someone else would be most welcome to my vaccination) but I can choose not to put any more AZ vaccine into my body. But I’m pissed off that this leaves me less protected because I tried to do the right thing and trusted.

"I recently had a full body scan and the radiographer said I have a very healthy heart, liver, kidneys etc. Not fatty, not damaged, she said she’d expect to see organs like that in a person in their twenties."

How did you get a full body scan being so healthy?

All this speculation about the AZ jab, the Pfizer can also have severe side effects in a small number of people, can cause ITP which is another blood disorder, but that's not getting slapped all over the media. Wonder why?

200 people died from taking paracetamol in 2019, why haven't we all stopped taking that? Where's the newspaper headlines about that?

You know that’s largely suicides - ie people trying to die and not taking it as prescribed? It’s so so wrong to even attempt to equate that with people taking a vaccine they’ve been urged by the government to take and told is ‘very safe’.

@Boringlynormal

Pregnancy, the pill, long haul flights and Covid still all have a higher risk of clots than the AZ vaccine.

Not the same kind of blood clot. At all.

But still fatal. So does it matter it's a different type of clot?