Anyone feeling increasingly anxious about Pfizer?

[Doireallyneedaname]

With all the news re the AZ & J&J vaccines I can’t help but feel a sense of dread when checking the news.

I am starting to think it’s only a matter of time until something horrific comes out about the Pfizer vaccine (which I had)

What a strange time to be alive. Sometimes I still can’t believe this is all happening.

@User890156 Maybe you haven’t read my post so I’ll state again that I’m worried about what could come out about Pfizer, now the blood clots associated with AZ specifically.

So you are worrying about something which hasn't happened. It's just not rational OP.

I think the reason I feel a bit compelled to respond with reason more than just tolerance is that there is a public perception issue here.

If lots of people are put off having the vaccine by some quite hysterical views being widely shared that don't make a lot of mathematical or scientific sense then more people will actually die and we might be in line for a 3rd wave and another lockdown and I for one am a whole hell of a lot more anxious about that very real possibility than any vaccine side effect. I do not think the NHS or the country can stand another wave and another lockdown. Preventing that is very very important and mass vaccination is the key to that.

I am sympathetic to OPs anxiety but I can't agree that it is rational and after all the question was posed as a debate.

At this point I could start glowing in the dark and couldn't care less

@EnidSpyton

Completely agree.

It’s impossible to discuss the issue with nuance because too many people lack any sense of proportion regarding the risks of covid for 99% of the population.

I've had both my
Vaccines Pfizer one. Absolutely fine. I think your anxiety is taking over. You have such a little chance of getting blood clots. It's like less than 100 in 30000000 people! You have more chance winning the lottery probably.

You can get blood clots from surgery and flying. Do you not fly anywhere?

I’m in my 30s and I have had one dose of AZ, I’ll be going for my second with no worries at all.

I almost died in childbirth in my 20s, when pregnant I never thought about how risky childbirth can be. Everything carries risk and so does every medicine or vaccine you take. The risk of blood clot from AZ is vanishingly small and the risk of something bad happening after Pfizer must be minuscule.

@CovoidOfAllHumanity

I think the reason I feel a bit compelled to respond with reason more than just tolerance is that there is a public perception issue here.

If lots of people are put off having the vaccine by some quite hysterical views being widely shared that don't make a lot of mathematical or scientific sense then more people will actually die and we might be in line for a 3rd wave and another lockdown and I for one am a whole hell of a lot more anxious about that very real possibility than any vaccine side effect. I do not think the NHS or the country can stand another wave and another lockdown. Preventing that is very very important and mass vaccination is the key to that.

I am sympathetic to OPs anxiety but I can't agree that it is rational and after all the question was posed as a debate.

You’re right

There’s a lot of misinformation on here and anxiety being fuelled.

I’m grateful to posters who respond calmly with facts.

Interesting replies.

To those who are dismissing my concerns are ludicrous, you must be superhuman. Frankly I don’t understand how you wouldn’t worry about this, considering even top vaccine researchers/scientists I follow are being flooded with similar questions from others. Seemingly you are the exception to the rule. We are still in the early stages of this and whilst I am pro vax (and had my first jab, as we know, along with all other vaccinations I’ve needed in life) this “the trial doesn’t end until 2023” that’s been thrown about is hitting home. I don’t think anybody expected such a severe potential side effect of these vaccines. Young, healthy people have died. Same for Covid. I’m not saying one is better than the other, but until everyone is vaccinated and some time has passed, we won’t know the true extent of the risk OR side effects. We have more knowledge on Covid at this point.

This worry isn’t ruling my life as such, but it’s a concern. You don’t know my situation but if you’re of a sound mind then you should be able to comprehend my concern. If you don’t, I would guess you’re just being goady for the sake of it.

J&J has just paused their vaccine rollout over blood clot concerns. It’s not misinformed or hysterical to feel cautious about these vaccines. We don’t know the true picture/risks yet. The U.K. is taking a different approach on this with AZ than most other countries. It’s not surprising that people are questioning this. It’s not long until AZ will be pause in the U.K. too in my view.

Frankly I don’t understand how you wouldn’t worry about this, considering even top vaccine researchers/scientists I follow are being flooded with similar questions from others. Seemingly you are the exception to the rule.

