My 19 years old son got vaccinated with the first shot of Astra Zeneca, and now in the light of new information I don't want to put my son at any risk.
Unfortunately, in Poland, he can't receive a second shot by Pfizer because they don't allow it and we don't have any choice even on my responsibility, I don't know what to do..
We have no choice...
we are only using Pfizer in nz at this stage ..
our neighbour ., The Australian government provided the following advice ....
“Advice for people who have had their first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine.....
Almost all of the cases of TTS reported to date have occurred after the first dose of the vaccine. People who have had their first dose without any serious side effects can be confident in getting their second dose.”
In contrast .....
“The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that any remaining unvaccinated adults in phases 1 and 2 of the programme who are aged 18 to 29 years old and do not have an underlying health condition that puts them at higher risk from serious COVID-19, should be offered an ALTERNATIVE vaccine, IF AVAILABLE , AND WHERE NO SUBSTANTIAL DELAY OR BARRIER TO VACCINATION WOULD ARISE .
As far as mixing vaccine platforms and efficacy of dosing .. this article provides some interesting information. ..
http://www.politico.eu/article/coronavirus-vaccine-travel-green-certificate/amp/
A couple of questions Nicole ..
How long ago did your son have his first dose ? How did he tolerate it ? Does he have any health concerns ?
If I have understood you correctly ., Poland is not offering an alternative vaccine .. the only option is AstraZeneca . Is that correct ?
Is your son exposed to active covid infections where you live?
Hello Blondey111,
It is a long story...
I send my great admiration, respect, and gratitude to all medical staff in the world for caring for us. They rescue our lives and they have beautiful hearts.
Unfortunately, the medical care here is on a very low level.
Now I am pretty sure I can't trust them here, it is so sad but I can tell this from my experiences which are connected with my son and me.
When I was pregnant, they made the first mistake, another when I was born my son, another when he was a baby and for all our lives were so many medical mistakes.
A short story about our vaccination.
First I consulted with a professor who knows my son from birth and me too. She told me that we should not be afraid to get a vaccination from Astra Zeneca. Of course, she knew about our contraindications.
I was waiting for the first shot and they didn't inform us about possibilities even at a time when the vaccines were. I called and I received the information that we have only one term on Astra Zeneca. On a day of vaccination, I received a call that they have a one-term on Pfizer but in the time when in a city where we live ( 200K citizens city ) now by all week we didn't have warm water.
( it is three times in spring and summertime by every year that for all week we don't have warm water because they build a road or pa pipes, doesn't matter pandemic time and the fact that people don't care about hygiene in this time ).
We don't have another term because they vaccination now children above 12 and we have to wait for the next few months, even if vaccines are wasting.
That's why I called this professor and ask her about medical advice considering our health condition and she told: "don't worry".
After the first shot, we still have muscle and joint pain. My son had only three times in his life a fever when he had a cold. Now he had a fever and he is still feeling bad and faint, he had another symptom too.
Now we only have to possibly receive a second shot by Astra Zeneca even if we both know that we have contraindications.
They don't agree to mixed vaccines and the same I have to resign for this second shot. This is insane for me that I can't decide for myself.
I have no choice, and I don't want to put my son and me in danger to life, especially when in Italy died a young 18 girl because of comorbidities after receiving Astra.
They have a Pfizer but no one can't agree to give us the second shot by Pfizer.
They know that people resign from the second shot of Astra but they don't care about it.
I have to wait now 84 days and I don't know what happens because after this time I should have a possibility to get a new shot from the first dose but I know that here it is impossible.
What important we don't have full protection because we don't have a chance to receive a second boost from Pfizer.
( what is curious they cut the term of the second shot in Astra Zeneca from 12 weeks to 35 days because they want to vaccine all people who received the first shot of Astra Zeneca no matter the age like my son. )
What important to, now they only vaccination by Astra Zeneca the people who got the first shot by Astra, and they stopped now give Astra from the first shot other people, other people got vaccinations on Pfizer and J&J.
