Has anybody managed to get Pfizer instead of astra zeneca?

[Crovine]

If so, please share strategies.

I have a number of issues including sibling medical history that have led me to not want astra zeneca. None of these are on the list of official reasons to avoid it. But I don't want it. I went to my vaccination appointment today and explained this. They said I could have astra zeneca and that it was safe. They said they would not offer Pfizer (which people six feet away were having) because all the doses were allocated. I was advised to get a letter from my GP. However it was my GP who told me to go to the appointment and discuss at the centre. So I left without being vaccinated.

It seems like an impasse.

Has anybody managed to find a way through this?

@ViciousJackdaw

Wow, you really have no idea what you're talking about, do you? Why are you bothering to comment from a position of such deep ignorance? It's almost spelled out for you in the PHE medical literature

Aw, bless your little heart. You really should get up those wooden hills to Bedfordshire, we don't want to be all cross in the morning now, do we? Nighty night.

This has made me laugh so much. Not only because I'd forgotten that expression that my mum used to say, but also because it reminds me of squabbling with my siblings as a child and you get down to that bit where the10 year old has no actual argument and just starts jeering at you and calling you a bum face.

Maybe read up about the condition you're spouting off ignorantly about that's caused by the AZ vaccine before chipping in next time? It would seem like the very least you can do. This is important stuff. It's fine to disagree but it's downright peculiar to come roaring onto a forum without actually knowing the basics. I'm not going to engage with you again because you don't seem to have the least idea what's being discussed here so there's no point (but do feel free to have the last word as you seem to need it!)

@Ariannah

You absolutely do have the right to demand a second opinion and fight for the medicine you need And OP absolutely has the right to seek a second opinion and push for a GP to prescribe Pfizer. But she does not have the right to demand Pfizer when multiple GPs and blanket NHS policy says she can’t have it.

Spot on

In a pandemic any decent doctor won't let people decide for themselves. It would be a disaster for roll out. Actually coursing delays and possibly deaths

[quote MouseholeCat]@Stackthecats

If you're in the TWW and don't have a positive test then you aren't pregnant yet and therefore aren't at risk.

The restriction on pregnant women receiving the vaccine is because pregnancy raises your risk of blood clots. This is due to a few things which include lower blood flow to the legs as a result of constriction of blood vessels in the legs, potential immobility, and changes in the coagulation of blood which happen to reduce bleeding in labour.

These aren't TWW or early pregnancy events but happen later on.[/quote]
They have said before about holding off on the vaccine if trying to conceive or in early pregnancy. I really haven't taken much notice in the subject recently. Has that changed then?

@Totalbeach so tell us who in your view should not be getting the AZ vaccine?

Should it be:

Patients who have experienced major venous and/or arterial thrombosis occurring with thrombocytopenia

Or others as well? Be specific.

I'm not going to engage with you again because you don't seem to have the least idea what's being discussed here so there's no point (but do feel free to have the last word as you seem to need it!)

In other words, you've thrown your toys well and truly out of the pram. That's a shame, I do enjoy a robust discussion. Take care, won't you...

There's no good argument why someone can't have a safer and more effective vaccine.

Except there is — someone else needs it more.

If you have five people, all with various levels of risk factor x, and five vaccines, one of which is of a different make to the others and better for people with a high degree of risk factor x, then you give the one different vaccine to the person with the highest level of risk factor x, and, assuming even the slightly riskier vaccine is better than remaining unvaccinated, the other four people get the riskier one. OP is the person with the second-highest level of risk factor x, or thinks she is, but thinks she should be the one to get the less-risky jab, rather than the person who's been assessed as needing it most.

@Totalbeach

I think

Can't be bothered looking at the rest of your post.

is the Mumsnet equivalent of 'Lalala not listening'.

As for this:

There is a whole other thread of rather odd people posting the data for clots??? Why do I need to supply that for you. Why they have made a thread of their own for clot daily information that is another discussion. To worry each other

It's just a lovely demonstration that the information you were so adamant could EASILY be found actually doesn't exist, so thanks for that. And just to clarify - it doesn't exist - not on the weekly report, not on the Mumsnet thread. I wonder why... Certainly I have absolutely no qualms about wondering what would happen if someone said they were pregnant to avoid AZ when there's not full truth and transparency flowing in the direction of the general public.

You are right there are no threads on mumsnet talking about this stuff

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4231227-AZ-Clots-LATEST-From-MHRA?pg=2

Oh and the statistics and data thread will probably have more information for you too. They are tend to post this stuff

And definitely no weekly reporting😱

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-vaccine-adverse-reactions/coronavirus-vaccine-summary-of-yellow-card-reporting

The other poster is right you need to go to bed. This is just ridiculous now 😂😂😂

@TruelyWonder And yet despite all those 'sources', still no answers to a single one of the specific questions I asked about the specific relevant information. Wonder why.

@Malteser71

Fucks sake

You win best response yet❤

@FrankensteinIsTheMonster

There's no good argument why someone can't have a safer and more effective vaccine.

Except there is — someone else needs it more.

If you have five people, all with various levels of risk factor x, and five vaccines, one of which is of a different make to the others and better for people with a high degree of risk factor x, then you give the one different vaccine to the person with the highest level of risk factor x, and, assuming even the slightly riskier vaccine is better than remaining unvaccinated, the other four people get the riskier one. OP is the person with the second-highest level of risk factor x, or thinks she is, but thinks she should be the one to get the less-risky jab, rather than the person who's been assessed as needing it most.

