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Original poster

Younger people who got AZ - what did you do about second dose?

86 replies

Mixmeup · 05/07/2021 17:13

I had AZ for my first dose and I'm 35. No specific risk factor for me - just a random text from the NHS and GP said might as well go for it (much, much regret since then as it's now banned in my age group!)

I cancelled my second dose as I wasn't comfortable with the risk. They really don't seem to know enough about it. The fact they were blindsided by this totally terrified me (it was an awful time after I got my first jab as from 2 days afterwards every other country started banning it in my age group and the UK started announcing more and more cases and deaths from AZ, and I suffer from anxiety anyway).

But I just don't know what to do now. People who've had AZ but it's now banned in your age group - what have you done about your second dose?

I wish they'd let us mix. Basically every other country where younger people have had AZ is giving them MRNA for the second dose (and the trials are showing this gives better immunity anyway!) so I'm annoyed that we have no option and keep wondering if I hold out if they'll change their mind. But of course I'm also worried if I hold out I'll just get the bloody Covid. It's tempting to just get it and get it over with but the regret was so deep after my first vaccine that I feel I've lost all trust in this vaccine.

On other hand, I'm 35 with no known underlying health conditions, BMI is 29 so not slim but shouldn't be at risk really and may not even catch Covid ever so is it worth risking that they now know all there is to know about AZ or should I just forget it and crack on with life (I don't travel so not fussed in that regard).

OP posts:
Comefromaway · 05/07/2021 18:05

DD is 19 & had her second dose about a month ago. The first dose knocked her for 6 for a couple of days, the 2nd dose she had no side effects.

I’m very glad as she tested positive last weekend. She has no symptoms at all. her classmate who has had one dose has what feels like a cold bit half a dozen of her other classmates are coughing their guts up & gasping for breath.

Original poster
Mixmeup · 05/07/2021 18:08

@NotQuiteUsual

I had the second AZ and am glad I did. I reacted quite badly to the first, but absolutely nothing with the second. I heard the first jab is the one that'll kill you if it's going to. No idea if it's true or not, but it's done now.
Five deaths after the second one, so that's not totally true, but I know what you mean.
OP posts:
orangejuicer · 05/07/2021 18:10

38 so still under the 40. I had my second dose.

Original poster
Mixmeup · 05/07/2021 18:11

@PatchworkElmer

I had it- and no side effects to dose #2 at all. The birth control pill seems to be much higher risk and I happily took that for years so 🤷🏻‍♀️
It's a different risk with the pill. Firstly, the type of clot that the pill causes is less serious (the mortality rate for the vaccine clots is nearly 20%) and secondly the pill has a very long history so we know who is at risk and it isn't given to those people (including me!) whereas we don't know who is more at risk from the vaccine. Also, the vaccine clots seem to disproportionately affect young women whereas Covid doesn't so the risk/benefit balance is off. At one point I saw that the risk of going to ICU with Covid for a woman of my age is the same as the risk of getting a blood clot from the AZ vaccine (but that is first dose and when cases were much lower).
OP posts:
Walkaround · 05/07/2021 18:26

@Mixmeup - did you listen to the Prime Minister’s press conference tonight? Imvho, you are safest to hurry up and just get jab 2, given that it takes 2-3 weeks for best immunity after jab 2. Your risk of anything bad happening from your 2nd jab is significantly lower than your risk of getting covid, passing it on to vulnerable friends and relatives and feeling very ill yourself in the near future, given the rate at which cases are increasing and the likely dropping of all restrictions on 19 July. Unless you’ve already had covid? Did you react badly to jab 1? Why quite so much fear of jab 2 when the scientific advice in the UK for people like you is to have jab 2 of the same vaccine?

