Under 40 will be offered an alternative vaccine

[CovidHalloween]

www.independent.co.uk/news/health/covid-vaccine-astrazeneca-blood-clots-cases-latest-b1842455.html

They made sure they waited until all 40s have been jabbed until they released this piece of news.

I’m still grateful for my jab nevertheless.
In other news, many cluster of Indian variant are scattered across the country and about to become a variant of concern, but of course they buried this news because its Election Day today. I’m fed up of this mess and this reactive nonsense. Why not be proactive and make sure our border defences were more robust. It’s like I told you so?! Who would have guessed?!

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/06/new-concerns-indian-covid-variant-clusters-found-across-england-ongoing-risk-high

[quote mrsknottschicken]@HJ40 spot on about us 40-somethings being stuck in the middle. Really hope they include us in the booster group now but I bet they won’t.

How can the government admit that the covid risk is higher for us than under 40s on the one hand, but then also say that we’re not quite as risky as those 50+ who make it into group 9?[/quote]
People shielding top- I'm 33 and had AZ as that's what they had. It's just tough luck, I'm glad to have any protection at all.

@Srirachachacha I do agree with you; I feel lucky to have had any protection at all. But what I meant was that if you’re 40 something, you’re now in what feels like a bit of a forgotten group. The government has effectively acknowledged that our risk from covid is high enough that we should get AZ. I’ve had it; I’m fine with that. But it’s not high enough that we should be in group 9 and that’s what I’m annoyed about. We possibly won’t be considered for boosters and possibly may have had a vaccine that’s a little less effective against some of the variants.

Don’t get me wrong...I’m super grateful to have had a vaccine and would have been happy to have had any of them. My quibble is about the government deciding that we’re higher risk but not higher risk enough IYSWIM.

The priority groups defined by age are the simplest way to undertake this huge task, but also by definition arbitrary. A 50-year old runner with no underlying conditions has lower risk than say the average 35-year old. In short everyone should weigh up their personal circumstances and the vaccine risks and make a choice unaffected by peer or political pressure.

How can the government admit that the covid risk is higher for us than under 40s on the one hand, but then also say that we’re not quite as risky as those 50+ who make it into group 9?

Because that's exactly what the science shows. People in their 40s are at higher risk than people in their 30s. People in their 50s are at higher risk than people in their 40s.

Other countries included 40 or 45+ for vaccine priority. I'd hope there would be some kind of group action, or a test case if 40 somethings are left out of boosters.

The news reports over the last year have frequently stressed that "the risk of death for under 40 remains low".

NHS health checks start at 40. That's because people commonly develop underlying conditions in their 40s. Many 40s have undiagnosed underlying issues.

I'll certainly not be in any hurry for my second jab (assuming I haven't carked it from a blood clot). They can get some more bloody data first.

@HJ40

I'll certainly not be in any hurry for my second jab (assuming I haven't carked it from a blood clot). They can get some more bloody data first.

I will go for my second jab, but there’s a part of me that hopes that between now and then (end of June), perhaps some new data will emerge and we’ll have to take a different jab, or something.

I don’t want to sound ungrateful and I’m really glad to have had the jab. I also acknowledge how lucky we are here in the UK. But it does seem as though maybe the MRNA jabs are doing a little better against the new variants, so I really hope we get included in the booster group.

I'm in my 30s and had AZ. Have cancelled my second jab.

I am 41 and had my first AZ jab yesterday. I am very happy to have received it. I think a lot of people are massively overreacting to this.

Meh. I’m under 40 and will have my second jab. Covid risks are higher IMO

@HJ40 - maybe get some help for your health anxiety..

It’s interesting, I’m 33 so this will impact me. I hope it doesn’t delay my vaccine is my only hope. I’m happy with any. There’s more chance my contraceptive pill will kill me. To be honest, I’d rather my ECV mum had had Pfizer than me, if they are indeed better against variants. She’s at far more risk of serious illness. But I guess she’ll get a booster in October.. hopefully against them!

@littlepeas It’s in the Times too.

I’m 31 and had made the decision yesterday to jot get the jab until I knew it wouldn’t be AZ. This was for a number of reasons, some general and some specific to me. Pretty pleased at this news tbh.

