My thought is that the Government should be highlighting the fact that the official ATAGI advice for those that have had their first AZ dose without serious side effects should have their second AZ dose and not wait for Pfizer or another vaccine.It is a fact that most in the media and their "health experts" are ignorant of.
The chances of getting clots after the second dose is very low.85% of clotting events happen after the first dose.
The whole AstraZeneca nonsense has got to stop. When we see Premiers, Chief Health Officers, ATAGI, and the media play your Doctor and prescribe what vaccine they think you should have without knowing a single fact about your medical history they are engaging in an unethical practice. The fact of the matter is there is no blanket rule for which vaccine to get, it really depends on your medical history, risk tolerance and personal preference quite frankly.
What we do know is if you don't mind getting AstraZeneca, you can get fully protected right now rather than waiting weeks or perhaps many months to be fully vaccinated with Pfizer. If you get the AstraZeneca jab there is a tiny risk you may develop blood clots, but that risk pales in comparison to getting COVID in Sydney or being hospitalized from it. We also know that these blood clots can be readily treated in hospital, but complications from COVID often require intensive care. Medical history also plays a huge role too. For instance, if you have an autoimmune disease, you may want to choose AstraZeneca over Pfizer because more is known about the impact conventional vaccine technology like AstraZeneca has for us autoimmune cohort than this new fangled mRNA stuff. If you are really young and have any heart issues, you may want to consider AstraZeneca over Pfizer given AstraZeneca doesn't have the same risk of
developing myocarditis in the young. On the other hand, if you are prone to blood clots or have a family history of blood clots, then certainly a strong argument can be made towards getting Pfizer. If you are in a high risk group and are living in an area with a high rate of transmission in Sydney, you may want to get the Pfizer now to get protected right away. What no one is talking about in the media is the fact that those who are high priority (Phase 1a/1b) can walk over anyone else requesting the Pfizer and get it straight away. That's why the Commonwealth set up respiratory clinics designed exclusively for us.
On Tomorrow's Front Page of the Courier Mail, Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun: In the Courier Mail "Pfizer Gets Nod For Children - Jabs for our Kids - Exclusive - Drug regulator gives tick to Covid vaccine for young Aussies aged 12-16". Apparently Greg Hunt will make an announcement about this in the morning.
On The Australian there are a few stories, "Astra blitz: PM says get the jab now" and also "Young flocking to get AZ shot"
Meanwhile in The Hobart Mercury - "Tassie case of blood-clotting linked to AstraZeneca jab - Vax Death"
It's good to see the narrative change from lockdowns to vaccination. I think we're all getting sick and tired of border closures and lockdowns. They may have served us very well last year in keeping COVID out, but they are no longer appropriate given we have vaccines that effectively defang the threat of COVID. The media also needs to be responsible in how they report things. Simply reporting a death from the vaccine without giving any context is downright irresponsible. What the media and the governments need to do now is publicize where and how people can get vaccinated. It's not enough to say go out and get vaccinated when the process involves navigating the red tape for getting a jab. Aside from a few parts of Sydney and regional NSW, we are far from the US where getting a COVID jab is as simple as picking up a candy bar at the local Walgreens.
--KangarooFlyer88
