I refused the AZ vaccine, now being judged for it

[cosmoswithcovids]

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.

I would have done exactly the same as you OP and I also would have expected that the vaccine wasn't AZ due to my age and that the surgery would know that. I'm sorry you didn't feel able to stand your ground socially with them and hold your own position but they had no right to speak down to you. Your mind, your decision. They can jog on.

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.

That - just right

Why are the under 30/40s more at risk from the AZ ?
What magically happens at say, 45?
I’ve been wondering about this for a while.
OP if you feel uncomfortable with something- it should always be your choice to decline.

I would have a word with your GP friend and say you appreciate being offered the left over vaccine, thanks for that. However he was unprofessional in breaching your right to confidentiality by sharing the fact that you declined it with a third party.

I've never been told I'm at higher risk, I've received nothing from GP to that end so I may very well not be but as I stated I do have irrational fears on health issues - I'm an over thinker and a worrier

It’s likely that if your area hasn’t got around to your age group yet it just hasn’t come up. When you’re officially offered it will be with your recorded risk factors and age taken into consideration although your age alone will mean if you wait for your turn you’ll be more likely to be offered one of the mRNA vaccines.

They are being completely unreasonable and unprofessional.

I know this isn't AIBU but frankly YABU for posting on MN when anyone, ever, who dares question anything about the vaccination, valid or not, is shot down in flames immediately and told they are selfish and endangering millions of lives by not immediately joining the nearest vaccine queue.

It's your choice and you made it. You're a solicitor which means you have a reasonable ability to argue your case, I hope you stood up for yourself. Frankly, both your DH and your friend sound deeply unpleasant.

You are not stupid. Its your body, your choice.

@withlotsoflove

Why are the under 30/40s more at risk from the AZ ? What magically happens at say, 45? I’ve been wondering about this for a while. OP if you feel uncomfortable with something- it should always be your choice to decline.

My understanding is that the risk is calculated by comparing the risk of suffering a CVT from the vaccine and the risk of suffering a severe case/death from covid. As you go down the age groups the risks caused by covid drop because severe illness/death is in the older age groups.

The risk doesn’t take into account catching covid at all or any effect the vaccine may have on transmission.

the risks are absolutely tiny - 1 in a million - and I would have judged you too. We offer an alternative IF it is available, but due to the way vaccine is distributed it often isn't available as we have to ensure that you get the same brand as the first jab.The only real difference is Pfizer has better PR that the Astra Zeneca people and the EU didn't get political about Pfizer the way they did with AZ.
You may end up with AZ anyway - when you book your appt you won't be given the choice of vaccine.
Please don't be one of those ( luckily very rare) people who turn up for an appt then kick off about not having a choice. We're busy enough.

@Nonbibblebibble The risks have been revised as more data has come in. Iirc it’s around 1 in 80,000 now.

They sound very rude..your choice.......

Today 08:25 Pyewackect

I believe the overall death risk from the vaccine is higher than from the disease

WTF ?????

I believe in Father Christmas

To anybody saying that doctors should not offer unused jabs to friends. I volunteer at the vaccination clinic . If it looks like we will have leftover jabs due to people failing to turn up we ring them first . Then we try other people on the list . Then we ask everyone attending the surgery for jabs or other reasons if they have relatives who could get there quickly. As a last resort to avoid any wastage staff ring family and friends. We usually have a window of less than 45 minutes and do everything we can to ensure no doses are wasted .

Dr and a couple of other friends were discussing anti-vaxers and I was referenced as one of them.

Your medical records were discussed in the pub and you're ok with that?

I think you were NBU at all.

1. The “official” advice is to get a non AZ vaccine so it’s not like it’s some crazy conspiracy theory you’ve been listening to.

1. He put you in a bit of a difficult position having to accept or decline then or there when he was offering a vaccine that the official guidance is to use on the 40+ groups or the second jab groups only.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmentdata/file/985296/PHEE12015COVID-199vaccinationanddbloodclottinggleaflet_v2.pdf

@Divebar2021 not that it's any of your business but no I don't have the contraceptive pill, I have a coil fitted.
It is relevant as the contraceptive pill has a higher risk of clots than AZ. My DS ex had a clot on the lung because of the pill.

@bumbleymummy @cosmoswithcovids

"around 20 million people in the UK and EEA had received the vaccine as of March 16 and EMA had reviewed only 7 cases of blood clots in multiple blood vessels (disseminated intravascular coagulation, DIC) and 18 cases of CVST. A causal link with the vaccine is not proven, but is possible and deserves further analysis.

The key word is 'risk' as in not actually happening but 'risk'.

The 'risk' of blood clotting with the oral contraceptive pill is 1 in 3,000 women. Think of all the women you know, think of how many take the pill. Now think of all the ones you know who have blood clots...

Pfizer has around the same risks, so does J&J vaccine being used in the US. Moderna - still too new for enough date but it too will have risks for a handful of people.

We should be as cautious as possible, hence offering alternatives if available, but the risks vs the benefits seem obvious to most people and certainly do to clinicians which is why they might have been a bit hard on you, solicitor or not.

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

You believe wrong,.

@Larkstongues

Report this GP. I mean it. Offering his mates the jab - nepotism. Talking about it in a bullying tone in the pub- clear unprofessionalism. You will not be in trouble, he will.

Do it, please. If not for yourself, his other patients.

This guy deserves to be struck off.

I honestly do not believe that other posters have not picked up on this angle.I really dont. Maybe coronablindness or something.

every vaccinated person is a win for the UK. I am sure he knows his patients and who still needed to come in and COULD come in. At this point, given that we are vaccinating under 40ies, his actions are taking a burden off the system. Well done him.

We've had the nurse grab random colleagues off the corridor so as not to waste vaccine. It's the right thing to do.

@cosmoswithcovids. Out of interest, when you go for your official vaccine appt are you going to refuse AZ if that's what they have?

@Cornettoninja thank u for explaining. :)

More to the point, did your DH back you up or pile on you along with his friends?