I get your argument to an extent, but it falls apart unfortunately because plenty of people with LESS risk factor than the OP (risk factor being as we know it or as the relevant bodies have interpreted it I mean) are being offered Pfizer. Plenty of people with ZERO risk factor are being offered Pfizer. OP could have an identical twin who could rock up to an identical venue at an identical time in another part of the country and get a different vaccine. This isn't all about priority, which would at least be partly understandable. It's about luck of the draw, and I can see why OP and others like her find that hard to swallow.

I would have said the same as many of you until a family I know well were devastated after their seemingly healthy 51 year old wife and mother died of blood clots throughout her body shortly after the AstraZeneca vaccine. She had a strong family history of blood clots and, had she been aware of the risks, would have absolutely wanted to choose Pfizer.
This family are absolutely not telling people to avoid the vaccine but they want the risks addressed and for people to be able to give informed consent, or have a choice of vaccine.

@navykitchen

I would have said the same as many of you until a family I know well were devastated after their seemingly healthy 51 year old wife and mother died of blood clots throughout her body shortly after the AstraZeneca vaccine. She had a strong family history of blood clots and, had she been aware of the risks, would have absolutely wanted to choose Pfizer. This family are absolutely not telling people to avoid the vaccine but they want the risks addressed and for people to be able to give informed consent, or have a choice of vaccine.

I'm so sorry to hear about this. She should have been able to choose. Knowing it was avoidable while still being protected from Covid must be very bitter for them. I hope that this doesn't happen to too many more families.

They haven't attributed to the vaccine (they haven't actually attributed it to anything!) but the family are convinced and I can absolutely see why. It's a very, vary hard pill to swallow.

Total yep it's more complicated than the very pared-down scenario I presented, but I guess those doses are given that way because it's a mass vaccination programme, and in order to ensure efficient rollout the excess doses have to just be administered as is convenient to the programme. Every extra bit of tailored allocation is more time and effort spent on things that will slow us down. The one in five (or whatever) get the right vaccine, the rest take their chances and might get lucky but we can't afford to be tweaking and fussing for absolutely everyone who demands it. I get that it feels unfair but that's life OP shouldn't use that feeling of unfairness to justify sabotaging the programme we're all depending on by booking appointments when she knows she won't take the jab she's most likely to be offered.

@Totalbeach no response?

[quote Totalbeach]@TruelyWonder And yet despite all those 'sources', still no answers to a single one of the specific questions I asked about the specific relevant information. Wonder why.[/quote]
Because you can look for the information yourself?

Because according to you you have that information already or at least the zone sources of information. Therefore can read them yourself

Because I am not actually your mother. My children oldest children learn how to critically analyse scientific studies in school. My 15 year old is actually better at this stuff than most adults. Won't apologise for bragging there

Because to prove that AZ isn't the only vaccine with issues. Look at American sources of information for that. I wouldn't go into it on mumsnet. However just so we are clear all the vaccines are still safer for the age ranges decided by are experts than catching covid.

@navykitchen

They haven't attributed to the vaccine (they haven't actually attributed it to anything!) but the family are convinced and I can absolutely see why. It's a very, vary hard pill to swallow.

That is a very difficult thing for any family. Can't imagine.

Too many lifes have been lost in the last year. Hopefully with this last lockdown and these vaccines things have got better and less lifes will be lost.

@TruelyWonder You’re the one that said the information was available and transparent and yet have completely failed to link or even mention a single source that answers a single one of my very relevant questions.

@Totalbeach so tell us who in your view should not be getting the AZ vaccine?

Should it be:

Patients who have experienced major venous and/or arterial thrombosis occurring with thrombocytopenia

Or others as well? Be specific.

Be specific! Like you’re setting me a GCSE question. Bugger off.

How the hell would I know who should get the vaccine when the scientists who invented it don’t even know and the government won’t release any of the information about comorbidities! But in the absence of information and in a swiftly evolving situation that even the scientists failed to predict and still don’t understand, I fully respect an individual’s right to err on the side of caution.

[quote Totalbeach]@TruelyWonder You’re the one that said the information was available and transparent and yet have completely failed to link or even mention a single source that answers a single one of my very relevant questions.[/quote]
I believe I gave you links to more than one of your questions. You just have to do some reading now and find your own answers. Like I said Not Your Mum or your teacher for that matter.

If you want to do the whole Facebook Tracey the Expert thing can you stick to Facebook.

Seriously people we are in a pandemic. People are still dieing every day in this country. I can't watch what is happening in India. This is actually what you are worrying about. A vaccine with less chance of killing the recommended age ranges than covid. You are telling people to plot to get another vaccine others need more. Therefore potentially taking it away from them. This is the attention that can kill people. You do understand the implications of this behaviour don't you?

Oh dear

Everytime you book and cancel, you're preventing someone else having the vaccine on that day. So booking everyday and cancelling seems quite inconsiderate.

I know someone who explained to the practice manager their concerns and when Pfizer became available were called on the day. The first time was too short notice and then a week later they were offered a slot for the Pfizer vaccine a few days later to give notice.

You just need to ask your practice to put you in touch with the person running the vaccine clinic and hopefully they'll be able to help. But please do not just keep cancelling - others need and want that slot you keep cancelling.

@Crovine

If there is no clinical reason for you needing Pfizer you won't get it.

Why not? Pfizer is there, so am I, arm ready to go. This is just stupid.

Because all doses of Pfizer were allocated? You said so yourself.

I work at a vaccination centre. We have NO Pfizer available for first doses at all for the foreseeable future. The doses we have & are expecting to receive are all allocated for second doses.

Another centre may be different.

Why the actual fuck not though?

Because in general it's reserved for second doses and lower age groups who are officially in designated risk groups. That's why.

Booking repeated appointments to try and get Pfizer is an appalling waste of appointments. It's not going to work anyway, if they don't have it then they don't have it.