A LONG DRIVE IS FAR MORE RISKY

SEVERAL countries have halted the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine due to fears — which regulators say are unfounded — of a link to a rare type of blood clot. In the UK, there were five cases of this type of blood clot reported among 11 million people who had received the vaccine (one case was fatal).

For context, in the population as a whole, every year in the UK one to two people per 1,000 will have a blood clot. Here are the risk of clots from different medications and situations: n POST-SURGERY: Being immobile after an operation or being hospitalised after a critical illness raises the risk to 372 IN 1,000 patients. n AGE: The risk of a clot rises with age, from 0.1 in 1,000 in the under-40s to TEN IN 1,000 for the over-80s, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. n HRT: ONE OR TWO WOMEN IN 1,000 who take oral HRT for over seven years risk a clot. n THE PILL: Taking the combined oral contraceptive pill increases the risk of a blood clot to ONE IN 1,000 (those taking the Pill tend to be younger, and therefore have a smaller background risk). n SITTING IN A PLANE, CAR, OR CHAIR FOR FOUR HOURS OR MORE: ONE IN 5,000 (0.2 per 1,000) in this category may develop a clot as a result. n PFIZER VACCINE: Similar to the AstraZeneca jab (as of February 28), with 38 reports of blood clots among 11.5 million people vaccinated, about ONE IN 367,000 people vaccinated (or 0.002 per 1,000). n ASTRAZENECA JAB: Out of 17 million people vaccinated globally, there have been 40 reports of blood clots. This works out at ONE IN 425,000, (or 0.002 per 1,000).