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Dr Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health and Professor Karina Butler, Chair of National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

Q&A: Why Ireland changed its guidelines for the AstraZeneca vaccine - and how it'll affect the rollout

The HSE is going to consider over the next few days how this affects the vaccine rollout.

SENIOR HEALTH OFFICIALS answered questions last night about the implications of new advice on the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine would have on Ireland’s vaccine strategy and the lifting of Covid restrictions.

NIAC has recommended that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine be given only to people aged over 60 after reports of rare blood clotting events emerged.

Those rare blood clotting events occur in 4-10 cases in every million AZ vaccine doses administered, in which one person may die.

The HSE has cancelled AstraZeneca vaccine appointments due from today onwards, and is to consider how the announcement will affect the vaccine rollout over the coming days.

Here’s what we know so far.

The risk of blood clots versus the risk of Covid

20210412_201551 A graph comparing death (red) and ICU admission (blue) from Covid with the rare clotting side effect (yellow) from the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Gráinne Ní Aodha Gráinne Ní Aodha

Outlining the decision to limit the use of the vaccine to over 60s only, NIAC chair Professor Karina Butler said last night that someone aged 60-64 was 85 times more likely to die of Covid-19 than to have any clotting event from the vaccine – that includes all clotting events reported, and not just the rare thrombosis.

People aged 55-59 are 48 times more likely to die of Covid-19 than get a blood clot.

Among the 20-30 age group, the risk of dying from Covid was twice as likely, than to develop any clotting event related to the AstraZeneca vaccine, with the latter as a worst-case scenario.

Butler added that these figures only covered the most extreme possible result of contracting Covid-19, death, and didn’t take into account the “burdens” of Covid: the likelihood of getting hospitalised or being admitted to ICU with Covid, or the long-term effects of Covid-19, also known as long Covid.

The overall risk is taken from the EU regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the UK regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The Covid risk figures are taken from the Irish data on Covid-19. 

Dr Niamh O’Connell also pointed out that of Covid-19 patients who are hospitalised, 8% experience clotting, and 27% of those who go into ICU could get a clot – though it was stressed that these were different clots to the rare ones linked to the AZ vaccine.

So can only 60-69-year-old get the AstraZeneca vaccine now?

No. The AstraZeneca vaccine was approved for use for the whole population before being limited to only under 70s over concerns about clinical trials not having enough data of the vaccine in over 65s.

However, those reports were subsequently reviewed and AstraZeneca was rolled out to over 70s again.

Professor Karina Butler said that on an operational basis, people aged over 70 have continued to receive mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna), and that yesterday’s announcement did not change that approach.

So, since that announcement, AstraZeneca is approved for “routine use” in people aged 60 and over.

The HSE is to decide whether over 70s will continue to receive the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines as the default, or whether there will be a reallocation of vaccines.

Why is the limit of the AstraZeneca jab to over 30s in the UK, but over 60s here in Ireland?

Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn stressed that although they are recommending the AstraZeneca vaccine for use over 60s, they could have put the limit at a lower age.

It was due to an abundance of caution that it wasn’t, he said.

He and Dr Lorraine Nolan of the HPRA pointed out that the AstraZeneca vaccine is still effective at stopping a significant proportion of the population from dying of Covid-19.

The reason the advice is changing, they added, is because they are in the “lucky” position of having other effective Covid-19 vaccines to choose from.

Can I choose what vaccine I get?

No.

There is no picking and choosing what vaccine you want, Professor Butler said.

For the age cohort specifically aged above 60, if you get offered an AstraZeneca vaccine, the advice is to accept that vaccine.

Speaking about how people should take what vaccine they’re offered, Dr Ronan Glynn said:

“If someone aged 65 is thinking of taking this vaccine if its offered to them in the coming weeks, versus waiting for the summer when there’s a surplus of other vaccines, I would highly, strongly recommend that they take what they are being offered now.”
“What’s being offered is a very safe, very effective vaccine for their age cohort. The risks of them catching Covid-19… and ending up dying of that disease are far, far, far higher than any potential risk on receipt of one of these vaccines.”

Can I still get the AstraZeneca vaccine if I’m under 60?

