AstraZeneca vaccination for older people
At 76 and after being told by the government that the Pfizer one is the one that suits, and having read the data that backs that up to then be told that we are eing thrown on the heap because there are not enough vaccines and young people may get a side effect we are treated as second best. Talk about ageism! Or is it just deception or incompertence?
I don't know, but I worry that a side effect might take me out.
I really wonder whether people my age should really be bearing that stress.
AstraZeneca vaccine dose gives 80 per cent lower COVID death risk, England Public Health says 1 day an health agency chief says most of country should remain locked down forered man died from heart condition
Data from the rollout of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine shows one dose of the shot results in 80 per cent lower risk of death from the disease.
Public Health England (PHE) also said protection against death from the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine rises from approximately 80 per cent after one dose to 97 per cent after two doses in its new analysis.
The announcement came as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed further easing of lockdown restrictions in England, helped in part by the speed of the country's vaccine rollout.
PHE said the study was the first on protection against mortality from the AstraZeneca vaccine based on data from a real world setting.
The study looked at new symptomatic cases of COVID-19 between December and April and people who died within 28 days of their positive test by vaccination status.
COVID cases who had a single dose of AstraZeneca vaccine were 55 per cent protected against death, with a figure of 44 per cent protection for a single dose of Pfizer, compared to unvaccinated cases.
Protection against mortality from the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine improved to 69 per cent for cases who had their second dose at least a week before they tested positive.
Combined with the estimated protection from getting COVID-19 to start with, this is equivalent to an estimated 97 per cent protection, PHE said.
In another dataset, PHE said that it was estimated that two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine reduces the risk of hospitalisation by 93 per cent for the over 80s.
The UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said in April that from more than 20 million people vaccinated in Britain, 79 reported rare blood clots. This equates to a roughly one in 250,000 chance.
"Administration of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca in people of any age who are at higher risk of blood clots because of their medical condition should be considered only if benefits from the protection from COVID-19 infection outweighs potential risks," it said.
England further eases lockdown
The UK government, meanwhile, gave the green light to cautious hugging and the serving of pints inside pubs after months of strict restrictions.
Mr Johnson confirmed that England could continue to the next stage of his four-step plan to bring the country out of lockdown by the summer, as the COVID-19 situation improved thanks to the rollout of vaccines and social restriction measures.
"This unlocking amounts to a very considerable step on the road back to normality and I am confident that we will be able to go further," Mr Johnson told a media conference.
"We are announcing the single biggest step on our road map, and it will allow us to do many of the things that we've yearned to do for a long time."
Under Step 3, from May 17 people will be permitted to meet up indoors for the first time in months, in groups of up to six people or two full households together.
Pubs, cafes and restaurants will be able to host customers indoors, also for the first time in months and subject to certain rules.
Other indoor entertainment like cinemas and sports venues will also be able to resume activity.
Mr Johnson said the government would allow families and close friends to make their own choices on social contact, but urged people not to throw caution to the wind and said social distancing must continue in workplaces, shops and restaurants.
"Whoever I hug, I can assure you, it will be done with caution and restraint," Mr Johnson said, adding that the "1-metre plus" social-distancing rule in businesses might be dispensed with during the next stage of easing on June 21.
He appeared to rule out accelerating the end of restrictions, saying the success of Britain's road map thus far had been helped by the ability to gather and monitor data.
"It's by being prudent and being cautious that we've been able to make the progress that we have," he said.
According to Johns Hopkins data, Britain has the fifth-highest death toll in the world from COVID-19 with 127,609 fatalities.
Two-thirds of adults in the United Kingdom have had a first vaccine and one-third have had both doses.
Reuters/ABC
Hi Hammo.
Yes I agree, but I did put up a bit of an email an old friend had written to us a few weeks ago about this, he is 79. (in the UK) (a chemist) all their friends in that area and similar ages have had the double jabs now.
Also another friend in WA is also worried she has had a kidney transplant and the GP says she MUST have this jab. She herself had an appointment 3 weeks ago to have the jab but it was cancelled out as they didn't have any vaccine that day and now it is to be held on 30th May, mine is on 27th May my husband's is on 18th May.
I see the WA Premier had his yesterday, I wonder how he feels this morning?