Ireland AZ over 60s only.

[anyoldtime]

It’s being reported that Ireland is going to give AZ to over 60s only. Expected announcement at 7.30pm this evening.

200K have already been vaccinated with it and while it was paused, it then resumed although they knew there were issues surrounding it when it was resumed.

I’m pleased they are being responsible but a bit late for the 200K already injected...,!

The extremely rare adverse events have taken place in people under 60 years of age. Predominantly, not exclusively, in women. However, I think more women have had the vaccine than men.

I think Germany and Italy are allowing under 60's to choose if they want AZ.

Ah, so if the UK restricts the vaccine to certain age groups not in alignment with the advice of their regulatory bodies then there is a reason.

When other countries restrict the vaccine to certain age groups, are they not allowed to have their own reasons without being cast as solely working on political motives?

@Cailleach1 when the announcement was made that 18-29 would be offered a different vaccine, I looked a bit at the stats and was actually concerned/annoyed to start with that younger men were given a choice when there seemed to be more women affected. It didn't seem right that a 28 yr old man could choose but me as a 33 yr old woman couldn't.

But I looked closer- there doesn't seem to be an issue based on sex, more women have been vaccinated as you said. And looking at the risks, they are absolutely minimal to me, I'm more than happy to have AZ.

@Cailleach1

Ah, so if the UK restricts the vaccine to certain age groups not in alignment with the advice of their regulatory bodies then there is a reason.

When other countries restrict the vaccine to certain age groups, are they not allowed to have their own reasons without being cast as solely working on political motives?

Hang on, at what point did I say it was political? I've said before than I've questioned the motives of other countries but in honesty I can't fathom their behaviour... political is a possibility... actual vaccine supply another....

And heaven forbid admitting the UK government have done something sensible for once- doing what they can to encourage vaccine uptake in the group most likely to have concerns, given their incredibly low risk of the virus itself.

I’m worried sick because numerous governments have concluded that AZ is not safe for my age group (40) and delaying the roll out is safer than giving me and others like me AZ. Then the next day my GP is phoning me to be vaccinated with AZ and saying it’s perfectly safe. If I lived in any of these other countries they would offer me an alternative.

@DandelionSprout

I’m worried sick because numerous governments have concluded that AZ is not safe for my age group (40) and delaying the roll out is safer than giving me and others like me AZ. Then the next day my GP is phoning me to be vaccinated with AZ and saying it’s perfectly safe. If I lived in any of these other countries they would offer me an alternative.

It’s not worth getting worried sick over.

Op on timing do you have a road map with dates (earliest ones)?

Eg when does your hospitality and retail open? Has it changed

It’s not worth getting worried sick that they want to give me a jab which numerous other countries are advising against?

@DandelionSprout

It’s not worth getting worried sick that they want to give me a jab which numerous other countries are advising against?

I’m late 40s still waiting. Delay is annoying, yes I’d take it.

Also your risk from Covid is higher than the AZ vaccine.

delaying the roll out is safer than giving me and others like me AZ

@DandelionSprout, I understand your concerns, but the data suggests the exact opposite of this. There are some very tiny risks from the AZ vaccine, but the risks from covid for your age group are much greater, so it's safer not to delay the roll out and to give you the jab instead.

I was also concerned (under 50, have had first AZ jab, wasn't sure whether to get second) but when I looked at the numbers, it's a no brainer. Covid is by far the bigger risk.

@TooOldandTired I just feel like it's really goady and anti vaccine. Spreading more fear and misinformation.

the risks from covid for your age group are much greater, so it's safer not to delay the roll out and to give you the jab instead
If that’s the case then why have multiple countries made the opposite decision? Not being goady I just genuinely don’t understand why the UK is insisting it’s safe when an increasing number of other countries say it isn’t. It doesn’t inspire confidence.

I'm Irish but UK based and I'm disappointed about the decision. The other headline today in Ireland is that if they open up, they are at risk of a fourth wave. I think giving AZ to a wider group would help to mitigate this.
I'm lucky that parents and grandparents over there have had at least one dose due to fitting the criteria but I do worry about the other members of my family who are 50+ and will be waiting for a long time. It must also be an incredibly awful time to I run a small business in Ireland and I know how much hospitality means to the economy there :(

@DandelionSprout in the UK we are living proof that it is mainly safe, except for a very rare side effect. I (mid 30's), most people I know and millions of others have had the vaccine and are excited about our next dose and the falling rates here. That is what inspires confidence. I have full confidence in the CMO here and our vaccine committee.

