I've Been Vaccinated (No Politics Please)

[MoreTravels]

Do you know COVID-19 cause blood clot as one of its complication? Yes. 1/100
Do you know the risk of AZ vaccine and blood clot 1/250,000 to 1/500,000

https://beta.ctvnews.ca/national/coronavirus/2021/3/19/1_5353995.html

So I am confused as of why people would be so worried to give up vaccine and rather take COVID risk?!

 

[mshanson3121]

Do you know COVID-19 cause blood clot as one of its complication? Yes. 1/100
Do you know the risk of AZ vaccine and blood clot 1/250,000 to 1/500,000

https://beta.ctvnews.ca/national/coronavirus/2021/3/19/1_5353995.html

So I am confused as of why people would be so worried to give up vaccine and rather take COVID risk?!

No one has said they were worried!!!! As for the countries who have shut it down until they can study it further, I'm assuming it's because a) it's the TYPE of blood clot (not the same as what you get with Covid which are your more "typical" clots) and b ) let's face it - liability reasons. There's a big difference between randomly catching Covid and developing clots as a side effect and being injected by a doctor by a company's vaccine during a massive government-pushed vaccine campaign and developing rare but often fatal blood clots. I mean, it's kind of easy to see why they would want to play it safe C) just common sense. Again, the clots with Covid are random and unpredictable and unpreventable. But if you KNOW that a certain group of people are at higher risk (even if slight) for something from one particular vaccine, then you can choose to either not use that vaccine in that group of people (like France I believe is doing) or if you do go ahead, at least you can and the patient can be better aware of the potential risk, pay better attention to side effects in the weeks following, and be better educated to react quickly with the treatment they've found.

 

[Debbie]

I get this is a scary and unknown territory for us at the moment and we have so much information coming at us from all directions. I'll share the information that I gave Mel to look at when she was having a rough time dealing with the uncertainty surrounding the AZ vaccine.
a family physician in Guelph, Anne-Marie Zajdlik, has been putting out Facebook posts and blog postings almost daily over the last year.

Get the vaccine if it is offered to you. We must get ahead of the spread of the variants of concern. If we hold back for a vaccine we perceive to be 'better' we will lose this race.
Stay strong folks. Be smart and scientific!!!!
Anne-Marie

Thank you for posting Dr. Zajdlik's FB posts, Donald. While not living in your area, I have followed her all along, and her sense and calm have helped to weather any storm going on. She has no reason to continually share her thoughts but to allay the fears and make sense of too little and/or convoluted information for the people. With the move to anyone 60 and over, that will open the door for my husband and myself to try to be vaccinated. When it happens, we will be vigilant in monitoring ourselves for any anomalies. I understand the fear of the unknown, but for us, it is a matter of benefits over risks.

 

[bababear_50]

No one has said they were worried!!!! As for the countries who have shut it down until they can study it further, I'm assuming it's because a) it's the TYPE of blood clot (not the same as what you get with Covid which are your more "typical" clots) and b ) let's face it - liability reasons. There's a big difference between randomly catching Covid and developing clots as a side effect and being injected by a doctor by a company's vaccine during a massive government-pushed vaccine campaign and developing rare but often fatal blood clots. I mean, it's kind of easy to see why they would want to play it safe C) just common sense. Again, the clots with Covid are random and unpredictable and unpreventable. But if you KNOW that a certain group of people are at higher risk (even if slight) for something from one particular vaccine, then you can choose to either not use that vaccine in that group of people (like France I believe is doing) or if you do go ahead, at least you can and the patient can be better aware of the potential risk, pay better attention to side effects in the weeks following, and be better educated to react quickly with the treatment they've found.

Oh yes people who are getting and considering the Vaccine are definitely anxious ,nervous and worried ,,I can vouch for that.

No one likes being the first *million* in their Country to take a new Vaccine.

Even people who have taken the Pfizer and Moderna are anxious ,nervous & worried.

The thing is they are also overjoyed to have the opportunity to live because of the Vaccines.

See I don't see it as a "*Massive government pushed Vaccine campaign" as you wrote.
But then I have always viewed our vaccine availability here in Canada as one of great fortune.
I know so many Countries right now that have no vaccine program.


We don't know all the reason why a Country does something ,,be it financial,,, culture, political,,,,,,. religious ,,,,health ,,,,or as so many European countries have said *a simple supply issue* ,, many reasons are possible.

