Alternatives to AstraZeneca vaccine for under 40s “will be considered” amid rise in blood clots Thread 3

[Whichjab]

New thread as the MRHA report is out today.

Note this is not an anti vaccination thread.

It's terrible that women are being put in a position of feeling terrified, ICanSmellSummerComing So many women feeling pushed into something that literally makes them scared for their life.

@Leaveitonthefloordrobe @NotSoLongGoodbye I’m also very concerned about the huge push to vaccinate 12 - 16 year olds. My son is 13. I just can’t think that far ahead at the moment but I know it’s creeping up on us!

Hi, my GP said I can have a Pfizer as my second dose, as I have had bad side effects from the first AZ. However, he said I have to arrange it myself via 119.
I can't see how that is possible. 119 are not able to tell me which centres hold Pfizer, plus the vac centre would need evidence surely for alternative vaccine. I asked my GP for supporting letter in case but he said their surgery is not involved in Covid vaccinations any more, and reiterated I have to sort it myself with 119.
Any thoughts anyone please?

@Rainbowsandstorms I hope you are ok

Hope you’re ok @Rainbowsandstorms, glad they took it seriously

@ICanSmellSummerComing sending

Thank you still waiting on bloods at the moment. Have been given a bed but hoping to be able to escape soon providing everything is ok.

Rainbows thinking of you and hoping all is fine and you get to go straight home to bed !

@Rainbowsandstorms
Hope they don't keep you too long, and you can get home soon with a sense of relief and reassurance.

Thank you. I’m now stressing about catching covid! Such a big ward here.

Hold your breath!!! You should be out and home soon...

I’ve got a heavy duty mask on!

@ICanSmellSummerComing the at risk period for first jabs is 42 days. They are most common at the 10 to 12 ish point so you can start to relax a bit more after that. They initially only said to 28 days but extended it recently to 42 days so as not to miss clots that formed much earlier then went on to cause pulmonary embolisms and suchlike.

I should add that the ones after 28 days sound like they are rare.

Oh gosh, 10 days!!
So far pretty sleepless night fluey and achy again etc.

You poor thing rainbow, again that's what I would be worried about, catching covid on our leaky infectious wards, I hope they have a windows open in day at least.

@Rainbowsandstorms hope all is well 

@penni00 your GP sounds as much use as a chocolate teapot. I'm sure they could be more helpful if they wanted. I can't see how 119 will help without evidence. Ridiculous.

@Rainbowsandstorms I also hope all is well.

@penni00 I would go back to your GP and point out that there is a difference between no longer arranging vaccination clinics, and providing letters about medical needs that their patients are entitled to.

Does anyone know whether the link between AZ, clots, and low patelets is that if you already have low blood platelets, then having the AZ vaccine then causes the plot because platelets were already low. Or if you have normal platelet levels, would the AZ vaccine cause both the clot and the low platelets (or possibly AZ causes low platelets that then causes the plot)?

I can't tell from the MHRA reports which is the case, or even if this is known.

I was just wondering if this is something that could be tested to give some reassurance if AZ is all that is on offer.

That's a good point Lemon . If the risk is only to people who already have low platelets, it would be easy to find out who shouldn't be having AZ. Testing prior to vaccination could, in that case, save lives and also save a lot of worry.

IIRC it was the vaccine causing the low platelets. I think they were advising people with already low platelets not to have AZ but isn't good enough on it's own to say who would be affected.

@Farmer5505

What's this all about? Isn't covid a mild illness for most people? When did it change into this 100% death causing disease??

Yes we should hold onto this thought.

Just read this on Sky News:

As of 7 June, there have been 42 deaths in England of people confirmed as having the Delta variant and who died within 28 days of testing positive.

Of these people, 23 were unvaccinated, seven had had their first dose more than 21 days before and 12 had their second dose more than 14 days before.

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-delta-variant-60-more-transmissible-than-alpha-and-more-resistant-to-vaccines-phe-reports-12330068

12 had had both doses (though I accept these are probably likely to have been elderly / vulnerable people) so this leads me to think that if I were to take the risk of having the AZ, it might not protect me anyway.

That's rather concerning. 28% of deaths in double vaccinated people versus 44% of the adult population double vaccinated at the time. I wonder what the AZ: Pfizer ratio is like.

True, apparently Pfizer isn't as effective against delta so maybe they had P?

The Germans said they know what is causing the clots so why aren't all efforts going to tweak AZ?.

@ICanSmellSummerComing

True, apparently Pfizer isn't as effective against delta so maybe they had P?

The Germans said they know what is causing the clots so why aren't all efforts going to tweak AZ?.

Because there are huge costs involved and nobody wants to lose money. There is a mountain of doses that wait to be used, so it's simpler to restrict the use of AZ in certain age groups and only if the shit really hits the fan. This is what Italy is doing right now, after the death of a 18-year-old girl.

www.ansa.it/english/news/general_news/2021/06/11/vaccination-campaign-unsettled-by-18-year-olds-death_1100ebcf-33b8-415e-8a0a-f36639f70877.html

www.ansa.it/english/news/general_news/2021/06/11/pfizer-moderna-for-2nd-jab-astrazeneca-for-over-60s-cts_7a71b417-7249-4e0f-8a82-4f9501b346c4.html

How are you today, @Rainbowsandstorms?

I’ve been thinking about @Rainbowsandstorms too, I hope all is ok

@Rainbowsandstorms hope you are at home now. Thinking of you