Tens of millions of people have been vaccinated in the UK. There aren't that many people asking questions and worrying to the extent you are. You're feeding the anxiety by posting statements like this. I understand you're trying to justify your position and thought process. However the people worrying really are the exception. Most people have the vaccine and crack on with their life.

I don’t think anybody expected such a severe potential side effect of these vaccines.

They did, just like every other medicine. Hormonal contraception has a much higher risk.

There's a tweeter called mac and cheese. Follow them and see the statistics unpicked by someone who understands, not 5g nutjobs.

There's a lot of talk on here about how the chances of dying of Covid are very slim and the median age of death is 84. I agree. I am not afraid of dying. What I am afraid of is long Covid, of which we also don't know the side effects.

I think you need help

@CovoidOfAllHumanity

I think the reason I feel a bit compelled to respond with reason more than just tolerance is that there is a public perception issue here.

If lots of people are put off having the vaccine by some quite hysterical views being widely shared that don't make a lot of mathematical or scientific sense then more people will actually die and we might be in line for a 3rd wave and another lockdown and I for one am a whole hell of a lot more anxious about that very real possibility than any vaccine side effect. I do not think the NHS or the country can stand another wave and another lockdown. Preventing that is very very important and mass vaccination is the key to that.

I am sympathetic to OPs anxiety but I can't agree that it is rational and after all the question was posed as a debate.

But it's not 'hysterical' or 'irrational' to have concerns about a vaccine that is causing a number of severe side effects that were not found during the original, short, limited, testing phase.

It's not 'hysterical' or 'irrational' to have concerns about a vaccine that many countries around the world have either restricted for the use of people over a certain age only due to concerns about its effect on younger people, or have stopped using altogether due to said concerns.

It's not 'hysterical' or 'irrational' to question the need to have something that could potentially be very harmful to you, either now or in the future, injected into your body, when you are otherwise young and healthy.

It's not 'hysterical' or 'irrational' to read the reports of severe side effects and become concerned or anxious as a result.

What is hysterical and irrational is most people's personal sense of risk concerning coronavirus.

Young and healthy people, considering their personal risk levels of becoming seriously ill with coronavirus, don't need any type of vaccine against it. Their bodies will fight it off completely naturally without adverse effects. We know this from over a year of seeing coronavirus whip around the world and infect millions of people. For the vast majority of those infected, of all ages, actually, it's been a very mild illness.

The vaccine has only been used for a few months and several safety concerns have already been raised. The majority of people who experience side effects don't report them to the yellow card system, so an accurate picture of the body's response to the vaccine is hard to build up. People saying 'oh well all medicines have side effects' - yes, of course they do. But the vaccine has not been tested thoroughly enough for all of the side effects to even have been discovered yet. Having a brand new vaccine that most young and healthy people don't even need is not the same equivalence as taking a nurofen for a headache. This is a totally false dichotomy.

I respect everyone's choices. If you've read all the evidence and are happy that the vaccine will benefit you and you want to take it, then fantastic. But there's no need to deem anyone who thinks differently to you as being irrational. That's simply not true, and neither is it helpful.

It's not 'hysterical' or 'irrational' to question the need to have something that could potentially be very harmful to you, either now or in the future, injected into your body, when you are otherwise young and healthy.

Yet its fine to catch covid when long covid is a much higher risk than any sort of vaccine side effects. Long covid is affecting thousands of young people.

To those who are dismissing my concerns are ludicrous, you must be superhuman

Gosh op. Millions of people are being jabbed, we are not super human because we are not concerned. It is not the people being vaccinated who are unusual. It’s you. 💐

Looking forward to my 2nd AZ next month. Tiny concern at back of mind but no more than I would for any other medical procedure. Get those vaccines done.

I'm not. Let's be honest, Pfizer is the best one out of all covid vaccines and those who had it should consider themselves some of the most fortunate people on the planet.

I'm not superhuman. I'm a Dr and a scientist and I understand uncertainty and risk in life and medicine. I also see a lot of death and illness on a day to day basis. It is my considered view that it is irrational to fear some as yet unknown side effect of the Pfizer vaccine over the very real dangers of Covid not to mention the harms of lockdown. That is a mainstream and not unusual view.

