People Refusing Astra Zeneca - What Happens?

[Nootkah]

I've seen an increasing number of people on here and on social media saying they'll go to their mass vaccination centre appointment but if it's Astea Zeneca, they'll refuse. I'm curious as to what actually happens next? They've had an appointment, been offered a vaccine that remains approved for their group, and have declined. Are they "ticked off" the list as "offered" or do they stay at the top of the list for upcoming appointments and continue to be invited?

[StrawberryLipstickStateOfMind]

I agree with @MRex and @MarshaBradyo, and it's really unfair to slow it down for those of us who are really keen to get the vaccine.

People in their 40s need to get this ASAP, we all do. In my early 30s- I'm not at massive risk but I would prefer not to get the virus! I have two primary aged DC and am a single parent- I want to be fit and well for them. I have no choice but to send them into school (I would send them in regardless but would have been nice to have been given the choice for various reasons)- within a week of returning to school in March there was a positive case and my daughter has to isolate so I would like my vaccine ASAP.

[Roonerspismed]

If I was this government and thankfully I’m not, I would look at vaccinating purely by age and vulnerability from here on

No one will want the AZ vaccine unless at a high risk from covid.
So they now risk alienating a large section of middle aged people who are more at risk and who will now be denied a vaccine due to current strategy

I forecast a further change in tack in a few weeks. Zero covid is a pointless and stupid tactic

[pinkearedcow]

I don't think we are going for zero Covid are we Roonerspismed? Whitty et al has said we will need to live alongside it.

[moochingtothepub]

We've all had AZ despite being under 50 (DD's with sn) dd is 22 and was absolutely fine. It's a very rare side effect with an incidence of 1:250000 that's similar to getting a clot on a long haul flight and safer than the contraceptive pill. People get random clots even at young ages btw, there's a working hypothesis that these clots are in people susceptible. Covid causes clots and the complication rate at age 30 is 1:1000

[blameitonthecaffeine]

Fear and anxiety is often irrational and is hugely affected by media hype. We're human and can't help that.

However, I think we have to do our best to rationalise this and keep going. I had AZ the other day (Ok, I'm late 40s so not someone to be offered something else in UK anyway but I'm still under the age that most countries are advising against it for.) I had some nasty side effects and took a lot of paracetamol and ibuprofen. When I was tempted to worry about the AZ clots, I read the side effect list for the pain killers. Terrifying if you take it on board! But who does? I don't know anybody. And I don't know anybody who has died from taking the recommended dose of them. But those unlucky people must be out there somewhere. We just don't hear about them.

It is confusing to see countries I would normally trust - more than our own! - such as Canada and Germany restricting it so heavily though .

[MarshaBradyo]

I forecast a further change in tack in a few weeks. Zero covid is a pointless and stupid tactic

It’s not the overall strategy.

[pinkearedcow]

What will be interesting in the weeks ahead will be to see how potential vaccine related deaths form the other vaccines are handled. It does seem odd that these are barely being mentioned right now.

[moochingtothepub]

There's been three clots attributed to Pfizer btw - half the number of jabs so a lower incidence but not that much lower (1:600000 according to bbc)

[Flipflops85]

I can’t have the AstraZeneca due to having heparin induced thrombocytopenia- however when I finally get my appointment I could end up with a wasted visit, as there is no way of knowing what vaccine will be offered.

I’m hoping that now people with this disorder, and those under 30 can’t have it, they’ll organise a more efficient way of booking an appointment with an alternative vaccine.

[StrawberryLipstickStateOfMind]

I agree @Flipflops85, it's really important for people who can't have a particular vaccine due to medical reasons to be able to ensure when they book their appointment they will be getting the right vaccine for them.

[Nootkah]

@Roonerspismed

I think thats exavtly what theyre doing.... Co tinuing on with the by age and vulnerability criteria, and when they get to the under 30s, if there is an option, it will be offered. The givt certainly arent skipping over the 30-49s in order to get to the under 30s quicker. Theyll have to wait until its their age group and will be offered whatever is available. Janssen may be in UK by then also.

[MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously]

It's madness for France to discourage people from having the 2nd dose of AZ - if people haven't had a bad reaction to the first dose, surely the chance of reacting badly to a second dose are really small?
Given infection rates in France, I think Macron is behaving in an incredibly irresponsible way. Unhinged almost.

[wintertravel1980]

I think thats exavtly what theyre doing.... Co tinuing on with the by age and vulnerability criteria, and when they get to the under 30s, if there is an option, it will be offered.

