Fear of blood clots must not undermine the case for vaccinations

Editorial: The possibility of getting fatal blood clots from Covid are vastly higher than from the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab. We must avoid a catastrophic third wave, economic recession, and help build herd immunity

(Brian Adcock)

So, there seems to be a link after all. The European Medicines Agency says that blood clots are a “very rare side effect” of taking the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, and should be listed a such. The British authorities are a little more cautious, rating such side effects as a “strong possibility”. Neither side wants a ban, or even a pause, but some caution on exposing the young to such risks, given that Covid-19 is far less harmful to their immediate personal health than to older people. 

The figures quoted are of handfuls of people among many millions who have taken the vaccine. The vaccine is still safe, but among the young, the under-30s, the balance of advantage is less overwhelming than among their older counterparts. In any case, alternative vaccines are and will be available in Britain, from Moderna and Pfizer. The big picture is unchanged – that the possibility of getting fatal blood clots from coronavirus is vastly higher than from the AstraZeneca vaccine, with only the possible exception of the very young. The authorities have acted with due caution, but decisively and placed the public’s health first. It has been an exercise in open and transparent public health management. The worry is that the controversy, a recent history of panicky news stories, and the change in policy on the AstraZeneca vaccine for the under-30s will undermine the case for vaccination more widely. 

On one reading, the damage, such as it is, would apply to the AstraZeneca product only, because there appears to be a clear difference with the other commonly used alternatives. The general suspicion now falling on among some towards vaccines, in general, might then alight on only one of the available vaccines – the AstraZeneca vaccine as a sort of lightning conductor. The effect may be to make the Pfizer, Moderna and other doses seem “safer”, subjectively.