Original poster
Mixmeup · 05/07/2021 18:56

[quote Walkaround]@Mixmeup - did you listen to the Prime Minister’s press conference tonight? Imvho, you are safest to hurry up and just get jab 2, given that it takes 2-3 weeks for best immunity after jab 2. Your risk of anything bad happening from your 2nd jab is significantly lower than your risk of getting covid, passing it on to vulnerable friends and relatives and feeling very ill yourself in the near future, given the rate at which cases are increasing and the likely dropping of all restrictions on 19 July. Unless you’ve already had covid? Did you react badly to jab 1? Why quite so much fear of jab 2 when the scientific advice in the UK for people like you is to have jab 2 of the same vaccine?[/quote]
No, I don't listen to anything that prick says. But yes, I get the gist that Covid spreading is coming into fashion from 19th.

At 35 I'm quite low risk for getting particularly poorly with it though, and that makes the risk from the vaccine more of a consideration (that's partly why it's banned in my age group - though it does also affect young women more).

The scientific advice in the UK regarding the second AZ jab is different to the scientific advice in basically every other country. And the UK were wrong about the first jab. So that's why I don't trust them.

OP posts:
Angel2702 · 05/07/2021 19:07

I got my second dose, was told what to look out for and what side effects would need to be checked. I am at risk of blood clots anyway but was advised to go ahead with second dose as risk of blood clots from covid was much higher.

Walkaround · 05/07/2021 19:11

@Mixmeup - it isn’t banned for your age group, the advice is to offer an alternative if available. And, imvho, I think given the transmissibility of the Delta variant, some countries may regret turning their noses up at AZ, given the issues with availability of licensed alternatives. The advice against using it in your age group also varies depending on levels of covid circulating at the time - as it does in the rest of Europe. In my opinion, the advice given in the UK to keep using it in a wider range of age groups than some other countries (not all) was wise given the political leadership of this country - get people vaccinated as quickly as possible, because our leaders do not have a good track record at keeping control of cases and the situation can change rapidly!
Up to you at the end of the day, of course, but it’s not our scientists I don’t trust!

BobbinThreadbare123 · 05/07/2021 19:14

I had both AZ jabs. I'm late 30s, immune suppressed thanks to a chronic illness. I had the first jab too early for the blood clot stuff to be news and the second because I had no problems (other than side effects) with jab 1. The risk is very low.

sanityisamyth · 05/07/2021 19:16

38 and had both AZ doses.

AnnaSW1 · 05/07/2021 19:16

I had the second dose too

Proustianmoments · 05/07/2021 19:18

I mixed due to a bad reaction to first AZ. (Got a letter from GP that I took to vaccination centre.)

If that hadn't been possible I probably would've had second AZ and hoped reaction didn't repeat - there's so much covid around now and the risks (particularly with the second) are very small. The problem is that before you are fully vaccinated you have to think about it so much! Afterwards, it's done, and you've done what you can. But I realise that's perhaps easier for me to say as I was able to mix. Like you, I was terrified by my first dose and the waves of bad news that followed it in March/April, as well as by the reaction I'd had.

Miiaaoow · 05/07/2021 19:27

I just had my 2nd AZ.

As someone who has lost over a decade of their life to moderate/severe ME/CFS after catching a virus, listen to me very carefully when I say that i'd rather drop dead of a blood clot than develop long covid.

BarbarianMum · 05/07/2021 19:31

OP even at 35 you are thousands of times more likely to get serious long term effects from COVID than from the vaccine. Chances are you'll be fine whatever but if statistics are more important to you than superstition get the jab.

My neice is 23 and had 2x AZ. She is mildly asthmatic, no other risk factors.

Vallmo47 · 05/07/2021 19:35

Under 40 and have had both AZ, no issues but was told to keep an eye on things. The thing is OP, things could develop with anything … You were fine with first dose so I’d go ahead with second personally. GL!

Original poster
Mixmeup · 05/07/2021 19:41

Thanks for all the responses. I'm very hesitant but it is reassuring.

