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...,!

What would be disastrous is if the J&J vaccine was to be halted/ limited as well if what they’re suggesting is true about the clotting events being linked with the adenovirus vaccines
What I don’t understand is although different clotting issues why is there no zoning in on the clotting incidences on the rna vaccines? Where’s the hysteria around that

Why have so many countries limited the use of the adenovirus vector vaccines makes me worry that something is known that isn’t being disclosed

I don't think the Janssen vaccine has been rolled out yet in the EU. The issues have been in the US, I think. If there are also similar adverse events (even though extremely rare), I'd expect this data will also be looked at by the EMA. At the very least to see if there are certain groups who are particularly affected so they can get something else. It may be a tiny group of people affected. If the events are similar, the people who are anxious about the events with AZ will not be less so with Janssen.

In Ireland it isn’t a supply issue with the AZ vaccines as supply is fine- if anything there’s now talk of vaccines potentially going to waste (which would be shocking)

Oh for crying out loud, it is not political. It has been explained ad nauseum why Ireland is in a position to do this (i.e. because other vaccines make up 80% of our supply).

Where is this bizarre paranoia coming from?

Vaccine being wasted would indeed be shocking- actually a PP made a good point earlier that if there are indeed concerns about blood clots in the young (which are still vanishingly rare) that given the risks of coronavirus itself it perhaps makes sense to offer an alternative. But to people in their 50s (and 40s too), surely the risks of coronavirus are far, far higher? Surely the number of deaths and hospitalisations throughout the pandemic have shown this? So why limit the use to over 60s, when people in their 50s have a relatively high risk from the virus too?

I mean I wouldn't be happy in that position- if I were in my 50s, where it's clear what by far the greater risk is.

Where is this bizarre paranoia coming from?

Lol! I don't think it's people in the UK (and certainly not UK regulators) than can be accused of bizarre paranoia.

@Rukaya

How's Ireland's supply doing? Any shortages and need to prioritise? Might explain the decision

That might be how the UK does things, but Ireland is following the science and not the politics.

Ah yeah they are so immune to playing politics in Ireland 😂😂😂

For the millionth time, there is a known risk (admittedly very small) with AZ that is affecting younger cohorts, and due to our mix of supply we have the ability to mitigate that risk by allocating a different vaccine to those age groups. It's a responsible and sensible thing to do, and the hysteria on this thread is quite something.

@Sakura7

For the millionth time, there is a known risk (admittedly very small) with AZ that is affecting younger cohorts, and due to our mix of supply we have the ability to mitigate that risk by allocating a different vaccine to those age groups. It's a responsible and sensible thing to do, and the hysteria on this thread is quite something.

To people in their 50s @Sakura7 ? Is the benefits/risk ratio of people in their 50s not massively skewed in the favour of getting any available vaccine?

I'd say the only hysteria is coming from people who think the absolutely minuscule risk of a blood clot from the AZ vaccine means it's better to not take that vaccination.

Maybe instead of asking the question why are twenty five other countries worldwide stopping/restricting AZ, the question might be why is the UK continuing to use it although even they now are not using it for under 30s. I don’t think any country is looking or going to look at the UK for advice.

@anyoldtime

Maybe instead of asking the question why are twenty five other countries worldwide stopping/restricting AZ, the question might be why is the UK continuing to use it although even they now are not using it for under 30s. I don’t think any country is looking or going to look at the UK for advice.

These kind of posts are ridiculous.

I can the posters who gave rationale earlier based on briefing. And maybe delay won’t be long which would be good but this kind of stirring plus first post is off.

@StrawberryLipstickStateOfMind

Vaccine being wasted would indeed be shocking- actually a PP made a good point earlier that if there are indeed concerns about blood clots in the young (which are still vanishingly rare) that given the risks of coronavirus itself it perhaps makes sense to offer an alternative. But to people in their 50s (and 40s too), surely the risks of coronavirus are far, far higher? Surely the number of deaths and hospitalisations throughout the pandemic have shown this? So why limit the use to over 60s, when people in their 50s have a relatively high risk from the virus too?