I am shocked to realise the numbers of adverse effects and deaths from the vaccine have risen so high. From 7 in total last time I checked, early April I think, to 41 in just a week. And 209 serious cases, mostly in 50 to 59 age group, because they had the most jabs. (week ending 28th April) This is a lot of people? Or have I misinterpreted?

It's still a very low number of people. My suspicion is the decision to give under 40s a different vaccine is motivated by efficacy. I've seen news reports about Pfizer being effective against the new strains. All the vaccines, not just AZ, have rare side effects. If it turns out AZ isn't as effective, we need to give boosters (either Pfizer, Moderna, Novovax, or tweaked AZ) to all those who've had AZ. Hopefully it won't be needed but I do hope the government is planning for the possibility.

My brother is early 40s , he got Moderna. Scotland are using alternatives to AZ for under 30s

@Tealightsandd

It's still a very low number of people. My suspicion is the decision to give under 40s a different vaccine is motivated by efficacy. I've seen news reports about Pfizer being effective against the new strains. All the vaccines, not just AZ, have rare side effects. If it turns out AZ isn't as effective, we need to give boosters (either Pfizer, Moderna, Novovax, or tweaked AZ) to all those who've had AZ. Hopefully it won't be needed but I do hope the government is planning for the possibility.

Why do you think AZ isn't any good with the new strains. When the evidence says it is just that. It is the only vaccination that has preliminary evidence of being good against the India variant isn't it?

The general agreement amongst the experts is that all the vaccines will work fine against all the variants. If one works they all are likely too. So Pfizer is said to work against the India variant on the basis of the AZ data etc etc

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Oh and on the ridiculous trial efficacy percentages thing people keep going on about. Check out this video and learn why trial efficacy means very little when you have real world data.

All the real world data indicates there is very little between any of the jabs. Which is a marvellous thing and people should be happy about.

As a 38 year old teacher with health issues that don't make the at risk list, who's still waiting for any jab to get any kind of protection... Be thankful you have have a jab. I am scared everyday going to school with the worry of the Indian variant etc. I would take AZ if they offered it to me to get that protection even if there is a risk.

I have been checking the website constantly to try and book my vaccine, have been annoyed at the media silence about when under 40s will get a jab, now I know why. Hoping they start to offer us appointments soon

@HolmeH You're right I'm struggling. I was pregnant thought out all of this last summer when little was known. I'd hoped the vaccine would be a really great thing but now it's fraught with worry too. The daughter of a family friend - someone not close to me but who I have known of all her life - died from the blood clots aged 21. AZ vaccine given due to her job. No other health conditions. 49 families currently grieving too (I think was the number I saw). But just because the Covid risk is worse it makes is acceptable to persist with using the AZ, rather than saying actually it's not, and it doesn't matter if it delays the release, but let's wait for different ones? And the ever evolving data and seemingly increasing risk the more data there is just makes things worse. It undermines confidence in the trials and also what is being said. It feels like each next week the prognosis will only get worse and I wish I hadn't bloody had it. It's very hard not to feel, as pp said, that now they've got most of the 40s done, they can suddenly announce they can do something different for the younger ones. We've been scared into having it because of the Covid risks for our age group where younger people would possibly have felt the risks were lower and therefore not had the vaccine which the government obviously wants to avoid.

Damn, I am 42.

HJ40 so sorry to hear about your friend - that's devastating.

I think it's a crucial point that no matter how small the risk it still happens to someone. My dd had an extremely rare congenital heart defect, so we were the 'someone' in that case - when you've had the experience of being the 1 in 100000, you tend to view these risks differently.

"when you've had the experience of being the 1 in 100000, you tend to view these risks differently"

Exactly. I think that's what a lot of people don't understand about fear and risk levels. If you've been hit by lightning then you tend to be scared of storms.

In Bristol we had a variant of concern, was all over the news but luckily it had no negative impact what so ever, and has never been mentioned again!

I wouldn’t worry

I think at this point they need to open up the AZ vaccine slots for anyone who wants them, at their own risk. I’m sure there would be huge uptake even in the higher vaccine risk younger age groups, then they can offer the rest of us who are wary of the AZ an alternative whether over or under 40.