To feel envious toward my friends getting their vaccines

[lifeisbutadreamer]

I’m 37 and had my first vaccine 7 weeks ago, unpaid carer.

Since the news of the blood clots I feel totally put off by having my second jab.

What’s even more frustrating is now seeing my friends all getting texts to have their jabs and they’re booked in for Pfizer.

I was so happy when I got my vaccine, it took a huge weight off of my shoulders and relieved the constant worry of having severe Covid.

Now I feel a huge weight from the decision of having a second vaccine.

All of my friends are so happy to be getting their vaccine and none of them have this added worry of a potential serious side effect.

I know people will compare the risk of being on the pill, driving to the vaccination centre, or flying etc.. but I feel those comparisons just aren’t relevant here.

It would be like saying your friends can go on an aeroplane that has no known risk of crashing but you can go on one that we know does crash and we’ve told your friends not to go on it because it’s too much of a risk to them...

I feel really really envious of people I know right now and I could kick myself for being so willing to take up the offer of my vaccine.

I’m 32, in a busy school, working with 150
Teens a day. Been invited for Pfizer in 3 weeks time. Happy for that but would be happier to have had the Az 7 weeks ago!!

@RightYesButNo thank you for your kind message. You’ve just summed up how I feel about it all perfectly. Only the science will make me feel ok about the second dose, not being told that the pill has risks of clots or being told I’ll be ok or I’m just being silly and should be grateful etc. I’m really hoping that the cases after a second dose are being looked at urgently and carefully and that some more information will be forth coming very soon. The current data makes it impossible to draw any conclusions. I have no problem with there being a risk with the AZ vaccine, no vaccine is without risk and I’m aware that the others all come with their own risks but as I’m fairly young and my risks from covid are relatively low, I’d like to know that the risk with the second dose isn’t bigger than I’m comfortable with. It’s so difficult, as we’d be in a much worse position without the vaccinations but at the same time we are still learning a lot about them. While I’m grateful to have had access to a vaccination and I’m aware many people would give anything to be in my position, it was difficult learning about the increased risk of the first dose retrospectively whilst still in the at risk period and it’s even more difficult to try and make a choice about my second dose without any meaningful data. I dread having the second dose just before information is released that I feel uncomfortable with, as happened with my first dose. I understand people’s frustrations with some of these threads but for those of us who are naturally cautious and either have no option but the AZ or are younger and have already had the first dose and now have the option of remaining partially vaccinated or taking a relatively unknown risk, it’s really hard. I’ve learnt a huge amount from the AZ threads and between all the different opinions and judgements, they’ve really helped me to find out where I can access factual and scientific information plus some great expert opinions, like that of the haematologist I referred to. I’ve also become aware that Ireland have lengthened the gap between first and second doses to 16 weeks for those under the age of 50 without any risk factors, which is knowledge which potentially buys me a little bit extra time, if there still isn’t a clearer picture of the risk associated with second doses when mine is due. It feels like the risk with the first doses was unearthed by European countries who aren’t giving second doses of AZ so I really hope that there will still be a sense of urgency around the information regarding second doses to be fully investigated and published in a meaningful way. Thank you I could definitely do with a