From today, all AstraZeneca vaccinations are paused, while the HSE comes up with an operational plan based on the new advice.

Professor Karina Butler said that she can’t speak for the programme on whether it would be “practical”, but said that NIAC’s recommendation is that the AstraZeneca vaccine can be given to those aged under 60 if they are made aware of the risks and an individual assessment is made for that person’s situation.

Why the delay between first and second doses for some people who have had the first AZ dose?

Health officials said that people under the age of 60 and with no conditions should be confident that the vaccine is safe and effective.

The reasoning for the delay between first and second doses being extended from 12 weeks to 16, was to reassure people as much as possible that the vaccine is safe.

Over 800,000 people in the UK have received a second AstraZeneca dose without any evidence of adverse events, Professor Butler said.

Germany and France have also begun to give mRNA vaccines as second doses to people who received their first AstraZeneca dose, and NIAC is monitoring how effective that approach will be, “so we will have more certainty” around that.

Are women under 60 more at risk?

Although initial studies suggested that it was mostly women under the age of 60 who experienced adverse blood clotting after receiving the vaccine, NIAC chair Professor Karina Butler said that this could be because it has been primarily given to healthcare workers, who are women aged under 60.

She noted that in the UK, the 79 rare blood clotting incidents of 30 million AstraZeneca doses administered were among men and women more evenly.

I’ve recently had the AstraZeneca vaccine – what should I do?

Dr Niamh O’Connell outlined the symptoms that people should keep a look out for – but added that these mightn’t necessarily be symptoms of a blood clot either:

The symptoms are: a persistent or severe headache, particularly if it is accompanied by a weakness in your leg or blurred vision. Other symptoms to watch out for are shortness of breath or a pain in your chest or tummy, or ‘pin-prick’ bruising.

Dr Ronan Glynn added that these rare blood clotting events tend to appear between four days and up to two weeks after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.

So there is no reason for the vast majority of those who have received AstraZeneca to worry – as they are past this time frame.

For those who are still within that time frame, it’s worth remembering that the incidence of these rare blood clotting events is extremely low: it’s 4-10 cases per 1 million doses administered, one of whom may die.

Have there been cases in Ireland?

The HPRA is still only aware of one suspected case of a rare blood clotting event – but it hasn’t been confirmed as an adverse event as a result of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Dr Lorraine Nolan confirmed there was still one ‘case of special interest’, but didn’t confirm the details of the person’s condition, due to patient and data privacy reasons.

She did, however, say that as of now, there has been no reported incident of adverse events of low platelets and a clotting event together, which is the rare clotting incident associated with the Covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccine.

Dr Nolan also pointed out that European regulators were the first to become aware of this blood clotting event, and that when they began distributing the vaccine out to the population, they were “open” to the possibility of rare adverse events.

Dr Nolan said that Ireland’s population is so small that a rare event like this may not be spotted unless they looked at data abroad, as was done in this case with European and global data.

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Apr 13th 2021, 1:04 AM

    To many chefs in the kitchen with this government iam afraid.

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    Mute T Dawg
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    Apr 13th 2021, 6:36 AM

    @Paul Gorry: Too, I’m

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    Mute Dog Eat Fog
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    Apr 13th 2021, 6:41 AM

    @Paul Gorry:

    Not so sure about chefs. Rather – these are our monkeys and this is our circus. The clownery of this government is mind boggling and quite horrific.

    It would seem to me the intent is not to protect the country, its economy and citizens but rather to destroy it in one outdrawn slow motion car crash, unwittingly or not.

    The level of incompetence and ineptitude demonstrated through decisions or lack thereof by this government, every day, is frankly quite terrifying.

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    Mute NotMyIreland
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    Apr 13th 2021, 6:48 AM

    @Paul Gorry: Too many kitchen porters playing Chef…….that is more like it!

    62
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    Mute Neil Neart
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:06 AM

    @Paul Gorry: Publish the names and CV of everyone involved and all decision making info. Good governance means no anonymity and full accountability.

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    Mute Séamus Heffernan
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:34 AM

    @Neil Neart: I’m not really interested in any of their hobbies and interests to be honest. And considering other countries have also recommended its use be limited for the moment, I’m not really interested in your opinion either.

