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Original poster

I refused the AZ vaccine, now being judged for it

492 replies

cosmoswithcovids · 21/05/2021 07:24

My husband's friend is a Dr, he called yesterday to tell my DH they had spare vaccine and to come over if we wanted one (DH is 33, I'm 30).

We got there and he told us it was AZ, I said I wanted to wait until I was offered the alternative that under 40s are advised to have. My DH looked at me as though I had two heads.

We joined them for drinks at the pub last night where Dr and a couple of other friends were discussing anti-vaxers and I was referenced as one of them. I did reiterate that I'm very keen to be vaccinated but not with AZ. It was then mansplained to me that discrediting the AZ jab (which they've all had and are fiiiiiiiiiiine) was the behaviour of an anti vaxer. I was just meant to feel a bit like an uneducated idiot (I'm not, I'm a solicitor, I'm quite bright) and although my husband says he understood why I didn't want it, the risk is "theoretical" (is it?!)
For the sake of another couple of weeks, I'd rather just wait and have the one which is safer! I'm just feeling a bit rubbish about it all really, I felt quite bounced into it when we got there and it was quite a stress for me having to justify why I didn't want it once we arrived.

OP posts:
KidneyBeans · 21/05/2021 07:31

Your husbands friends sound like dicks.

I say that as someone who has had the AZ vacc and is right on the cutoff age-wise

WilyKitWilyKat · 21/05/2021 07:31

The risk isn’t theoretical, it does exist. It’s just very, very small.

I’ve had a first dose of AZ and won’t hesitate to get my second in 2 weeks. However, it is a matter of personal choice and you shouldn’t be pressured into something you don’t want to do.

Twiglets1 · 21/05/2021 07:35

I would have got the AZ vaccine personally (and in fact have done so although I am older) but I do understand why younger people might prefer to wait for Moderna/Pfizer as it's only a couple of weeks.

They should have respected your decision as you're certainly not an anti vaxxer, just (in my honest opinion) a bit over cautious

TheReluctantPhoenix · 21/05/2021 07:35

At your age, your judgment is valid and to be respected.

I believe the overall death risk from the vaccine is higher than from the disease, although both less than 10 in one million (so two minuscule risks, same order of magnitude as being killed by a lightning strike).

OTOH, if you are one of the 999,993 out of a million who is not affected by thrombosis, the AZ will protect you from an unpleasant couple of weeks and potentially long COVID.

In your position I would have taken it, but waiting a couple of weeks is a reasonable choice and does not make you Antivax.

Ilikewinter · 21/05/2021 07:36

I dont blame you for not having it OP, if I were you id also wait for Pzfier.

SarahMused · 21/05/2021 07:36

If you didn’t want the AZ vaccine why didn’t you ask which vaccine it was before agreeing to go? Maybe a dose was wasted that could have been offered to someone else. Turning up and then refusing would annoy me more than someone who had made a conscious decision not to have a particular vaccine.

OliveTree75 · 21/05/2021 07:40

I would have done the same as you

OliveTree75 · 21/05/2021 07:41

@SarahMused

If you didn’t want the AZ vaccine why didn’t you ask which vaccine it was before agreeing to go? Maybe a dose was wasted that could have been offered to someone else. Turning up and then refusing would annoy me more than someone who had made a conscious decision not to have a particular vaccine.
Although, also this! You should have asked before you turned up
pinksnowball · 21/05/2021 07:43

I think they’re being unfair. It’s government policy that you should be offered an alternative, it’s not like you just made it up.

I’d have done the same in your position. Yes the risk is small but the risk from COVID is small too (for you personally) so why not wait a couple of weeks for a safer jab.

Temp023 · 21/05/2021 07:44

Yep, another person here is judging you!
Pity they can’t send your dose of vaccine to some poor sod in Brazil isn’t it?

Original poster
cosmoswithcovids · 21/05/2021 07:46

@SarahMused we went at the end of the day for the unused vaccines that would be thrown away, sorry, that part wasn't clear. My DH's friend called to see whether we wanted unwanted one. I wish my DH had asked but I assumed that as the advice was for under 40s to have an alternative, we wouldn't have been offered AZ.

