Pharmacists urged to watch out for patients with headaches

PHARMACISTS and GPS should ask patients with “unusual” headaches or lasting sickness if they have recently had the Oxford jab, according to the latest national guidance.

Healthcare professionals were advised to look out for the early warning signs of possible side-effects of the Astrazeneca vaccine in an alert sent across the NHS yesterday morning.

It comes after the sister of the first named person in the UK feared to have died from complications arising from the jab called for more action to prevent fatal blood clots.

Dr Alison Astles said her brother, Neil, a solicitor, had visited his pharmacist complaining of headaches and nausea but had been given anti-sickness tablets. Mr Astles, 59, died from a suspected clot on the brain on Sunday.

Yesterday the National Vaccination Operations Centre distributed a letter to the national NHS cascade system, outlining new guidance to pharmacies, GPS and hospital trusts.

The letter pointed to Public Health England guidance telling healthcare professionals they should tell patients to seek urgent medical advice if they experience “any of the following symptoms” more than four days and within 28 days of coronavirus vaccination.

These are: “New onset of severe headache, which is getting worse and does not respond to simple painkillers. An unusual headache which seems worse when lying down or bending over, or may be accompanied by blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, difficulty with speech, weakness, drowsiness or seizures. New unexplained pinprick bruising or bleeding, or shortness of breath, chest pain, leg swelling or persistent abdominal pain.”

Patients experiencing the symptoms should be “urgently referred to hospital … particularly if the symptoms are unexplained”, the guidance said.

Simon Dukes, chief executive of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, which represents NHS pharmacies, said staff will be “looking carefully” for possible warning signs.