Just as my life was starting to feel normal ...

[cottondotty]

I became a mum last year, 6 weeks before the first lockdown.
Shortly after I was diagnosed with postnatal anxiety (which after therapy was actually PTSD)

I’ve had a really tough year (which I know we all have)
My maternity leave was really lonely, I felt isolated and I slipped into a really depressive state.

I returned to work in December but was working from home.

In March I received a text from my Gp telling me I was eligible for my vaccine, turns out that I was group 6 due to a high BMI.
I was elated, I felt such a sense of relief and jumped at the change to be vaccinated, I had my first dose.

That was 9 weeks ago, in those 9 weeks, I’ve returned to the office once a week (work from home the other two)
I’m in a support bubble with my parents (they’re fully vaccinated and we all test twice weekly)
I’ve joined baby groups and met some lovely mum friends.
I’ve been shopping, eaten out, and I’ve had a weekend break camping.
It’s been like a dream, and my mental health has been amazing, all because I’ve felt safer, protected by having the vaccine.

I’ve obviously been cautious and followed guidelines but I’ve had the confidence to do these things rather than stay at home and fear Covid.

Today, after seeing the news about the age restrictions and the vaccine, I feel like I’ve been punched in the stomach.😭

I’m 36 and I had the AZ vaccine.

My only health condition is obesity.

I jfeel like I was just starting to feel “normal” (definitely more normal than I have felt for the last year) and now this is happening.

I don’t know what to do. I’ve absolutely loved how I’ve felt recently, and the vaccine has given me the confidence to enjoy things within the guidelines. but I just don’t know if I can take the chance with the 2nd dose of the vaccine.

If I wasn’t fat I wouldn’t be offered the AZ.

I don’t know what to do.

@mooonstone

I think the side effects would have happened by now - you’ve already successfully had your first dose 2 months ago. Why are you worried about the 2nd dose when you know that your body will tolerate it as normal?

@mooonstone

There have been cases of clots with second doses.

I had the 2nd AZ vaccination this week, I’m under 40. I don’t see the issue. There’s more risk from covid than a blood clot from the vaccine.

I see. Presumably it’s rare though?

I think I would be more worried about my first dose vs the second dose in your situation

If you’ve already had a dose then by definition your risk of blood clots or other serious illness are greater from getting covid than from having the vaccine.

The ONLY reason they’re not giving it to younger healthy people now is that they’re more likely to sail through covid without issues. But not guaranteed.

You are at risk of serious illness from covid so get your second vaccine and continue enjoying life.
(I’m expecting my first soon, at 44 and borderline obese - bmi 29/30 - I’m still happy to have az on balance of risk from vaccine vs risk from covid).

You are getting things completely out of proportion! The risk from the vaccine is EXTREMELY low - get the 2nd vaccine and you will be fine. The chance of anything happening to you from the vaccine are far lower than the risk of loads of things you do every day without thinking about it. It sounds like anxiety rather than rational thinking. Get your 2nd vaccine and continue enjoying life.

@museumum

If you’ve already had a dose then by definition your risk of blood clots or other serious illness are greater from getting covid than from having the vaccine.

The ONLY reason they’re not giving it to younger healthy people now is that they’re more likely to sail through covid without issues. But not guaranteed.

You are at risk of serious illness from covid so get your second vaccine and continue enjoying life.
(I’m expecting my first soon, at 44 and borderline obese - bmi 29/30 - I’m still happy to have az on balance of risk from vaccine vs risk from covid).

@museumum

You are at risk of serious illness from covid

From a high BMI?

If that’s what put you in group 6 then yes. Your risk from covid is greater than the risk from the vaccine.

My daughter works in a care home and has had both doses of the AZ vaccine. The first one was when she was still 24, the second at 25. She had a flu-like reaction after the first one for a couple of days and had no reaction after the second. Of course we now realise that the AZ vaccine is not considered the best for her age group but she has been absolutely fine, as have the many thousands of other younger people who have already had the AZ vaccine for whatever reason. If you are obese, it is vital you have your second vaccination. A 35-year-old friend of mine died of COVID in the first wave; the anniversary of her death was two weeks ago. Her main health condition was obesity. You and your family need you to have your vaccine so that you have the chance to live a full and healthy life.

Yes, in fact it’s statistically much greater. Anxiety is horrible though, you do have my sympathy but really the risk of the vaccine is minute compared to the risk Covid-19 poses.

I don't get it either and I have read your original post three times

By the way, congratulations on reducing your weight so far.

I felt very similar to you, in my 30s and had the first dose of AZ in mid Feb. I’ve had various medical issues over the years, some quite serious but never overly wondered or suffered anxiety about it. This time as things have become more known, I have struggled with reconciling it and not feeling like I’ve somehow poisoned myself or put myself at risk I could have avoided. However I have spoken with my GP and today had the 2nd dose AZ and mentally have coped fine with it, so much better than I thought I would a few weeks ago.

