GP speaks out to reassure people over AZ vaccine
A GP overseeing the vaccine rollout in part of Derbyshire has spoken out to reassure people over the safety of the Oxford Astra/Zeneca jab.
Following reports of a miniscule chance of blood clots forming after a dose of the British-made vaccine is administered, patients under 30 are now being offered alternatives to the Oxford jab – but health officials still insist it is safe to take it.
In total 79 cases of blood clots have been recorded following the Oxford jab, including 19 deaths – three of which involved people under 30.
But, as 20 million doses have now been given out, it means the risk of dying from the jab is 0.000095%.
And Dr Penny Blackwell, a GP who has been overseeing the Ashbourne vaccine rollout from Wirksworth’s Hannage Brook Medical Centre, promptly issued a message to patients who may have concerns. Speaking in a video published to her surgery’s Facebook page, she said: “Since the start of the pandemic, over four million Covid infections have been confirmed in the UK and that’s caused more than 120,000 deaths.
“Over 30 million people have received their first dose of the Covid vaccine since the start of the programme, which Public Health England estimate has prevented about 6,000 deaths in the first three months of 2021.
“There have been reports of an extremely rare adverse event called a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, or CVST. This is essentially a blood clot in the vein of your brain.
“This is extremely rare. This is not pulmonary embolisms and deep vein thrombosis as we know blood clots, this is a rare event of this happening in the brain.
“I’ve not seen this in general practice in the 10 years I’ve been practising, that’s how rare this is.”
She went on to explain that officials still firmly believe the benefits of vaccination still far outweigh any risk of adverse events for people over the age of 30, or those at a high risk of complications from Covid-19.
But, she explained, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation says it is “preferable” for under-30s who are not at a higher risk to be offered an alternative vaccine if there is one available.
Adults who have already had the Oxford jab, she says, will be offered a second dose of the same vaccine, irrespective of age, she continued, unless they have suffered from certain blood-clot related illnesses in the past.
Meanwhile, a drop in Covid-19 vaccine supplies resulted in a fall in the number of people in Derbyshire being vaccinated over the start of the Easter period, figures have shown.
Last week, 25,820 Derbyshire residents received their first vaccine doses, down from a peak of more than 66,600 two weeks previously.
This is the lowest weekly figure since NHS England started providing a Derbyshire-level breakdown of jabs in mid-January, when the community roll-out of the vaccine outside hospitals was starting.
The most recent week of data from NHS England, showing jabs up to April 4, reveals that Derbyshire has vaccinated 554,220 residents. This represents 65.92% of Derby and Derbyshire’s population aged 16 and above and 97.61% of the city and county’s 65-plus population.
New data also shows that in the past week more Derbyshire residents received their second vaccine doses than the number who received first doses, with 32,700 receiving their second jabs in the past week of data.
A total of 69,839 Derbyshire residents are now fully vaccinated against the virus. Throughout March, Derbyshire and the UK experienced vaccine shortages which saw many vaccination sites close for several days each week and, within Derbyshire, revert to only vaccinating housebound patients and care homes with the little supply they had. Towards the end of March, NHS England warned that significant vaccine shortages would continue throughout April.
However, second-dose appointments and those already booked for first doses will be honoured.
NHS England warned against booking any additional first dose appointments and filing any vacant appointment slots.
It is this impact which has now started to show in the data and will continue to show in the weeks to come.
The number receiving their second jabs will continue to increase, with those who received their first dose 12 weeks ago getting appointments.