WATCH OUT FOR JAB SCARE STORIES
Some countries have paused the Oxford/ AstraZeneca vaccine over blood clot fears
You will have seen stories about people getting blood clots after having the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab, and other countries pause using it while they investigate. If that makes you feel fearful, it’s important to look at all the facts. One person has died and a handful have been hospitalised, which is awful. But it’s still being investigated, and it’s important not to link the two things when they could be a coincidence.
So far, there is no proof that the vaccine causes blood clots. They weren’t seen in the trials and, as Closer went to press, the European Medicines Agency had recorded just 30 “thromboembolic events’’ after five million vaccinations. Every year, in normal life, one person per 1,000 has a deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and it’s more common in older people – who are being vaccinated first. That means out of five million vaccinated people, we would expect more than 5,000 to have a completely unrelated DVT, so having just 30 reported is reassuring. Coronavirus itself ups the risk of clots, so some think the people who had the jab unknowingly had the virus. They are looking into that.
David Spiegelhalter, a statistician who has advised SAGE about Covid-19, said that sometimes we link things that aren’t connected, so for example, when the day after we clean our car a bird poos on it, we think it’s linked, but it’s just a frustrating coincidence. It’s similar with these clots; we’re alert and concerned so we link them, but those people may have had a clot anyway.
The jabs in use have shown themselves to be extraordinarily safe, so if you’re offered one, take it. Signs of a clot are throbbing or cramping pain, usually in your calf or thigh, swelling, warmth and/or darkened skin around the painful area. If you get those symptoms, call your GP and ask for an urgent appointment, or call 111.
Last week, a letter by NHS England outlined there would be supply shortages due to a reduction in vaccines coming to the UK. However, the government has insisted it’s still on track to offer a first dose to all over-50s by 15 April and all adults by the end of July.