I agree - this has been the messaging all along. Under 30s who are getting vaccinated now (e.g. unpaid carers, people living with immunocompromised individuals, etc) will be offered Moderna/Pfizer but the government is not "stockpiling" vaccines for the remaining population.

Interestingly, Hancock mentioned yesterday that we "have 40 million Pfizer jabs in production". Has the UK ordered more Pfizer? Our initial order was for 40mm and 21mm of that should have been delivered by the end of March. If we really have "extra 40mm coming", it means we might have managed to secure additional 20mm. This will obviously be very helpful (but Hancock might have been wrong and I may be overoptimistic).

[ItsSnowJokes]

I am with the posters here that say if you refuse a jab you should go to the back of the queue, especially if you are actually at the appointment and have wasted that slot that someone else could of had.

I have no skin in the vaccine game for AZ or Pfizer as I am on the Novavax trial and took the personal risk assessment that I wanted to get out of the shit show that is this pandemic and help out with that even in the very small, tiny way that I am.

If everyone refused to have vaccines like they are now we would never have had any vaccines brought to market, we would still be having lockdown after lockdown and everyone would be moaning that we don't have any freedom.

[poppycat10]

After a year in which everyone over the age of 65 have been living with a constant and very real risk of death, this comment comes across as somewhat crass

That's a bit (lot) of an exaggeration. 65 isn't old and my 81 year old mother hasn't been hiding at home feeling she was about to die any second.

[TroubleUsedToBeMyBusiness]

I wish people would stop harping on about the risks of clots and flying - these are DVT clots and generally found in the legs (sometimes elsewhere). The AZ blood clots are different-- mainly brain clots

[EddieVeddersfoxymop]

I telephoned the Scottish vaccine helpline to query my own personal circumstances on the advice of my GP. I explained I cant take AZ due to a potential antibody issue and to ask what I should do as I didn't want to waste an appointment. I was explicitly told to attend my appointment and talk to the people on site. The lovely chap told me that while it was nice that I didn't want to waste appointments, I really should attend and discuss with the medics. Just an interesting point seeing as many seem angry at the thought of a wasted appointment.

[ItsSnowJokes]

@TroubleUsedToBeMyBusiness

I wish people would stop harping on about the risks of clots and flying - these are DVT clots and generally found in the legs (sometimes elsewhere). The AZ blood clots are different-- mainly brain clots

You still have a hell of a bigger chance of dying from an air travel blood clot than you have of the AZ vaccine blood clot.

The planes are going to be empty when people can travel again as I assume all these people will now refuse to get on a plane like they have refused the vaccine because of the risk.

[TroubleUsedToBeMyBusiness]

@EddieVeddersfoxymop
That's interesting - I was tempted to just rearrange my appointment but I may pitch up on the day and just see what is on offer

[IstandwithJackieWeaver]

The risks from the AZ vaccine are tiny and afaik a causal link hasn't actually been proved. I had the AZ vaccine last week. I'm in my late forties and just glad to have had it already.

[EddieVeddersfoxymop]

@troubleusedtobemybusiness 100% thats what I was told on the phone. He was very grateful for trying to be mindful of others but suggested that I absolutely should go along when I get my letter.

[nancywhitehead]

I can understand people refusing it after everything in the news about blood clots, although I do think people are probably over-reacting and panicking about something which is very, very rare.

A lot of those people are probably happily taking combined oral contraceptives which also cause a very slight risk of blood clots. Or other medicatons which have a very small risk of a side effect.

It's weird really that people are refusing when you think about it that way, and it is such a tiny risk.

I'm in my 30's and will be going for my second dose of AZ, because I think the risk is really miniscule and I am on other medications which I happily take which have bigger risks than this!

[StrawberryLipstickStateOfMind]

@EddieVeddersfoxymop that's entirely different from someone who will turn up knowing they don't want AZ for no good reason and will refuse it if that is what's offered though. You've done all you can there to avoid wasting an appointment- you can't do anything if the system isn't working as well as it could be.

Surely there must be a way they can ensure those who can't have a particular vaccine for medical reasons can book the one that's suitable for them?

No criticism of the programme at all, think it's been handled amazingly well, would be good if issues like this could be resolved though.

[IstandwithJackieWeaver]

Pressed post too soon. The people benefitting from the unease and bad press around the AZ vaccine are the anti-vaxxers and Covid conspiracy theorists. Not the general public and the economy.

[nancywhitehead]

Also just to follow up from my previous post - I am a healthy thirty-something - no underlying conditions. I got the vaccine because of my profession, no other reason. So I am in theory at risk of these blood clots but I will still be having my second dose, because the risk is miniscule and I don't think they have actually proven a causal link yet.