Unfortunately, my son is exposed now to active SARS-COV-2 infections where we live.
All this situation is for me so sad and I was thinking why I have to fight for everything.
The original AstraZeneca clinical trial showed that the vaccine was more effective when the second dose was given at 12 weeks (84 days) rather than when it was given earlier . So do not worry about the delay . It will give you time to plan and feel confident about your next decision .
The symptoms you and your son experienced are “common”vaccine related symptoms that mean your immune system has been activated (that is good news) . . Symptoms will resolve , so do not let that deter you from having a second dose , if that is what you decide .
The first dose .. will elicit a cellular response involving Tcells ... so you will both have some immunity . ( I have a report detailing anticipated immunity after the first and second dose and will post a link later when I can access that report )... As your son is only 19 he should have a stronger immune response than you .
It is important to note that Oxford (AstraZeneca ) have recently halted a paediatric trial (6 to 17year olds ) pending a review by MHRA (Britain’s medication regulators ) . The outcome and recommendations of this review is expected shortly (before your next dose is due ) . No doubt any country using AstraZeneca will be interested in the outcome also. http://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/oxford-pauses-dosing-in-trial-of-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-in-children-teenagers-11617729303
Canadian health authorities /national advisory has released advice about vaccine mixing which you may be able to show your health provider. Here is the link ...
http://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1000256/ontario-updating-astrazeneca-second-dose-guidance
sorry ... I didn’t quite understand what you meant by resigning. Do you mean you are forced to have the vaccines as a condition of work ??
Hi Blondey111,
Thank you so much for your explanation.
I decide ( by resign I mean to reject a second dose ) to reject a second dose, not because of symptoms after the first shot but because of research which says that is a much higher possibility of elicit blood clots than they said earlier especially because my son and I, we both have a medical contraindication.
Almost all of Europe agree to got Pfizer as a second dose after the first dose of Astra Zeneca as a mixed vaccine but not in Poland. I don't agree to take a second dose of Astra because I don't want to put us in danger of life, it is a very high possibility that we both are at risk of complications related to blood clots. ( especially that now they hurry up and they cut the term of the second dose of Astra to 35 days what like you wrote reduce an effective it ).
I would like to take a second dose by Pfizer but it is impossible to mix vaccines here because of the decision of the Polish government.
No one here is not interested in research from scientists from all over the world, because of the decisions of the government.
I realize that it is very difficult to understand it but it is a standard of life here. If I will show them this Canadian scientist research or another it can't help because I tried to explain to them our problem and it doesn't work here like you are thinking.
People very often don't realize how it looks like life here. About health providers.. it doesn't exist here anymore. Health care in Poland is on a very, very low level. Family medicine doctors can't help me because they don't have a good enough knowledge of specialists like immunology and they direct me to specialists in immunology which I have to wait from a few months to a year. For all specialist appointments, I have always to wait from a few months to a year. I have to pay obligatory fees for health care all my life and I can't change it for private insurance. I can only pay for both what is very expensive. I have to pay these obligatory fees but I can't receive medical care from a specialist. If you have to wait it can be simple too late to help you.
( You pay for all your life obligatory fees and you can't choose that you would like to pay for it by private medical care.
The cost depends on our salary but if you earn the lowest salary which is now 545$ for a month, this fee it is about 220$ per month if you to earn more for example 950$ you have to pay about 410$ on these obligatory fees.
What important you pay it, for all life but if you are sick and if you need medical care you have to wait for a specialist and a medical examination for a year maybe longer.
Of course, you can pay extra if you would like to check this medical examination earlier.
If you call an ambulance they can't arrive... etc.. etc.. etc. )
That's why I am so sad that we can't receive a second dose by Pfizer even if we want.
Thank you so much for all your information, Blondey111. For me, it is very helpful.