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    Mute Shay Redmond.
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    Apr 13th 2021, 9:05 AM

    @T Dawg: I got what he meant, as I’m sure most of us did. But thanks for the irrelevant comment anyway.

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    Mute Derdaly
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    Apr 13th 2021, 10:19 AM

    @Séamus Heffernan: no two countries using the same restrictions. Over 55, 56, 30 and Ireland goes with 60. EMA says risk outweigh damage of Covid but we decide to go our own way. Won’t go our own way on vaccine approval though. Who is following the science?
    Gets the HSE iff the hook, again, for hitting a big vaccine target in April.
    Don’t be surprised when this is suddenly lifted in a month or six weeks.

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    Mute Sonic
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    Apr 13th 2021, 12:55 AM

    On balance I though Ireland was doing a good job dealing with this pandemic. Never going to please everyone. But this is the single worst decision made since FF went into Gov’t with FG. I am stunned that a medical board like NIAC would make this call. This looks more like a political decision. It seriously undermines the vaccine trust and will ultimately have a human cost.

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    Mute Tarraing Mo Liathróidí
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    Apr 13th 2021, 7:54 AM

    @Sonic: let’s be honest the people of Ireland have done way above and beyond what could be asked to fight covid, people sacrificed a lot the last 13 months to get us to where we needed to be to reopen and get those that needed vaccinated….the problem is we have a set of complete and utter vegetables and rotting cabbages called a coalition government who yes did well when covid hit, but since they rolled over in October to appease NPHET via level 5, then tried appeasing the public by having a free for all at Xmas, it’s been nothing but blunder and PR disasters. Not to mention seemingly handing all responsibility for the countries future to NPHET and seems to have washed their hands of all responsibility

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    Mute yell cub
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    Apr 13th 2021, 10:54 AM

    @Tarraing Mo Liathróidí: What would you do then, noting that any clown can be wise in hindsight?

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    Mute Tarraing Mo Liathróidí
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    Apr 13th 2021, 11:13 AM

    @yell cub: Well for a start I’d own up to my many mistakes, I certainly wouldn’t have handed my ball’s over to Tony and Co after Christmas and effectively go into hiding until a good news story and PR opportunity appeared. I mean let’s be honest we all laughed at Doris and the tory lot over brexit, but credit where its due they got stuff done, set targets, got people behind it and now they are ploughing ahead. Meanwhile we are on the covid roundabout going nowhere fast and ready to puke cos we can’t take it much longer…oh and believe me even in hindsight these lot won’t admit they are wrong and neither will NPHET even if the country socially and economically burns down round them while they have covid tunnel vision

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Apr 13th 2021, 1:25 AM

    The risk of dying in a car crash are far far higher than getting a clot from a vaccine, yet we all get in cars without a thought. Most medications have risk. You can die of food poisoning. This over abundance of caution is just plain woolly thinking and wrong

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    Mute NotMyIreland
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    Apr 13th 2021, 7:04 AM

    @Dave Harris: the risks of a blood clot from flying are 3,000 times greater, but I don’t see calls to stop people flying. The risk from using the contraceptive pill over a ten year period is 2000 times higher.

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    Mute Sam Harms
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:07 AM

    @NotMyIreland: the risks of clotting from covid are also greater. A friend of mine is an ICU nurse and none of her colleagues have had clotting issues from the vaccine yet the majority of their covid patients did.

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    Mute JedBartlett
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    Apr 13th 2021, 6:40 AM

    Lots of AZ has been ordered so why not let those under 60 decide for themselves if they want to take the risk with it. Offer it out, the uptake would be huge regardless I’d imagine.
    This is either an emergency or it’s not. Withholding vaccines for a large majority when the risk is 1 in a million doesn’t strike me as responding actively to an emergency situation, it strikes me as prolonging an emergency situation.

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    Mute Sean Dalton
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:07 AM

    @JedBartlett: exactly what i was going to say, give people the choice to take it or not.

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    Mute Brendan McCarron
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:23 AM

    @JedBartlett: Yep. I’ve said for a long time that there needs to be a committee advising Gov in public sentiment and opinion through all of this. They’ve sat at the table with NPHET for over a year but have largely ignored the will of the public.

