" the rare side effects are allergic reactions such as skin rash, mouth sores, fever, difficulty breathing, more prone to bleeding, bruising, fever, infections, nausea, sudden weight loss, loss of appetite, jaundice yellowing of the eyes and skin.
"Those are documented rare side effects but we all understand the benefits of them.''
this was the brilliant Professor Jonathan Van-Dam at a press meeting. He was answering questions about the supposed risk of blood clotting following an Astra Zeneca vaccine and how frustrated he was with the stance of many European countries who have suspended it's administration in spite of their own medical agency saying it's positive effects far, far outweighed the minimal risk of side effects and telling them they were wrong to suspend. He was trying to show how important it was to realise that all medicines can have unwanted side effects. It was a matter of weighing up the positive result from taking them against the level of risk of side effects. He was reading from the leaflet we all find in a box of medicine he had taken out of his pocket - it was from a box of Paracetamol!! I bet most of us take those and will still do so in spite of reading what sounds like a terrifying list of possible side effects!!
Thanks for your messages. @harryflatters @Happygirl @roz @Pinkaholic79 💖🦄🌺 @margaret.s and anyone else I forgot. Yes, it was very unpleasant and I am hoping that the second one will be kinder to me!
Very interesting @harryflatters, and @Happygirl, glad you're ok now @nabob
France, Italy and Germany resume use of AstraZeneca vaccine after UK and EU regulators declare it ‘safe’.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and can continue to be used to inoculate people, both the UK and EU medicines regulators have concluded
But now that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has given its backing to the continued use of the vaccine, many governments in Europe are to lift their suspensions, with Italy, France and Germany making clear their intentions to restart distribution of the jab as early as Friday. Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands said they would follow suit next week, although Spain said it could exclude certain groups.
I had my AZ jab last Tuesday morning. At 5.30pm I had a strong reaction consisting of Low blood pressure, high pulse, high temperature of 39.3, awful shakes, nausea, metallic taste in my mouth, pins and needles in arms and hands, pain in back of neck injection side, headache. After an uncomfortable night I gradually felt better and by 3pm Wednesday was fine. I will be having my second jab on 25th May.
Away from the press conference: Italy and Sweden announce their plans for the AstraZeneca jabs
It follows an announcement from the European Medicines Agency that the jab is "safe and effective".
Sweden says their pause in the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine will remain for now.
However, Italy says they will resume use of the vaccine from Friday.
"The government's priority remains to vaccinate as many people as possible as quickly as possible," prime minister Mario Draghi said in a brief statement.
Macer Hall, from the Daily Express, asks at today's news briefing if there is any evidence the suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine has had any impact on people in the UK not wanting the vaccine.
Prof Whitty says there are "anecdotal reports, which I'm sure will be accurate that in some places a few people have not turned up immediately after they heard the news".
He suggests they will "think about it" after seeing the "reassuring data" from the MHRA, and comments from the WHO, the EMA and the "overwhelming view" of health professions.
@harryflatters @margaret.s
Thank you so much @harryflatters for writing this , as like @margaret.s said they have to write things like that even if just one person has had an allergic reaction.
I WILL BE having my 2nd Jab, .
@harryflatters I agree I've had tablets that have said " can cause death" I asked the doctor and he said not to worry by law even if only 1 person died due to allergic reaction it had to be added. I must admit I tend not to read side effects now unless I feel off after taking tablets.😊