Don’t let fears stop you getting your vaccination

A Bath health expert has urged people to take up the Astrazeneca vaccine if they are offered it as there is “no evidence” it causes blood clots.

Dr Bruce Laurence, pictured, is director of public health at Bath and North East Somerset Council and he has said the benefits of taking the vaccine “far outweigh” the risks of any side effects.

In a council newsletter, he said he had taken the vaccine himself a week ago at Bath Pavilion and that delays in the vaccine roll out which may extend lockdown would cause more harm.

Dr Laurence said: “I want to focus this week on the safety of the Astrazeneca vaccine, and strongly reassure you and encourage you to take up the vaccine, as I have done, as soon as it is offered.

“This is a lifesaving vaccine that has now been given to over 25 million Brits - around half the total adult population - and many tens of millions more people worldwide.”

Across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire CCG the exact number of vaccinations, including first and second doses, stood at 386,267 - approximately half our adult population as of last Thursday. Dr Laurence continued: “Both the trials done in its development, and the experience from these large campaigns, have shown the vaccine to have an excellent safety profile.

“Events involving blood clots have occurred in a very small number of people who have received the vaccine. But the numbers of people getting such clots after having the vaccine is actually lower than it would be in the untreated general population in a similar time period. If we are talking about tens of millions of people, of course some are going to get ill during any given day or week.”

The director of public health also explained that WHO and the MHRA have said the vaccine is safe to use.

He said: “There is also no evidence linking these cases to the vaccine. On this basis the World Health Organisation (WHO), the European Medicines Agency and the British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have all said that this vaccine should continue to be used, and they have strongly opposed those countries that have put their campaigns on pause. The benefits of the Astrazeneca vaccine in preventing Covid-19, a disease that has killed over 100,000 people in the UK, far outweigh the risks of side effects.

“The WHO and the other agencies mentioned know there are great dangers in halting national programmes and creating fear and uncertainty - and these countries risk further surges of cases and deaths, and consequent lockdowns if progress stalls. And of course, the vaccination campaign is the key intervention that will keep us on target for achieving the national roadmap to normality.

“Lengthening that period will also cause both mental and physical harms.”