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    Mute Alan Richard Scott Jr.
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    Apr 13th 2021, 12:40 AM

    My sister who has special needs was ment to get her jab tomorrow and she was really excited for it. THEN it was cancelled because of this. Seriously they are messing with people’s heads. I understand the risks involved but come on like.

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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    Apr 14th 2021, 4:22 PM

    @Alan Richard Scott Jr.: my sister has special needs as well and she got the first one of these about three weeks ago, so its a bit of a disaster..i actually thought she would be allowed to visit in a month or so but now everything is shot to s***

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    Mute Hugh Morris
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    Apr 13th 2021, 12:38 AM

    4 cases in a million, what’s the problem? From what I gather the other vaccines have similar issues

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    Mute Rochelle
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    Apr 13th 2021, 1:19 AM

    @Hugh Morris: Sacrifice the 0.1% so we can get pubs open? Not for me, sorry.

    Ireland has done really well here in making sure we all get the safest possible vaccine whenever it’s available.

    The easy thing would be to do like the UK and vaccinate with whatever is available soonest but I don’t think that strategy will age well.

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    Mute Pedro
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    Apr 13th 2021, 1:31 AM

    @Rochelle: The 0.1%? Maths ain’t your strong point I see

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    Mute Fandandi
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    Apr 13th 2021, 1:55 AM

    @Rochelle: How many people are you sacrificing by not getting people vaccinated? Far more people than the blood clot side effect of you read the above. Also, every vaccine ever created has risks and that isn’t going to change anytime soon so choose your poison. Then weigh up the risks against covid.

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    Mute talksense
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    Apr 13th 2021, 7:14 AM

    @Rochelle: 0.000004/0.000010 in a million is the real percentage

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    Mute Paul Whitehead
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    Apr 13th 2021, 7:41 AM

    @Pedro: You need to review your percentages. Stand in the corner!!!!

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    Mute Parked
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:13 AM

    0.1% is the Covid death rate. Embarrassing

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    Mute Lesidees
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    Apr 13th 2021, 11:55 AM

    @Parked: except it isn’t. One in 50 of those who catch covid die from it

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    Mute Fergal McDonagh
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    Apr 13th 2021, 1:56 PM

    @Rochelle: try 0.0004% and that’s a maybe.
    This scaremongering will lead to several people refusing to get vaccinated.
    Utter incompetence from NPHET,NIAC and government.

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    Mute Pádraigín O'Sirideáin
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    Apr 13th 2021, 2:13 AM

    Hmmm why dont I believe or trust what the Gov say anymore….

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    Mute Joe Healy
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    Apr 13th 2021, 1:42 AM

    Just to put it into context. According to this article the risk of death is literally one in a million.

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    Mute Billy Big Baws
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    Apr 13th 2021, 1:43 AM

    “The rare blood clotting events occur in 4-10 cases in every million AZ vaccine doses administered, of which ONE person MAY die”…..a bit of cop on is needed here by the government and those in charge…last thing we need is to go backwards.

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    Mute Gary Egan
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    Apr 13th 2021, 6:39 AM

    I got my first dose 2 weeks ago, if I could getbthe second right now I’d jump at the chance. A lot of scare mongering going on for some reason €€€€€

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Apr 13th 2021, 7:42 AM

    So making people wait 16 weeks between 1st and 2nd doses is supposed to make them more confident the vaccine is safe? Are they for real?

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    Mute Laura Walsh
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    Apr 13th 2021, 11:55 AM

    @Dave Harris: yep, surely they can’t just pull that one out of nowhere, they need to present research to back up that decision. The efficacy trials show antibodies from first dose for at least 3 months but there is too little research beyond that. Extending to 16 weeks could mess with the efficacy of the vaccine. Saying that it’s to “reassure” people isn’t good enough, we want solid research and facts please.

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    Mute Denise
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    Apr 13th 2021, 1:12 AM

    Oh so now another 12 months of a lockdown ,meanwhile every other country is opening up while the Irish stay behind , no wonder worldwide we are known for being s.t.u.p.i.d. or I.d.i.o.t.s

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Apr 13th 2021, 1:36 AM

    @Denise: leprechaun aside denise what you on about?

