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Original poster

Choice of vaccine brand for under 30s

37 replies

CovidHalloween · 07/04/2021 19:37

The fact that under 30s are going to be given the choice on the vaccine brand, doesn’t fill me with confidence with going ahead with the AstraZeneca jab as someone who is over 30.
It is sort of giving out two messages to the people especially women who are more likely to suffer the blood clots from Astra.
Anyone else feel this way?

OP posts:
Waxonwaxoff0 · 07/04/2021 19:43

I'm 30, I'll get whatever jab I'm offered but it is a little bit annoying that someone only a year younger than me will get the choice!

RaggieDolls · 07/04/2021 20:00

I'm not sure they are being given a choice per say, just a brand other than AZ. Is that right?

I am musing on how likely it is that people in their 30's will end up with a different brand anyway... we know the AZ supply is limited in the coming months so many will need to be kept back for the millions and millions of second doses due to be administered.

Mrsfussypants1 · 07/04/2021 20:15

Im in the 40s group and haven't been called forward yet, i lost a friend to Covid in December just a few months younger than me, fit and healthy. I also lost my day many years ago in his 40s to a blood clot on his brain and two aunts had blood clots on their legs in their 40s (both survived). I've never taken the pill for clotting reasons and now im having second thoughts about it all. Im a being stupid? Don't want to pester an already busy GP.

ifonly4 · 07/04/2021 20:16

Not sure it's a choice, I think it was said Pfizer or Moderna where available, some may still get offered AZ, especially as lots of the Pfizer will have been used and we have enough Moderna for 8,500, some of which will be administered this week to pre-booked appointments.

Mrsfussypants1 · 07/04/2021 20:16

dad not day

GoToSleepBabyPlease · 07/04/2021 20:16

I turned 30 this month and am.not thrilled by the somewhat arbitrary cut-off tbh.

Circumlocutious · 07/04/2021 20:19

Women are not more likely to suffer blood clots from AZ. They represent a majority of blood clots cases in proportion to the fact that more women have received AZ than men. Hence why neither the EMA nor MHRC have made any restrictions based on gender.

Circumlocutious · 07/04/2021 20:20

MHRA*

RaggieDolls · 07/04/2021 20:22

@Mrsfussypants1

Im in the 40s group and haven't been called forward yet, i lost a friend to Covid in December just a few months younger than me, fit and healthy. I also lost my day many years ago in his 40s to a blood clot on his brain and two aunts had blood clots on their legs in their 40s (both survived). I've never taken the pill for clotting reasons and now im having second thoughts about it all. Im a being stupid? Don't want to pester an already busy GP.
I'm sorry about your friend @Mrsfussypants1.

I'm in an odd position in that I don't know anyone who has died of Covid but one of my friends died in her 30's of a blood clot. It was in her lungs so different but it still brings it sharply into focus doesn't it?

I suspect on balance I will still have AZ if offered but my DH said something comforting tonight... we aren't going to be called for our vaccines for at least a few weeks. There will be a lot of water under the bridge before then. I've decided to not worry about it and assess available information when I'm offered the vaccine.

bumbleymummy · 07/04/2021 20:23

@Mrsfussypants1

Im in the 40s group and haven't been called forward yet, i lost a friend to Covid in December just a few months younger than me, fit and healthy. I also lost my day many years ago in his 40s to a blood clot on his brain and two aunts had blood clots on their legs in their 40s (both survived). I've never taken the pill for clotting reasons and now im having second thoughts about it all. Im a being stupid? Don't want to pester an already busy GP.
It’s not stupid to be concerned. Of course you should discuss your family history with your GP. They should be willing to listen and provide you with the information you need to make an informed choice. Don’t feel like you’re wasting anyone’s time.
CuriousaboutSamphire · 07/04/2021 20:23

@GoToSleepBabyPlease

I turned 30 this month and am.not thrilled by the somewhat arbitrary cut-off tbh.
It's a statistical cut off based on the rate of change/difference in the data set.

Not the same as arbitrary.