As more and more people are becoming Vaccinated the data is growing.
Millions and millions of people have had the AstraZeneca vaccine and researchers and scientist are gathering great measured data.

I think some good real time data is being collected as UK has been administering this vaccine since Dec 9th 2020 and millions of doses.
So we are almost into 4 months of info.

JMHO (just my honest opinion)..
Hugs
Mel

 

[wdwmom3]

I know all these unknowns can be scary. But I don’t see this as any reasons why things should be changed.

They have identified a very rare possible side effect, the particular group it could happen to (still very rare) and they even know the signs and how to treat it. Sound to me like all they need to do is give people who get the shot the warning signs to watch for and tell them to seek medical attention if they notice these signs. And advise the medical community how to treat it.

Let’s face it there is also a risk that someone could get any vaccines and have an allergic reaction. They could have an allergy to something they aren’t aware of. That’s why everyone has to wait 15 mins after the shot, and some people 30 mins. When I took my dad to get the shot there was a nurse in the recovery area and she had medication on her to treat an allergic reaction if someone had one.

To me this very rare chance of the blood clots is no different. It’s just something people need to be told about and told what to do if they have certain symptoms. Too much hype about this will just cause people to worry too much and avoid the vaccine needlessly. People need straight forward facts that clearly put the risks in perspective, not news stories that are going to scare them.

 

[mshanson3121]

See I don't see it as a "*Massive government pushed Vaccine campaign" as you wrote.

I don't mean it as a negative thing, but the reality is there is a government-funded campaign going on, they are offering grants to entities to publicly promote the idea of vaccine safety. Not in some evil, conspiracy theory sort of way as the anti-vaxxers love to depict, but in a "let's try to make people feel safe and secure in their decision" sort of way; a confidence builder if you will - because yes, we all know there is a lot of (legitimate) vaccine hesitancy. But when you do that (push hard to say "It's safe!!!")... and then if even a few people start dying because of these blood clots... well, we all know how that will go.

 

[bababear_50]

I don't mean it as a negative thing, but the reality is there is a government-funded campaign going on, they are offering grants to entities to publicly promote the idea of vaccine safety. Not in some evil, conspiracy theory sort of way as the anti-vaxxers love to depict, but in a "let's try to make people feel safe and secure in their decision" sort of way; a confidence builder if you will - because yes, we all know there is a lot of (legitimate) vaccine hesitancy. But when you do that (push hard to say "It's safe!!!")... and then if even a few people start dying because of these blood clots... well, we all know how that will go.

I agree we have to be safe when we pass along information.

Everything I have read has said that yes X number of people have developed blood clots during a certain time period following a vaccine.
Would X number of people have naturally developed blood clots whether they took the vaccine or not.?

Warnings/ precautions / side effects on vaccines happen when real proof (data) is indicated and so far they don't have that data.

Hugs
Mel

 

[quandrea]

I get this is a scary and unknown territory for us at the moment and we have so much information coming at us from all directions. I'll share the information that I gave Mel to look at when she was having a rough time dealing with the uncertainty surrounding the AZ vaccine.
a family physician in Guelph, Anne-Marie Zajdlik, has been putting out Facebook posts and blog postings almost daily over the last year. I'll copy the most recent ones that she talked about the concerns people are hearing. The first one even includes a link to a youtube video she created. She can be trusted as a very reliable source, she's been boots on the ground with the AIDS treatment both here and in Lesotho South Africa where she helped build an orphanage for children who had lost their parents to AIDS. She helped establish our city's Covid-19 testing facility, continues to run her private practice, and is keeping our health unit informed.
The numbers in these posts might be a bit outdated but her message is still valid IMHO One other thing that I'm not sure has been mentioned or not in this thread (or within these 2 quoted posts) is that the vaccine that we currently have in Canada was produced in Indian, NOT the same facilities that manufactured the doses being given in the EU and that needs to be included in the thought process as well.
We're one of the health units that have the AZ being sent directly to doctor's offices for patients 60 - 64 and as such a LOT of worry that she was dealing with in her clinic and on her Facebook pager & blogsite
Post from March 12th-

