Havering Covid-19 Vaccination FAQs 1. Havering Covid-19 Vaccination FAQs - Vaccination Importance
2. Havering Covid-19 Vaccination FAQs - Being Invited For My Vaccination and Priority Groups
3. Havering Covid-19 Vaccination FAQs - Vaccination Safety 4. Havering Covid-19 Vaccination FAQS - Vaccination Delivery
5. Havering Covid-19 Vaccination FAQs - After Vaccination and Additional Questions
Contents How does the vaccine work? ...... 1 How safe is the vaccine? ...... 2 Is the AstraZeneca vaccine linked to increased blood clots? What are the current guidelines with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine? ...... 2 Age: ...... 2 Pregnancy:...... 4 The vaccines were developed very quickly; does this compromise their safety? ...... 4 How effective are the vaccines? ...... 4 Do I need the second dose and how soon will I get the second dose after the first?...... 5 Do I need a ‘booster’ dose? ...... 5 Can I choose which vaccine I will be given? ...... 5 Can I still have the vaccine if I have an allergic reaction? ...... 6 What does the vaccine actually contain? ...... 6 Queries and Contact Details ...... 6 My question has not been answered, what can I do? ...... 6
How does the vaccine work? Vaccines deliver components known as antigens (a substance which prompts an immune response in the body). These usually consist of inactivated, attenuated (weakened), modified viruses or bacteria or toxin or genetic material from the virus and they are used to prime the immune system against specific infections.
Once a vaccine enters the body, and delivers the antigen, the immune system recognises the antigens as ‘foreign’ to the body and responds to them by making antibodies and memory cells, without having to suffer wider ill-effects of the infection.
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When memory cells meet the antigen again (either as a natural infection or in a booster dose of vaccine), specific antibodies and other immunological agents such as T-cells are produced or activated much more quickly and in greater numbers than during the first response.
This response is similar to the response made to natural infection but without the risks of the disease itself as the microorganism used in a vaccine is artificially weakened (attenuated), modified or inactivated (killed).
How safe is the vaccine? Currently there are three vaccinations approved for use in the UK:
1. Pfizer/BioNTech 2. Oxford/AstraZeneca 3. Moderna
The safety of the Covid-19 vaccinations has been at the forefront of the development and distribution of all the vaccines. The vaccines have met all the required safety, quality and effectiveness standards and have been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA). Both the MHRA and the JCVI are playing a critical role in getting the COVID-19 vaccines approved and rolled out to the public.
Is the AstraZeneca vaccine linked to increased blood clots? What are the current guidelines with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine? Age:
Based on the emerging evidence of extremely rare thrombosis/thrombocytopenia events, the guidance and recommendations have changed. Please note that these guidelines have changed as a precautionary measure. The JCVI chairman Professor Wei Shen Lim said: "We are advising a preference of one vaccine over another vaccine for a particular age group out of utmost caution rather than any serious safety concerns."
There have been reports of an extremely rare adverse event of concurrent thrombosis (blood clots) and thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) following vaccination with the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine. Although this condition remains extremely rare there is a higher risk in people after the first dose of the AZ vaccine. To date and overall, just over 10 people develop this condition for every million doses of AZ vaccine given. This is seen more often in younger people and tends to occur between 4 days and 4 weeks following vaccination.
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Similar conditions can also occur naturally, and clotting problems are a common complication of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. An increased risk has not yet been seen after other COVID-19 vaccines in the UK.
The numbers of these events reported overall are very low, which means there is a high level of uncertainty in estimates of how many people have had this extremely rare adverse event by age group. However, the available data suggests there may be a trend for increasing incidence of this adverse event with decreasing age, with a slightly higher incidence reported in the younger adult age groups. In contrast, the risks of severe disease associated with COVID-19 increases steeply with age, with the youngest adults at lowest risk. There are currently no known risk factors for this extremely rare condition.
As a precautionary measure, anyone who has the following symptoms from around 4 days to 4 weeks after vaccination is advised to seek prompt medical advice:
a severe headache that is not relieved with painkillers or is getting worse a headache that feels worse when you lie down or bend over a headache that is unusual for you and occurs with blurred vision, feeling or being sick, problems speaking, weakness, drowsiness or seizures a rash that looks like small bruises or bleeding under the skin shortness of breath, chest pain, leg swelling or persistent abdominal pain
If you are 40 years or older: You will be offered any of the three UK approved vaccines.
If you are under 40 years: Britons aged 18-39 will be offered an alternative to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
If you are under 40 years and have already received one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine: The JCVI has said people of any age who have received the first dose of the Oxford vaccine should continue to be offered the second dose according to schedule.