I have not felt right since having the 1st dose which is what had bothered me, several things going on which may or may not be related to the AZ 1st dose, they could be but also can be explained by other things and GP hasn’t been able to give much of an opinion either way.

I did originally book the 2nd dose for last week (would have been about 10 week gap) but cancelled that as just wasn’t ready. Rebooked for this week and that extra week has made a big difference, more time to get comfortable with it.

Maybe try booking it early enough that you could see how you feel but have enough time to reschedule if need to?

Please don't be worried. DH and I both had our first (he has a heart condition, I'm obese) and he had his 2nd one on Wednesday. All fine. I'm having my 2nd in three weeks.

They are just bringing more vaccines on line that's all, and since they are starting on younger age groups now, it makes sense to introduce those to those younger groups and keep the AZ they have for the second doses for people who have already had their first. No reason to be concerned.

Yes you are at serious risk from covid having a high BMI. that's why you were offered a vaccine. You know, cos you are high risk. Take the vaccine. Or lose lots of weight. Or live with high risk. Thems are the choices

[quote cottondotty]@TheOrigRights

I obv don't know the reason for your high BMI or what you've done to get to a healthy weight, but these are moot points.

Under active thyroid since high giving birth, currently taking Thyroxine.
I guess lockdown and depression haven’t helped me to eat healthily.

I have got my BMI down from 40.1 to 37.4 so that’s a start!![/quote]
I think many people have really struggled to maintain healthy ways during lockdown.

You've made a great start. Take care OP, you'll be OK.

@MuddySocks

I don't get it either and I have read your original post three times

You need to read the news as well. It has been announced that people under 40 won't be given the AZ vaccine due to the tiny tiny correlation between clots and the younger age group.

OP is under 40 and has already had her first AZ dose (due to being in tier 6). If she was a healthy BMI, or had not already had her vaccine then she would no longer be offered AZ. And now she is very worried.

The risk is so so so tiny, especially with a second dose. Your risk of death from covid is much higher.

You are more likely to get a worse reaction from the first vaccine than the second as it’s foreign to your body and your body is trying to fight it off whilst the second your body doesn’t need to work as hard as it’s more familiar with it.
Obviously everyone is different so you can never say for certain but you getting Covid with a high BMI is known to be more dangerous than with a normal BMI which is why you were offered the vaccine.

If you really don’t want the second dose then don’t have it as you are still protected with one dose more than you would be with none.

I think if you had it before you should be ok. I haven't heard of any people having a bad reaction the 2nd time

I had a bad reaction after both AZ jabs. For 24 hours following the jabs I had the most horrendous headache, high temp, shivering, sickness and so tired I slept the day away.

It only lasted one day. The following day I was absolutely fine.

If there was a 3rd vaccine I would definately have it. One day of covid symptoms are nothing compared to having real Covid.

I'm 40 and had AZ this week. It is a little niggle for me, but I'm not too worried.

I do wish that people would stop making the pill comparison though. The AZ side effect is not a DVT and they have opposite causes, also different outcomes.

In regards to medical side effects it is an absolutely tiny risk factor though. The contraceptive pill has a far, far higher chance of these type of blood clots, yet it is regularly prescribed and used by millions, even wjen for are alternative forms of birth control, so in the grand scheme of medical risk, the AZ vaccine is still VERY low. If you were pregnant or in your 20s, I could understand that, but given your case, the vaccine is clearly less risky. And though I can definitely understand you being worried if you hadn't had your first jab (I would have been too) but you have, and if you were to have had a reaction, you would have had it many weeks ago, I'm happy to be corrected, but pretty much all cases will have happend after first dose. I just think its important to put this risk in proper context, otherwise we couldn't function.

I understand, OP. Similar situation and very anxious about whether to get my second dose. Feel cheated. No answers here just loads of empathy.

And I do wish everyone who hasn’t bothered reading up on the basics of these blood clots or the risk would just fuck off giving people their ill-informed opinions as if they were fact. The ARROGANCE of telling people what to do with their own bodies and giving medical advice when you don’t even know what you’re talking about and think we’re just talking about a DVT.

I'm 41 and getting my first dose of AZ tomorrow. I have no worries about it at all. Millions and millions of people have had two doses and the risk of these rare blood clots are tiny, the drive to the vaccine centre will be higher risk.

It's difficult because it feels like having the vaccine is a risk, but you have to weigh that against the risk of living unvaccinated during a pandemic. As you've said the vaccine first dose gave you confidence to do things that massively improved your mental health. The risk of infection from covid might be fairly low now, but it's still higher than the risk of serious side effects from AZ. It's likely that as we open up the risk of infection will rise. Being fully vaccinated will reduce your risk of serious illness should you get covid to practically zero.

You would be extraordinarily unlucky to have a life threatening reaction to your second dose. Extraordinary things do happen, and you could worry about all sorts of things, but I'd try not to.

Congratulations on your baby and reducing your BMI.

Sorry but not worried about the risks associated with obesity but terrified of this vaccine. I don't get it.