Coronavirus prep

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  • 33gail33
    33gail33 Posts: 1,155 Member
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    hipari wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »
    Regardless, they noted that many drugs in use have rare side effects that are similarly dangerous and infrequent, so they think it is a mistake to limit A-Z usage.

    So true. Those are just rarely discussed because very rarely the majority of the population starts getting mass treated with the same new medication in a span of a few months. Just to compare, I pulled the instruction/warning papers of some meds I keep at home, OTC painkiller (paracetamol) and an OTC antacid. Listed side effects of the antacid include rash, hives, facial swelling, anaphylactic shock, muscle weakness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Paracetamol lists changes in blood, decrease in white blood cells, anemia, skin itching and swelling, hives, headaches, stomach aches, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, liver malfunction and liver necrosis, fever, swallowing pains, urination problems, anaphylactic shock, blisters, kidney failure and skin peeling. A prescription skin cream I have lists lymphoma and herpes-induced eye infections, to name some highlights.

    I think this whole side effect discussion (while important for informed consent) is a result of this mass treatment, anti-vaxxing environment, and the problems that occurred with the swine flu vaccine and people freaking out about another quickly developed vaccine.

    I think the main difference is that most drugs are treating an illness or condition, so for the individual receiving the treatment there is a risk vs. benefit scenario of the drug vs the illness.
    With vaccines you are exposing healthy people who potentially may never get Covid, so the risk vs. benefit becomes a little more tricky to calculate. Tell a healthy person to take a drug that has "XYZ" side effect just in case they get sick (especially if they are young and unlikely to die from covid) and it might give them pause.
    Of course this is on an individual level - from a public health perspective even if a certain number of people react the benefits of course outweigh the risks on a population level.
  • 33gail33
    33gail33 Posts: 1,155 Member
    edited April 2021
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    hipari wrote: »
    33gail33 wrote: »
    hipari wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »
    Regardless, they noted that many drugs in use have rare side effects that are similarly dangerous and infrequent, so they think it is a mistake to limit A-Z usage.

    So true. Those are just rarely discussed because very rarely the majority of the population starts getting mass treated with the same new medication in a span of a few months. Just to compare, I pulled the instruction/warning papers of some meds I keep at home, OTC painkiller (paracetamol) and an OTC antacid. Listed side effects of the antacid include rash, hives, facial swelling, anaphylactic shock, muscle weakness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Paracetamol lists changes in blood, decrease in white blood cells, anemia, skin itching and swelling, hives, headaches, stomach aches, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, liver malfunction and liver necrosis, fever, swallowing pains, urination problems, anaphylactic shock, blisters, kidney failure and skin peeling. A prescription skin cream I have lists lymphoma and herpes-induced eye infections, to name some highlights.

    I think this whole side effect discussion (while important for informed consent) is a result of this mass treatment, anti-vaxxing environment, and the problems that occurred with the swine flu vaccine and people freaking out about another quickly developed vaccine.

    I think the main difference is that most drugs are treating an illness or condition, so for the individual receiving the treatment there is a risk vs. benefit scenario of the drug vs the illness.
    With vaccines you are exposing healthy people who potentially may never get Covid, so the risk vs. benefit becomes a little more tricky to calculate. Tell a healthy person to take a drug that has "XYZ" side effect just in case they get sick (especially if they are young and unlikely to die from covid) and it might give them pause.
    Of course this is on an individual level - from a public health perspective even if a certain number of people react the benefits of course outweigh the risks on a population level.

    You absolutely have a point. The public health perspective is a no-brainer: according to what Kimny posted on the previous page, the risk of blood clot disorder from the A-Z vaccine seems to be about 1 in 6 million. Finland has about 5,5 million people, so close enough to compare. As of today we have 264 patients hospitalized due to covid, out of which 52 are in intensive care. So, if every single person in Finland was given the A-Z shot, statistically one citizen would get a blood clot disorder and that’s not infectious. 1 treatable blood clot disorder throughout the entire vaccination period vs. 52 intensive care patients with an infectious disease that keeps spreading through the population seems like a no-brainer from a public health perspective.

    Whenever someone says ”young and unlikely to die from covid” I think about my young and previously healthy friend who has long covid that caused neurological issues that still linger more than a year after she got sick, and whose healthy middle-aged (late 50s, apparently) uncle died from covid. Then I think about my friend’s prematurely born 3-year-old who would most likely die if she got covid, and the fact that her young and healthy parents and their young and healthy colleagues, friends, grocery cashiers etc. getting vaccinated could save her life because it makes them that much more unlikely to be asymptomatic carriers that could give the virus to her parents who could give it to them. Then I think of myself and my little fetus who will likely die if I get covid, and pregnant women are currently disqualified from vaccination so the only way for me to stay safe is intense social distancing, masks, and relying on the young and healthy population around me getting the vaccine to stop the virus from spreading. Since we’re currently still vaccinating risk groups and the 65+ age group, it’s going to take a long time for my 20s-30s friend circle to get vaccinated.

    Yep for sure young and healthy doesn’t necessarily protect from covid death and severe illness, just makes it much less likely.
    And idk about the 1 in 6 million the figures I read was 1 in 25000 or 1 in 100000, depending on the source. Still rare but not quite as rare.
    At any rate they are looking into it more now so I’m sure more information will come out soon on the risk numbers, as well as the treatment for anyone who does react.
    The other issue is that it isn’t the only vaccine available - so if there is a safer one then I wouldn’t blame someone who wanted to wait a little longer to get that one.
  • hipari
    hipari Posts: 1,367 Member
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    33gail33 wrote: »
    The other issue is that it isn’t the only vaccine available - so if there is a safer one then I wouldn’t blame someone who wanted to wait a little longer to get that one.

    You have a point there. Finland resumed vaccinating with A-Z, but only on people older than 65 since the blood clot issue was only found on younger population. Seems like a fair deal since we’re mostly vaccinating older people anyway, they can get the safe-for-them A-Z and younger risk groups are currently getting Pfizer. All the vaccine scheduling information I’ve seen has been very clear on the fact that you do not get to choose which vaccine you get.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,995 Member
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    The other issue is that it isn’t the only vaccine available - so if there is a safer one then I wouldn’t blame someone who wanted to wait a little longer to get that one.

    Not the case everywhere.

    In Australia there are only 2 brands - Pfizer and AZ..

    Pfizer is only available through hospital hubs for people in phase1a criteria - residents and staff of aged care and disability homes, front line health workers, quarantine hotel and airport workers

    Everyone else will be getting AZ - currently on phase1b- people over 70, aboriginal people over 55, other health workers, people with specific high risk medical conditions.
  • 33gail33
    33gail33 Posts: 1,155 Member
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    The other issue is that it isn’t the only vaccine available - so if there is a safer one then I wouldn’t blame someone who wanted to wait a little longer to get that one.

    Not the case everywhere.

    In Australia there are only 2 brands - Pfizer and AZ..

    Pfizer is only available through hospital hubs for people in phase1a criteria - residents and staff of aged care and disability homes, front line health workers, quarantine hotel and airport workers

    Everyone else will be getting AZ - currently on phase1b- people over 70, aboriginal people over 55, other health workers, people with specific high risk medical conditions.

    Just because Australia is choosing not to use them doesn’t mean they are not available. There are other vaccines available for purchase/use was my point.
    I’m pretty sure if the AZ vaccine was no longer available for use the Australian government would source one of the other ones.