OP posts:
Original poster
Mixmeup · 05/07/2021 19:45

@Proustianmoments

I mixed due to a bad reaction to first AZ. (Got a letter from GP that I took to vaccination centre.)

If that hadn't been possible I probably would've had second AZ and hoped reaction didn't repeat - there's so much covid around now and the risks (particularly with the second) are very small. The problem is that before you are fully vaccinated you have to think about it so much! Afterwards, it's done, and you've done what you can. But I realise that's perhaps easier for me to say as I was able to mix. Like you, I was terrified by my first dose and the waves of bad news that followed it in March/April, as well as by the reaction I'd had.

Yes there's a lot to be said for 4 weeks of anxiety and then hopefully feeling ok rather than just (probably) ongoing anxiety about the Covid situation getting worse. I think about it every day at the moment (whether to get the second one I mean). I'm just really annoyed that they won't allow mixing, since that's what most countries are doing and the data seems to be good on it.
OP posts:
HarrietM87 · 05/07/2021 19:49

I had horrendous side effects from the first dose - fever and chills followed by two weeks of nausea and terrible head and neck pain. I was tested for the clotting issue due to the headaches and platelets were fine but my clotting was raised. It was the most ill I’ve been in my life apart from when I had flu really badly about 10 years ago. I’m 34 and was offered AZ due to spare doses at GP before it was no longer offered to those in their 30s.

I won’t be having the second AZ. I’m considering requesting Pfizer for a second (assume would he allowed given issues with the first one) but the trials re mixing were all done in people over 50 and as we now know the clotting issue affects younger people I’m
cautious. It’s difficult. DH has had both AZ with no issues.

Senso21 · 05/07/2021 20:16

33 yo and ECV. Had both AZ doses and was all fine. Although had my second at the peak of all the blood clot scare stories and banning and I was worried - was relieved when I got out of the 30 day risk window

Chillychangchoo · 05/07/2021 20:17

I’m 32 no risk factors and I had my second AZ three weeks ago.

I was apprehensive but after some research discovered the risk was still absolutely tiny (smaller for your second dose). I’m glad I had it done.

Original poster
Mixmeup · 05/07/2021 20:20

@HarrietM87

I had horrendous side effects from the first dose - fever and chills followed by two weeks of nausea and terrible head and neck pain. I was tested for the clotting issue due to the headaches and platelets were fine but my clotting was raised. It was the most ill I’ve been in my life apart from when I had flu really badly about 10 years ago. I’m 34 and was offered AZ due to spare doses at GP before it was no longer offered to those in their 30s.

I won’t be having the second AZ. I’m considering requesting Pfizer for a second (assume would he allowed given issues with the first one) but the trials re mixing were all done in people over 50 and as we now know the clotting issue affects younger people I’m
cautious. It’s difficult. DH has had both AZ with no issues.

I'm so sorry you went through that. I hope you're allowed to mix but I do know what you mean about there not being much info on that either.

Plus - rightly or wrongly - I do then think to myself that any future problems with AZ or Pfizer I'd be worrying about all of them if I'd had both vaccines! At least with stuff like myocarditis I think well that's not AZ-related.

OP posts:
herewegoohherewego · 05/07/2021 20:22
  1. I had the second AZ but I would have been happier having something else.
lurker101 · 05/07/2021 20:25

I’m in my 20s, had my first AZ just before it was halted for younger people. Gladly went along for my second, as I understood it the risks to me were low and I was more than happy to get my second before my age group.

letsallbemermaids · 05/07/2021 21:01

I had my second AZ jab on Wednesday. I'm 32 and I had my first one before it was advised to have a different one if you were under 40. I was reassured by what I read stating there were no rare events linked to second jabs. I'm conscious that the article I read may have been superseded by some rare events occurring but the message was essentially if you were fine after dose #1 then you should be fine after dose #2, as it's the exact same thing.

doadeer · 05/07/2021 21:15

31 I had both. Risk of covid higher for me I just wanted to get it done

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