ASTRAZENECA!
Let's get this right.
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE OXFORD-ASTRAZENECA VACCINE CAUSES BLOOD CLOTS:
Lets look again at the science. Refer to this youtube video for an outline of how this vaccine works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEBJeSyNObM&t=5s
Canada received the first 500,000 doses of this vaccine this week. It will be a very important vaccine for this country. It is 63%-67% effective after the first dose and 80 % effective after the second dose. This means that if you get this vaccine, you will be 80% less likely to get COVID 19 if you are exposed to COVID -19.
But, even better, this vaccine is 95%-100 % effective at preventing death from COVID-19, serious illness from COVID-19 and hospitalization from COVID-19. The mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna also reduce the risk of death, hospitalization and serious illness....BY THE SAME AMOUNT.
This means, that where it counts in the real world, the AstraZeneca vaccines stands up and prevents the endpoints that make COVID-19 a deadly virus. If this vaccine is offered to you, take it. Waiting for the next vaccine makes no sense. Waiting just increases the time that you are totally vulnerable to this virus and it's deadly outcomes.
A new safety review of 10 million patients who received the AstraZeneca vaccine showed no evidence of an increased risk of pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis in any defined age group, gender, batch or in any particular country with its COVID-19 vaccine.
10 million people studied is huge. The more data you have, the greater it's accuracy. In those 10 million vaccine recipients, the risk of clotting was no greater than the usual risk of clotting in the general population. When the number of vaccinated people is so huge, many of them will develop illnesses they were about to develop regardless of the vaccine: heart attack, stroke, cancer, blood clots.
One can only say that the vaccine increases the risk of these diseases if many more people developed these conditions after vaccination than the number of people who develop these conditions without the vaccine, ie, the usual population incidence of the disease.
It's way too easy to point fingers when people who are not taking the time to review the science make broad statements about a vaccine and it's possible association with a significant side effect or disease.
Just like the flushot which is given while the flu is spreading in a community, people may be about to exhibit the symptoms of the flu, just as they have been vaccinated. The flushot did not cause the flu, the flu virus caused the flu.
Get the vaccine if it is offered to you. We must get ahead of the spread of the variants of concern. If we hold back for a vaccine we perceive to be 'better' we will lose this race.
Stay strong folks. Be smart and scientific!!!!
Anne-Marie

Post from March 15
"GOSSIP is NOT SCIENCE!"
You know what? I want to apologize to all of you. Politics, science, medicine and social media have all mixed together into a sometimes confusing mess making everyone so anxious and you do not deserve to feel more anxiety.
So, let's get the facts straight.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is a very safe and effective vaccine that does not cause an increased risk of developing blood clots.
Remember when folks were upset because Health Canada took so long to approve this vaccine? I am glad they took that long. We are very conservative and risk averse in this country when it comes to medications and vaccines. We take longer than most countries to approve treatments that have sometimes been used for years in other countries before we approve them. Our approach is not different with these COVID-19 vaccines. We took our time.
Many European countries rushed their approval process. I think that has left them feeling a little vulnerable when if comes to the risks that may be associated with these vaccines. As a result, they may have over-reacted to the alleged concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Here is what every European country that has suspended the use of this vaccine has decided to do. They are waiting for Europe's bloc-wide medicines regulator ( Health Canada equivalent) to investigate a very small number of serious blood clotting issues.
Perhaps it may have been better to do this 'due diligence' before they approved the vaccine? Maybe.
That regulator, the European Medicines Agency, is expected by Thursday to give it's verdict on safety and potential risks from a review of the reported cases. The agency said that while the investigation is going on, “the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine in preventing COVID-19, outweigh the risks of side effects.” They are recommending that countries keep using the vaccine and they have already stated there is no evidence of a link between the reported blood clots and the AstraZeneca vaccine.
AstraZeneca has shown that there have been 37 reports of blood clots out of more than 17 million people vaccinated in the 27-country European Union and Britain. They can't fake this stuff.
They are being watched by every scientific community in the world....very, very closely watched. There is no evidence that the AstraZeneca vaccine carries an increased risk of clots. Those 17 million people who received the vaccine are still at risk for having their heart attacks their cancers and their blood clots and unless the vaccine causes many more than what is expected in a given population at anytime, you cannot link the vaccine to the negative health outcomes.
The World Health Organization has also said that the data does not suggest the vaccine caused the clots and that people should continue to be immunized.
“Many thousands of people develop blood clots annually in the EU for different reasons,” the European Medicines Agency said. The incidence in vaccinated people "is not higher than that seen in the general population.”
The vaccine that both doctor's offices and pharmacies are receiving is the AstraZeneca vaccine. I will admit that it is a big deal that 5 countries in the European Union have temporarily suspended the use of this vaccine. It would make me second guess whether or not I should get this vaccine if I were not a physician who is following the research closely. You are totally entitled to be uncomfortable but please, base that discomfort on the facts, not gossip and not Google MD or any other social media site that is not a reputable medical source of information.
Our ever cautious, ever risk averse, ever conservative Health Canada agrees and they have already done their homework.
Take home message:
It is much more risky to remain unvaccinated if you are an at risk population based on age, exposure risk and underlying health issues. COVID-19 is by far much more deadly than 37 blood clots in 17 million people. Not to downplay the devastation the a person experiences who develops a serious blood clot.
Take the first vaccine you are offered and trust the science. Governments are fearful and some of their decisions, like temporarily suspending the use of a very good vaccine, are not based on science, they are based on that fear.
We need governments and science working together. No question. But what we do not need is mis-information on social media and gossip to delay the vaccination of our citizens.
Anne-Marie

