Astra Zeneca - no proof it causes blood clots

[YelvertonDevon]

Very reassuring piece from The Guardian- can only think now this is a political issue not a medical one. During trials 28% receiving placebo vaccine reported side effects with 38% receiving actual vaccine reporting.

theguardian.com/commentisfr...

[Belfastbees]

I'm booked for my second AZ at my GP on Wednesday. No doubt about it. I just hope this lunacy doesn't make these shores before then.

[JigFettler Volunteer in reply to Belfastbees]

Good for you. The risk of a clot from Covid IS definitely much raised. Choice seems logical to me on current numbers!

Jig

[Biker7]

The Guardian article shows that vaccination to minimise severity of Covid-19 has been statistically proven to show minimal or no side effects in most immunised people.

It is clear that vaccination is wise for most people, especially in countries where COVID is rampant.

The author of this article, a statistician, wrote that the crucial question to ask (regarding adverse effects) is: how many would be expected anyway in the normal run of things?

This quote reveals the true nature of such statistics. They are risk assessment tools derived from medical records to inform government policy and spending, not individuals.

But to inform medical practitioners and their patients, there are other equally important questions that should be asked, such as:

Are the people who have adverse events after vaccination typical of those in the placebo group who suffer in a similar way?

Do the medical reports of adverse events reveal some common underlying causal disease or predisposition?

We’re the adverse events caused by a bad batch of ampoules? If so, are they still in circulation?

It is very frustrating that the European governments’ vaccination suspensions could hold up global attempts to return to ‘normalcy.’ Today some more countries have followed suit.

But surely such decisions in the midst of a pandemic are not taken lightly. It seems far-fetched that any government would take such a stance without good reason. But then again, after 2020 who knows? Time will tell.

[Handley in reply to Biker7]

Sounds to me like very much like political sour grapes from the dysfunctional EU. Handley

[Smith123456]

i have no idea. So what percentage of people get brain blood clots.

[YelvertonDevon]

As someone who nearly died from a DVT/pulmonary embolism 20 months ago not my greatest experience - I will certainly have a vaccination whatever brand is offered. Not that there is a choice. I’m safer being vaccinated than not. My cynicism feels it’s more about the not for profit versus big pharma.

Return to normalcy hopefully.

[Belfastbees]

The EU has dropped the ball with regard to vaccinations, has stopped shipments of AZ to Australia and struggled to get enough vaccine for its citizens. I recall at the time, before efficacy was known let alone approval given, BoJo put an order in for 100m AZ vaccines, and I think 30m Pfeizer. It was some months after that time that the EU followed suit but with a lesser number (I Don't recall) for obviously a larger population. The AZ vaccine is the cheapest and its been stated that they will not take a profit from it while the pandemic is ongoing. I think you can get mayne 4 AZ for one pfeizer. There are vast sums of money at stake and it seems to me, though I hate to think it, damaging the reputation of one vaccine over another helps someone make money somewhere. Add also into it the embarrassment at not having ordered enough vaccines and perhaps a government will readily suspend administration when an excuse arrives. I'll be watching a YouTube video which I'll share if I think, as I suspect it will, put things into perspective. The numbers of people getting vaccinated show the risks to be low, and possibily no greater than the population at large. I'll be taking my second tomorrow. As immuno-compromised I could reason it might not work for me so given this risk should miss it. You have to think of the risk of getting covid, and not just dying from it. Minimising that risk is the most important thing of all.

[Psmithuk in reply to Belfastbees]

Well said.Cx

[skytortoise]

As an addendum to my recent post which was answered reassuringly by members of the community and which I think is still relevant in light of recent events. My platelet count went down suddenly from a 4 year average of 140 to 99, - 1 week after my 1st OAZ jab. I have had several subcutaneous bleeds/bruises. It has now gone back up to 102. At the same time there was also a significant rise in my lymphocyte count. Dangerous vaccine or my immune system doing what it should? On the whole I agree with others that it is a political choice and will look forward to having my 2nd jab next month.