Each country is taking decisions based on how much of each vaccine they have ordered and how severe their infection rate is. If you’re Australia where the risk of catching Covid and becoming seriously ill with it is negligible then virtually no vaccine risk is an acceptable price to pay (which sucks for the people stuck on the other side of the world and unable to return home). If you have a whole load of Vaccine X available, a raging epidemic and there’s a tiny risk associated with it then you may have to decide that pressing on is worth the risk. But if you’ve got enough of Vaccine Y that restricting your use of Vaccine X won’t hold your vaccine programme back then you can afford to do that.

There’s no such thing as “safe” or “unsafe” in this situation, every decision has risks and benefits which have to be weighed up according to the situation at hand.

If that’s the case then why have multiple countries made the opposite decision? Not being goady I just genuinely don’t understand why the UK is insisting it’s safe when an increasing number of other countries say it isn’t. It doesn’t inspire confidence.

I honestly don't know why multiple countries have made the opposite decision. It is a strange decision indeed when you look at some of the covid case numbers and death rates across Europe. It's tragic that people are dying when so many life saving vaccines have been wasted. The European regulator has confirmed that the AZ vaccine can be used, so it isn't just the UK regulator going it alone. The WHO is also backing the vaccine.

I agree that it doesn't inspire confidence when you hear about other countries banning it for your age group, but then again, the entire way in which some of those countries have handled the vaccine rollout doesn't exactly inspire confidence either.

The numbers speak for themselves. Covid is the bigger risk. I'll be getting my second shot when the time comes.

The AZ vaccine is not the main vaccine used in Ireland. It makes up only 20% of the vaccine portfolio here.
I am late 30s and would take the AZ vaccine. I understand the risk with AZ is extremely low. However to be perfectly honest, given a choice, I would prefer the Pfizer or Moderna based on current evidence.
Every country can make decisions based on the current evidence and the supply of different vaccines they have.
If AZ was the main vaccine in Ireland we would not be doing this.

I don’t think you should shut down all discussion, but it’s known now that only a dozen social media accounts are behind the vast majority of vaccine misinformation out there. That’s not conspiratorial, it’s fact. So when there’s brand new / name changed posters creating threads about how they just want reassurance, are pro vax etc, then do everything they can to dismiss all reassuring posts... yeah it’s not a great look.

FourWordsImMuNiTy - that's how I see it too.

RedToothBrush - great little graphic you posted earlier about the risk factor.

@IrishMamaMia

I'm Irish but UK based and I'm disappointed about the decision. The other headline today in Ireland is that if they open up, they are at risk of a fourth wave. I think giving AZ to a wider group would help to mitigate this. I'm lucky that parents and grandparents over there have had at least one dose due to fitting the criteria but I do worry about the other members of my family who are 50+ and will be waiting for a long time. It must also be an incredibly awful time to I run a small business in Ireland and I know how much hospitality means to the economy there :(

The decision is not going to delay the vaccine rollout in Ireland. The supply of AZ we have is actually quite small and it will be used on the over 60s so it will not be wasted while people go unvaccinated. Other vaccines make up 80% of our supply and these will be used on under 60s. It is just a reallocation. They are still on track to have 80% of pop vaccinated by the end of June. Yes, a full opening up of society now would most likely cause another wave, which is why they are opening up very slowly.

@StrawberryLipstickStateOfMind If you watch the briefing from last night, they are at pains to point out that AZ is a good vaccine that has saved lives, and for the vast majority of people the benefit outweighs the risk. They also state that this decision is made out of an abundance of caution due to the very rare clotting side effect, and that they are able to make this call because they have other vaccines available (AZ only makes up 20% of our stock). If AZ was the only vaccine, their decision would have been very different.

I think you're reading a headline and running with it, without listening to their actual reasoning.

Of course the UK applied a different cut off, because to do otherwise would have caused massive disruption to the rollout. This is because of the difference in the make up of supply, and the fact that the UK has already vaccinated the over 60s (and indeed over 50s).

political is a possibility... actual vaccine supply another....

But this is contradictory as having a lot of the AZ vaccine could be the very reason the UK are persisting in giving it to over 30s too?

The US, Venezuela along with over twenty other countries are suspending/restricting it to older people or not giving it at all. Are they all wrong.

Im unsure why social media was brought up. It’s individual countries decisions.

Exactly @Evanna13

@Evanna13 several news outlets including The Times, Irish edition, are reporting that the 80 per cent figure is likely to be pushed back to August.