Table showing JCVI recommendations for vaccines based on age:
18-39 years old 40 + years old Pfizer Moderna AstraZeneca
If you’d like more information, please read the JCVI statements:
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7th April: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/use-of-the-astrazeneca-covid-19- vaccine-jcvi-statement/jcvi-statement-on-use-of-the-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-7-april- 2021?fbclid=IwAR3cHiq6uMfxGny-e3HvFG1ZO6B6Kr5hinM3wcdVOn8QcWLKcxkf0XHrTp4 7th May: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/jcvi-advises-on-covid-19-vaccine-for- people-aged-under-40
Pregnancy:
Currently, women of any age, who are pregnant have been advised that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are the preferred vaccines. This is because of more extensive experience of their use in pregnancy.
Pregnant women who commenced vaccination with AstraZeneca, however, are advised to complete with the same vaccine (see section on pregnancy in the Greenbook). Table showing JCVI recommendations for vaccines based on age and pregnancy status:
Pregnant Not Pregnant 18-39 years 18-39 years old 40 + years old 40 + years old old Pfizer Moderna AstraZeneca
The vaccines were developed very quickly; does this compromise their safety? No. The vaccines developments have gone through all the required phases, clinical trials and safety checks. Some of these phases have been done in parallel rather than one after the other. The speed of development is down to unprecedented resource, funding and collaboration across many countries and safety has not been compromised.
Any coronavirus vaccine that is approved must go through all the clinical trials and safety checks all other licensed medicines go through. The UK has some of the highest safety standards in the world.
How effective are the vaccines? The 1st dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will give you some protection from coronavirus. But you need to have the 2 doses of the vaccine to give you the best protection. After 2 doses, they all will prevent you from severe form of covid infection.
Each vaccine has reported high effectiveness in those immunised:
1. Pfizer/BioNTech 2. Oxford/AstraZeneca
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3. Moderna
There is a chance you might still get or spread coronavirus even if you have the vaccine. This chance will reduce when an overwhelming majority of the population has had two doses of the vaccine.
Therefore, it is important to:
• continue to follow social distancing guidance
• if you can, wear something that covers your nose and mouth in places where it's hard to stay away from other people
Do I need the second dose and how soon will I get the second dose after the first?
Although you might get some protection from the first dose, you need two doses of the vaccine for the full immunity from the vaccine.
The second dose will be from the same manufacturer between three (Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine) or four (Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine & Moderna vaccine) and 12 weeks from the first dose.
Do I need a ‘booster’ dose?
The JCVI has issued advice on the third dose on 1st September 2021; “This third dose should be offered to people over 12 who were severely immunosuppressed at the time of their first or second dose, including those with leukaemia, advanced HIV and recent organ transplants. These people may not mount a full response to vaccination and therefore may be less protected than the wider population.”
The JCVI is still considering the potential benefits of booster vaccinations for the rest of the population.
JCVI issues advice on third dose vaccination for severely immunosuppressed - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Can I choose which vaccine I will be given? You will not be able to choose which vaccination you will be given. Waiting for a specific vaccine implies that you are not having the vaccine unlike your peers in the same priority group.
JCVI does not advise a preference for either vaccine in any specific population. To enable more extensive and timely vaccine coverage, one vaccine may be offered in certain settings for practical reasons e.g., not to throw away excess vaccine.
The JCVI has recently (April 2021) changed the guidelines to which vaccine you will be offered based on your age or pregnancy status. Please click here for more information.
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Can I still have the vaccine if I have an allergic reaction? Tell staff before you are vaccinated if you have ever had a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).
If you do have a reaction to the vaccine, it usually happens in minutes. Staff giving the vaccine are trained to deal with allergic reactions and treat them immediately. Depending on your situation, you may be kept under medical observation after the vaccination.
What does the vaccine actually contain? The COVID-19 vaccines that are currently approved for use in the UK do not contain the live coronavirus which causes COVID-19. Having the vaccine will not cause you to test positive using the approved viral testing methods. Other contents in the vaccine are small amounts of commonly found items in food, medicines and our body. However, there is no animal products in any of the three vaccines.
• A full list of ingredients for the qualitative and quantitative composition of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine can be found at point 6.1 in the Information for Healthcare Professionals of COVID-19 Vaccine Pfizer/BioNTech • A full list of ingredients for the excipient composition of the vaccine can be found at point 6.1 in the Information for Healthcare Professionals of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca.
• A full list of ingredients for the excipient composition of the vaccine can be found at point 6.1 in the Information for Healthcare Professionals of COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna.
Queries and Contact Details We will endeavour to answer everything we know, however the covid-19 vaccination programme is being rolled out by the NHS so where this is not possible, please forward your enquiry to [email protected], who will be able to assist you with this.
My question has not been answered, what can I do? Please don’t worry! We would like to help you where we can, so please email your enquiry to us.
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