I understand that the risks are minuscule but I'm an over worrier at the best of times and I'd just prefer to wait for the alternative, having waited this long it seems unnecessary for me not to. The unreasonable part of me also knows that I always have an extreme reaction to bites and medication and so, unreasonably, I think I'll be one of those unlucky few who develops a blood clot.
I just don't think it's fair of them to label me an anti vaxer, I absolutely am not.

OP posts:
cosmoswithcovids · 21/05/2021 07:47

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

BarbarianMum · 21/05/2021 07:48

And you didnt think to ask before you rushed down there? And now you need to rush on here to get judged some more?

coodawoodashooda · 21/05/2021 07:49

For situations like this I find it helpful to think ofRicky Gervais's theory, that you should never be so arrogant that you think you deserve being treated with a life void of being offended. It wasn't those people's job to elevate themselves by putting you down though.

Alexapissoff · 21/05/2021 07:51

They sound like dicks who would judge a lot of people for a lot of things. Sitting discussing vaccines at the pub isn’t my idea of a great night out to be honest.

mangoontoast · 21/05/2021 07:51

@TheReluctantPhoenix

At your age, your judgment is valid and to be respected.

I believe the overall death risk from the vaccine is higher than from the disease, although both less than 10 in one million (so two minuscule risks, same order of magnitude as being killed by a lightning strike).

OTOH, if you are one of the 999,993 out of a million who is not affected by thrombosis, the AZ will protect you from an unpleasant couple of weeks and potentially long COVID.

In your position I would have taken it, but waiting a couple of weeks is a reasonable choice and does not make you Antivax.

What? There have been millions of deaths from the vaccine? Why hasn't this been reported??
Olliphant · 21/05/2021 07:52

You did the right thing, and it showed strength of character to say no and to assess what is best for you. And this doesn't make you an anti vaxxer.

AppleJane · 21/05/2021 07:54

Perhaps you could ask your doctor friend if he can find out how many people under the age of 50 have had an AZ vaccine so you can calculate it against the number of people in that age group getting clots for a better risk assessment and informed choice.

He won't be able to tell you as it's not been released according to Michael Makris, Professor of Haemostasis and Thrombosis at The University of Sheffield, UK.

https://twitter.com/ProfMakris

Original poster
cosmoswithcovids · 21/05/2021 07:55

I'm sorry I obviously didn't put enough info in my OP.

My DH spoke to Dr who called as they had vaccines available at the end of the day and were fairly local. I (wrongly, I realise that) assumed it wouldn't have been the AZ as the advice is to offer alternative and our Dr friend knows how old we are.

But once I got there and I did realise, are posters suggesting I should have just gone ahead and had the vaccine to save an inconvenience or a wasted dose? Because I think that was what my stress was about, having to say actually no I don't want this vaccine.

OP posts:
NeedNewKnees · 21/05/2021 07:55

I’d have thought you were an anti vaxer too as you literally turned down the vaccine.

And yes, I’d think you’re a bit of an idiot, but that’s your choice.

devastating · 21/05/2021 07:56

I would have done the same. I’ve had Pfizer and will not be having AZ ever.

Put them out of your mind.

GingerbreadPlease · 21/05/2021 07:56

Doctors offering spare vaccines to their pals? That's what needs addressed, they need a priority list of local people or something.

Berline · 21/05/2021 08:00

Report your friend if this continues. It's a clear breach of confidentiality.
Ringing his friends up for a spare dose. Lol.

He'll be in deep shit. Don't feel guilty - he's a f*ing bully who deserves taking down a peg or two.

majesticallyawkward · 21/05/2021 08:00

The advice is to offer an alternative if there's one available, not that under 40s shouldn't be given AZ. The risk of a clot is tiny, smaller than the risk of clots from the contraceptive pill but that's still handed out and taken without a second thought.

These 'risks' have been played up by the media who's some aim at the moment seems to be to whip up a frenzy of mass hysteria.

It's not anti vaxx to turn it down, but I do think most people proclaiming AZ is 'too much of a risk' don't really grasp the full picture.

AppleJane · 21/05/2021 08:02

You made the right decision OP.

The yellow card data is released weekly. Last week there were 8 reports of clots in second doses of AZ. In one week it has almost doubled to 15. We need to know why.

A German scientist believes it is the preservative in AZ causing the problems. It is not anti vax to ask questions once it is apparent there is a problem. It is morally questionable once you know there is a problem to rush on regardless.