Final tid-bit from her St. Paddy's Day post
Follow the guidelines, wear a mask. The variants will not affect us if we keep community transmission low and avoid getting infected. It's only months away before enough of us will be immunized to get way ahead of COVID-19.
Both the French President and the British Prime Minister have asked to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine. And the European Union's Health Agency has stated that this vaccine does not increase the risk of clots. Health Canada, the FDA and The World Health Organization have all reviewed the research and they all agree.
Get whatever vaccine is offered to you.

Excellent information. I’m really disappointed (not surprised though) in the media. They are quick to jump on these “reaction” stories and spread confusion and fear. When I’m looking for info, I go directly to the science journals so I know I’m getting my information from the primary source. The internet and the media have many positives, however there is so much junk being published by who knows who that one must be very skeptical of what one reads.

 

[mshanson3121]

Excellent information. I’m really disappointed (not surprised though) in the media. They are quick to jump on these “reaction” stories and spread confusion and fear. When I’m looking for info, I go directly to the science journals so I know I’m getting my information from the primary source. The internet and the media have many positives, however there is so much junk being published by who knows who that one must be very skeptical of what one reads.

Seeing as how CBC, Wall Street Journal and Forbes are considered reputable sources, and they linked to further reputable sources in their articles, I hardly considered what they were publishing junk. But Lord knows that's the last time I ever mention any vaccine news here again unless it's doing nothing but singing praises.

 

[damo]

Seeing as how CBC, Wall Street Journal and Forbes are considered reputable sources, and they linked to further reputable sources in their articles, I hardly considered what they were publishing junk. But Lord knows that's the last time I ever mention any vaccine news here again unless it's doing nothing but singing praises.

Another bit of vaccine news that got a lot of press was the report out of Norway about several seniors in their 90s who died after having the Pfizer shot. Eventually, it was determined that a larger number of seniors in their 90s die every week and it was most likely just their time.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coron...atients-vaccinated-against-covid-19-1.5272547
Several main media sites reported it.... https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-norway-idUSKBN29P2R1

And the actual facts... https://www.politifact.com/factchec...-deaths-after-covid-19-shot-were-among-very-/


These things are newsworthy but lots of things get exaggerated. Initial reports had these seniors dying immediately after, where in actual fact these seniors died within six days after the shot, creating a normal number of seniors dying in that time period. There was a lot of truth in the report but that doesn't make their hypothesis conclusive.

 

[quandrea]

Seeing as how CBC, Wall Street Journal and Forbes are considered reputable sources, and they linked to further reputable sources in their articles, I hardly considered what they were publishing junk. But Lord knows that's the last time I ever mention any vaccine news here again unless it's doing nothing but singing praises.

Nothing I said was directed at you or what you posted, just media coverage in general. I’m sorry if I offended you.

 

[quandrea]

Another bit of vaccine news that got a lot of press was the report out of Norway about several seniors in their 90s who died after having the Pfizer shot. Eventually, it was determined that a larger number of seniors in their 90s die every week and it was most likely just their time.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coron...atients-vaccinated-against-covid-19-1.5272547
Several main media sites reported it.... https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-norway-idUSKBN29P2R1

And the actual facts... https://www.politifact.com/factchec...-deaths-after-covid-19-shot-were-among-very-/


These things are newsworthy but lots of things get exaggerated. Initial reports had these seniors dying immediately after, where in actual fact these seniors died within six days after the shot, creating a normal number of seniors dying in that time period. There was a lot of truth in the report but that doesn't make their hypothesis conclusive.

This was my point. The media is looking for stories where the science shows there are none. It does a disservice to the public.