I mean I wouldn't be happy in that position- if I were in my 50s, where it's clear what by far the greater risk is.

In Ireland it's over 60s for AZ based on supply of AZ

We have x amount of AZ so we will give it to the x amount of people who have the lowest risk of clotting. If there was more AZ it might have been set at 55 or 50 or whatever corresponded with the amount of vaccine we have. It's just giving the AZ supply we have to the people with the lowest risk of clotting.

AZ makes up 20% of our vaccine portfolio here.

@Sakura7 where you see hysteria, I see critical thinking.

Ireland will of course vaccinate the under 60s, they will just use the other vaccines they have.

More critical voices here

www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/limits-on-astrazeneca-vaccine-will-cause-hesitancy-and-concern-favier-warns-1.4536019

the question might be why is the UK continuing to use it although even they now are not using it for under 30s.

I think the answer to that question is quite obvious, isn't it? A risk-benefit analysis comes out very clearly in favour of the vaccine for the over-30s.

It's totally understandable to me why countries like Australia and Thailand might be hesitant about the risks associated with a vaccine for a disease that has barely affected their populations. European countries are in a rather different situation,, though, and I don't really understand their decision-making at all.

Main point to take from the article that @TheKeatingFive has linked:

Dr Favier said there was a higher risk of clotting to people on a long-haul flight or from taking the contraceptive pill than from AstraZeneca.

The GP, who sits on the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet), told RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland that the risk from Covid-19 was much higher than from any vaccine.

MarshaBradyo You see people can throw this at other countries but if we respond in kind, we are accused of stirring and being goady. Double standards.

I can understand different supply impacts decisions

I completely get why the U.K. is making the decision it is, especially as we move out of lockdown now

@StrawberryLipstickStateOfMind

Main point to take from the article that *@TheKeatingFive* has linked:

Dr Favier said there was a higher risk of clotting to people on a long-haul flight or from taking the contraceptive pill than from AstraZeneca.

The GP, who sits on the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet), told RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland that the risk from Covid-19 was much higher than from any vaccine.

Yes, we know the risk of clotting is very low.

Main point from the article:
he was encouraged by comments from acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn and ProfKarina Butlerof Niac that the decision will not have an impact on the long-term rollout of the vaccine.

Vaccines are still being rolled out, just a change to which vaccine is given to which age group. AZ is being given to those with the lowest risk of clotting from it.

Also from this article:
If AstraZeneca had been the only vaccine available, the decision to pause would not have been made, he said. “We have to use the supply we have to best effect

The US is now pausing J&J following clots in 4 women. A total of 6 million doses have been administered.

www.nytimes.com/2021/04/13/us/politics/johnson-johnson-vaccine-blood-clots-fda-cdc.html

I don't think they can be accused of being political here. So maybe the obvious explanation is the correct one - medical regulators in general tend to act with caution when assessing new products, particularly when other options are available.

So the risk of hesitancy isn't also a concern then @Evanna13 ?

And here we go. Even I didn’t expect this so soon.

www.reuters.com/article/BigStory12/idUSKBN2C01BC

@StrawberryLipstickStateOfMind

So the risk of hesitancy isn't also a concern then *@Evanna13* ?

Do you mean the risk of people not taking the vaccines because of fear of clotting?

Personally I do not think so. As you can see from the above article the fact the risks of ANY vaccine are extremely low are highly publicised by the media here. You will see this across the media here and in statements from the government, niac and nephet all the time. Traditionally we are not a vaccine sceptic country, we have a huge pharmaceutical industry here and so far vaccine uptake has been very high.

Actually I think it will increase uptake for younger people.

Ireland has an expected supply of AZ equivalent to the population of people aged 60-70

The problem is if those people hesitate to take it there will be an over supply of AZ.

At the same time those aged 16-64 with chronic conditions are waiting on a vaccine. We are supposed to be getting 2.2 million Pfizer so that would vaccinate 1.1 million which would cover off the vulnerable. But those people were supposed to be getting AZ and a delay to them getting vaccinated is very worrying. I am hoping the Pfizer comes in and the vulnerable get vaccinated and the 60-69 age group will come forward for AZ.