[blowinginthewind]

I agree it is political, I happen to be on blood thinners, so not really worried about a blood clot anyway. All these negativity really makes me cross. And what do we know about the people who had clots? Where they all from the same family? Were the injections all from the same batch? How serious were the clots? Sorry - makes me cross.

[AussieNeil Administrator]

In a statement released Sunday, AstraZeneca said it has seen no evidence of increased risk of pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, or thrombocytopenia either overall or for specific age groups, genders, batches, or particular countries.

It said there had been 15 deep vein thrombosis (DVT) events and 22 pulmonary embolism (PE) cases reported among the some 17 million recipients of its vaccine in the European Union and U.K. as of March 8.

"This is much lower than would be expected to occur naturally in a general population of this size and is similar across other licensed COVID-19 vaccines," it said.

AstraZeneca also pointed to the clinical trials in which, "even though the number of thrombotic events was small, these were lower in the vaccinated group. There has also been no evidence of increased bleeding in over 60,000 participants enrolled."

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) reemphasized that there is no indication the vaccine has caused these events.

It too pointed to no apparent bump in rates compared with the general population. As of March 10, it has received a report of 30 cases of thromboembolic events among close to 5 million people who got the AstraZeneca shot in the European Economic Area.

In fact, the lower rate than in the general population may even suggest that the vaccine protects against thrombosis, and certainly reducing the disease reduces thrombosis from it, tweeted Mary Cushman, MD, medical director of the University of Vermont Medical Center Thrombosis and Hemostasis Program in Burlington.

Even so, there are concerns that slowing down vaccination -- AstraZeneca's vaccine has accounted for around a third of inoculations in Europe -- will cost lives and could contribute to hesitancy.

medpagetoday.com/infectious...

[alexmcg48]

All this makes me chuckle, I'm a fairly staunch Remainer not because of Brussels, but I believe it's better for us to have free & unfettered access to a market of 450M.

This though shows why so many were for leaving because the EU is clearly p*ssed off at our success with the vaccinations & in particular our development of the Oxford AZ version, mainly because by the time they wanted to use it they realised they weren't going to get the No's doses they needed, so they've been doing pretty much anything they can to discredit it & this is another attempt.

All the evidence suggest in terms of issues the AZ is no worse than of the others out there. I've had a dose & I'll happily take the 2nd when it's available & the EU should concentrate on rolling out the jabs because until they do life can't get back to normal.

[YelvertonDevon in reply to alexmcg48]

“So what you’re saying is a side effect of AZ is turning EU officials into dangerous clots.”

[alexmcg48 in reply to YelvertonDevon]

Very good, but that's pretty much it. Every specialist review group has said it's no worse than any of the other vaccines & in fact I've seen a report that suggest more clots have been reported with the Pfizer version than AZ.

What we have to understand is it's politicians taking these decisions & the specialists tend to say it's as good as any of the vaccines available.

[Smakwater]

YelvertonDevon,

Again it appears that -

"The first one to plead his cause seems right,Until his neighbor comes and examines him."

JM

[AussieNeil Administrator]

From New Scientist:-

"Several European countries, including Germany, France, Italy and Spain, are resuming their rollouts of the Oxford/AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine, after an investigation by the EU’s medicines regulator concluded its benefits outweigh its risks. A separate investigation by the WHO global advisory committee on vaccine safety came to the same conclusion. More than 20 countries had suspended use of the vaccine following reports of blood clots in some people who had received it. But within hours of the European Medicine Agency’s statement on 18 March, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and at least seven other countries said they would resume vaccinations as early as 19 March. France, however, has said that only people aged 55 and over should receive the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, while Norway, Sweden and Denmark have not yet lifted their suspensions of the shot. "

Read more: newscientist.com/article/22...

[YelvertonDevon in reply to AussieNeil]

Thanks for that. Some countries being very cautious re Astra Zeneca. And some have another Covid wave. With the millions that have had the Astra Zeneca I’m happy to have it but with my frustrated GP only receiving 50 doses next week which will just about cover Staff not sure when it’s going to happen. Hoping too PNG can start vaccinations ASAP.