 

[ottawamom]

Time to take a step back and breathe before posting people. Some posts are getting heated. We're all in this together just hoping to get through to the other side with our bodies and sanity intact.

 

[damo]

Do you know COVID-19 cause blood clot as one of its complication? Yes. 1/100
Do you know the risk of AZ vaccine and blood clot 1/250,000 to 1/500,000

https://beta.ctvnews.ca/national/coronavirus/2021/3/19/1_5353995.html

So I am confused as of why people would be so worried to give up vaccine and rather take COVID risk?!

I do think that the hesitancy of people to get the AZ shot was the reason it was so easy for my husband and I to get it. We made one phone call and got an appointment and actually had a choice of times. I was quite shocked, honestly.

 

[redrosesix]

Do you know COVID-19 cause blood clot as one of its complication? Yes. 1/100
Do you know the risk of AZ vaccine and blood clot 1/250,000 to 1/500,000

https://beta.ctvnews.ca/national/coronavirus/2021/3/19/1_5353995.html

So I am confused as of why people would be so worried to give up vaccine and rather take COVID risk?!

This.

My only concern with the AZ vaccine is that it is proven to be not quite as effective against the SA variant, but still better than nothing. I read that all of the companies are looking at doing a booster later on to cover variants, including the one from Brazil.

We're in Nova Scotia and I had hoped to get DH in for the AZ vaccine in Halifax -- but they didn't allot enough for the city and all of the spots got used up for 63-64 year olds (his age group). They were only 25 percent full in other parts of the province so they opened it up to anyone 60+. It wasn't good planning since we have the most cases and we're in contact with more people here.he's our shopper and errand runner so we're pushing him to get it because it's optional for my mother and I to go out at all.

I would also like them to open the vaccine up to school workers and teachers -- my daughter is one and I would gladly give her my spot. She's 21 so she'll be in the very last group since NS is only doing by age. But if a 5 year old falls in the playground she can't just throw them a bandaid from 6 feet away. There are so many parts of her job where the 6 foot rule has to be ignored. They are doing police officers now because they sometimes have to give first aid -- school workers should be the same.

PS. there are 2 other vaccines which might soon be approved, one developed in Edmonton. Unfortunately the CBC reported the Janssen vaccine as a 5th authorized vaccine but it is actually just the J&J vaccine which had already been approved.

 

[bababear_50]

AstraZeneca's most recent statement following a large scale trial in USA.
March 22 2021

"In a statement, AstraZeneca said its COVID-19 vaccine had a 79% efficacy rate at preventing symptomatic COVID and was 100% effective in stopping severe disease and hospitalization. Investigators said the vaccine was effective across all ages, including older people — which previous studies in other countries had failed to establish."

Scientists have been awaiting results of the U.S. study in hopes it will clear up some of the confusion about just how well the shots really work.

Britain first authorized the vaccine based on partial results from testing in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa that suggested the shots were about 70% effective. But those results were clouded by a manufacturing mistake that led some participants to get just a half dose in their first shot — an error the researchers didn’t immediately acknowledge.


https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/worl...-ages/ar-BB1ePwxx?ocid=mailsignout&li=AAggFp5
Hugs
Mel

 

[Griffin11]

My 88yr old Mother is scheduled for her first shot next Wednesday. She wasn't in any hurry to get it because she says she goes nowhere but we want her to get it so now she is. I don't know when I will get mine as I am in the 60-64 range but they haven't come to Durham Region yet so I wait.

If you're in Durham you can travel to Toronto to get the vaccine at a pharmacy. You don't need to be a Toronto resident.

 

[wdwmom3]

People need to be careful about comparing vaccines against each other and saying one is more effective then the other. You can’t really do that because they weren’t tested alongside each other. All the vaccines were tested in different places, at slightly different times and under different conditions. So we don’t actually know which one is “more” effective. They could very well be equal.

In order to compare the different vaccines they would need a trial where one group is given one vaccine and another group is given another one. And then the results compared. Kind of like how they do a trial with a placebo.

Just wanted to remind people of this so people aren’t avoiding certain vaccines because they think others are more effective.

 

[quandrea]

If you're in Durham you can travel to Toronto to get the vaccine at a pharmacy. You don't need to be a Toronto resident.

I’d read no region jumping. This is good news.

 

[bababear_50]

I’d read no region jumping. This is good news.

When I made inquiries last week I was told the only requirement was age.
60=64 yrs.
Hope that helps
Mel