I volunteered for the AZ trial before we knew anything about what any of the side effects were and when it really was untested and being experimented with. Thousands of healthcare workers did the same. Not because we are naive idiots but because we wanted to provide data and knowledge so other people could have these vaccines safely. Because we know it's the only way out of this pandemic that is ruining everyone's lives.

Even when it really was very uncertain I was willing to have an experimental vaccine because my weigh up was and remains from all I know about vaccines in general and about Covid that COVID was likely to be worse. I have not been proven wrong about that yet.

I am willing to have a vaccine, even with a tiny or unknown risk, because I want my children's education to stop being disrupted, my husband to still have a business and to be able to get the NHS back to doing its job properly without worrying about COVID.

I do think it is irrational to start a whole thread about worries about a vaccine you already had and that didn't cause you, or indeed anyone else as far as we know, any problems. Usually I would just scroll on by and leave you to your ruminating but when it might put other people off being vaccinated then I decided to say something.

Looking forward to my 2nd dose on Monday. Not worried.

Op, you have every right to be cautious. I agree with a poster saying Az will be paused to in the UK. I feel other countries are taking the sensible route. Here in the UK, it just seems that its jab as many as possible to meet a 'target'. They did such a shit job at managing the whole show that they want to be one of the first to get everyone jabbed, 'a look at us approach' regardless of the long term consequences.

Each and every one of us has the right to consider whether the vaccine is right for us or not. And before anyone asks, no I don't fly anywhere.

I don’t think anybody expected such a severe potential side effect of these vaccines

They really did, people who understand that there are various risks with almost every medical treatment, procedure or vaccine knew that issues could come up. Go away and look at the issues with other vaccines, ones which you have probably had, and it seems, survived.

The reason the clot issue didn't come up in trials is due to the unprecedented numbers that have now been vaccinated in a short period of time. The risk of clots is so, so small it could not get picked up in trials.

Young and healthy people, considering their personal risk levels of becoming seriously ill with coronavirus, don't need any type of vaccine against it. Their bodies will fight it off completely naturally without adverse effects.

They often haven't. There are estimate of over a million long covid sufferers right now and this number will rise over time. I have a similar condition caused by a very very rare response to a virus that you have probably all had. I wouldn't wish it upon anyone.

Thankfully the slots for 45 and over seemed to go quickly looking at other threads.

We’re moving on and vaccines are getting us out of this.

There’ll always be people who look at a tiny risk and post a lot worrying about it.

Cases will rise as we come out if this and it’s relative risk between that or vaccine.

I’ve booked no issue it doesn’t take a superhuman attitude.

I do think that at the end of all this, the media will not come out of it well.
Over hyping and dramatic headlines.
I happen to think several world governments will not come out of it at all well either.
Even today, saw a headline[havent had a proper read yet] that I think it said 25% of people are now thought to have died "with covid" not "of covid".
Which to my mind also brings into question coroners[who I had previously thought of as almost above reproach].
Havent got time to post more. May post something else tonight.

All vaccines carry a risk. All of them. Yellow Fever. Flu jab. Polio. You name it. The point being usually the risk of actually contracting the disease is much worse that the associated risks of the vaccine. Nothing in life is risk free.

Enid

What I was describing as hysterical and irrational is worrying about a vaccine (Pfizer) about which no safety concerns have been raised at all after you have had it and suffered no side effects yourself. I cannot describe that reaction in any other terms.

It's also unfair. You get the benefit of being vaccinated and yet still put others off having that benefit. Kind of dog in the manager. Irresponsible and deserves to be challenged

Numerically you are wrong about the risks of Covid vs the vaccine. The risk of dying of COVID as a young healthy person is very small but the risks of dying of the vaccine are even smaller yet.

The very reason this side effect was not picked up in trials was that it is so very rare. It's true there is much unknown and very rare side effects may still come to light but we can say with confidence they will be very rare because the trials would have picked them up otherwise. I'll take a 1 in a million risk or a 1 in 100,000 risk to get us out of this pandemic.

If your personal weigh up is that you feel safer to risk COVID than a vaccine that is absolutely fine. No-one at all is forcing you to have a vaccine. It's an individual decision.

I can even understand people wanting to discuss whether to have it who haven't yet but I still cannot fathom the need to post on social media to angst about it after you have had it.