GoToSleepBabyPlease · 07/04/2021 20:27

I said somewhat arbitrary. And it is- if they chose the groupings for the data differently- from 21-31 rather than 20-39 for example, I'm willing to bet you'd see a very similar statistical difference in the data set. Why do they choose the cut off as 30 rather than 31? People like round numbers- it's arbitrary.

GoToSleepBabyPlease · 07/04/2021 20:28

*That should say 20-30, not 20-39. Fat fingers.

TuvoknotSpock · 07/04/2021 20:29

I'm 34 and really cross about the arbitrary cut off. I have factor V, don't take the Pill etc for clotting reasons so definitely won't having the AZ

Very cross that people with no clotting history will have a choice, whereas I actually have a reason to not have AZ and will have no choice

Circumlocutious · 07/04/2021 20:30

@GoToSleepBabyPlease

I said somewhat arbitrary. And it is- if they chose the groupings for the data differently- from 21-31 rather than 20-39 for example, I'm willing to bet you'd see a very similar statistical difference in the data set. Why do they choose the cut off as 30 rather than 31? People like round numbers- it's arbitrary.
Humans use the base 10 number system because we have 10 fingers. It’s not any more complicated than that.
TuvoknotSpock · 07/04/2021 20:30

(Arbitary may not be the right word here lol)

CuriousaboutSamphire · 07/04/2021 20:30

@GoToSleepBabyPlease

I said somewhat arbitrary. And it is- if they chose the groupings for the data differently- from 21-31 rather than 20-39 for example, I'm willing to bet you'd see a very similar statistical difference in the data set. Why do they choose the cut off as 30 rather than 31? People like round numbers- it's arbitrary.
I wouldn't bet. I was watching the graphs. 😊
Abraxan · 07/04/2021 20:30

It's not arbitrary, it's statistical.

Lnix · 07/04/2021 20:33

The risk of clotting is so very small. But as someone very near the 30 cut off point, it makes me nervous. I've had covid and fortunately for me it wasn't too bad, although I was quite unwell for a couple of weeks. I'd still prefer that to a blood clot though 🙄 Not sure what to think - why are several countries only offering AZ to 55+ and some not at all? But our data saying OK for over 30s?

SunshiningBetty · 07/04/2021 20:36

I had my vaccine 2 months ago. I wasn’t happy to have the AZ one as, after reading their research as an academic, it was an utter shambles. So many mistakes, wrong doses given etc. When the doctor phoned to book me in I asked to have the Pfizer and luckily they agreed. My family did the same. People on here absolutely slated me but I’m so glad I trusted my own research.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 07/04/2021 20:38

Some of it is based in the specific demographics of those countries, infection rates, age, obesity levels, vaccine roll out etc.

Hopefully all of it will be now and the baseless utterances if some can be ignored.

If we are all very lucky today will loosen the political constrictions and we can all just get on with it!

MarshaBradyo · 07/04/2021 20:40

I’m over 30 and will take AZ when offered, it hasn’t changed my mind

Original poster
CovidHalloween · 07/04/2021 20:50

Why should the under 30s get a choice but not the other age groups?
I understand they said that the benefits of the vaccines overweight the side effects for over 30s age groups who are statistically more likely to be ill from covid than have a clot from the vaccine, but the opposite is true for the under 30s group that’s why they are are them a choice.
There’s a limited amount of vaccines for everyone and that’s why they can’t give everyone the choice of vaccine brands, that’s what the rational part of me says.

OP posts:
CuriousaboutSamphire · 07/04/2021 20:52

Who said anything about choice?

GoToSleepBabyPlease · 07/04/2021 21:03

I understand they said that the benefits of the vaccines overweight the side effects for over 30s age groups who are statistically more likely to be ill from covid than have a clot from the vaccine, but the opposite is true for the under 30s group that’s why they are are them a choice.

From what I've read it's not a choice- they're just automatically giving them phizer or moderna. However, if the government judge that the risks of side effects outweighed the benefits of the vaccine for me as a 29 year old a week ago, I'll not be getting it now as a newly 30 year old, whatever the statistics tell me. I don't believe the intervening week has materially changed my susceptibility to COVID or to blood clots.