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    Mute Cat Reid
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    Apr 13th 2021, 1:52 AM

    @Denise: speak for yourself

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    Mute Teresa O'Halloran
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    Apr 13th 2021, 2:10 AM

    @Denise: speak for yourself, because you certainly don’t speak for me, with your insulting comments.

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    Mute DERRY1973
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    Apr 13th 2021, 6:37 AM

    @Denise: you haven’t travelled far around the world have you.

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    Mute Helen Ryan
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    Apr 13th 2021, 7:02 AM

    I have decided I’m not taking AZ. I don’t trust we’re being told all. I’ll wait!

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    Mute Ken Healy
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    Apr 13th 2021, 7:42 AM

    @Helen Ryan: You’d be right Helen, you’re not being told everything. Reason being is they have no idea themselves. 1 young life in a million, well who cares. Protect the lives of the elderly with underlining issues , let’s not care about that either.

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:57 AM

    @Ken Healy: Everything has risks – and there are many many things we do everyday, or medication we take which has far more risk yet we still do them without a thought.
    Get some perspective

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    Mute Brían Ó Tuathail
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:24 AM

    30/03 – Taoiseach tells us that some restrictions will ease on 12/04 promising better days ahead. The Government decides to change it’s vaccine roll out strategy. The Tanaiste promises we will be surprised.
    08/04 – the Government celebrates the administering of the millionth vaccine.
    12/04 is a lovely bright day and Irish people are hopeful. But no, the Government realise they have made mistakes and that the Irish people can’t be allowed to have hope. They get NIAC to throw in their grenade. Then Dr.Doom of NPHET says if the restrictions ease too quickly, there will be a 4th wave. And the Tanaiste says too many people are returning to the workplace.
    In 2 quick weeks the Irish Government has done what it does best…..make a complete mess of things.

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    Mute trebloc01
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:01 AM

    So they have found another solution to the pension problem. God help the 60-70 yrs old as one cares what happens to them

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    Mute Louise Tracey
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    Apr 13th 2021, 7:23 AM

    I wish when they make these announcements they also come out with the alternative plan. So who are they now going to order replacement vaccines from? When will these replacement vaccines be available?

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    Mute Tarraing Mo Liathróidí
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:20 AM

    @Louise Tracey: there is no plan b, they have stocks of AZ and small supplies of others, they are hoping we get more supplies of other vaccines that aren’t AZ but they don’t know when….which must be a great comfort to the elderly and vulnerable needing their first doses still

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    Mute Helen Kavanagh
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    Apr 13th 2021, 7:49 AM

    The HSE must be delighted it passed around the vaccine portal details to colleagues, friends and family before this latest round of ‘an abundance of caution’. If we were all to stop taking medication due to the possibility of very rare side effects, half the country would drop dead!

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    Mute Damon Johnson
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    Apr 13th 2021, 7:45 AM

    I’m 42,I’ll take it…more chance of getting a clot from the contraceptive pill!. Madness…They seem to want to keep us in lockdown!!

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    Mute trebloc01
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:10 AM

    These people who are recommending the Astra for the 60-70 year olds are the same people who failed the cancer testing

    Confidence?

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    Mute Sal Paradise
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    Apr 13th 2021, 7:28 AM

    Let people sign a waiver. I’ll take it. I don’t even consider our a risk.

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    Mute Watchful Axe
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    Apr 13th 2021, 1:24 AM

    I think it would be no harm to focus vaccines on hotspots in the cities once all the seriously at-risk people are done and move out from there. For a short period at least to see if the total domestic figures can be squeezed down to almost nothing. A bit of military strategy might be no harm instead of this politically correct faffing about from cowardly politicians.

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    Mute Sam Harms
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:05 AM

    @Watchful Axe: the people in the hotspots are probably the ones who don’t believe in covid and don’t want the vaccine.

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    Mute Tarraing Mo Liathróidí
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:11 AM

    @Watchful Axe: the problem is with all the bad pr round vaccines now it maybe hard to convince some to take it, France and Germany have massive issues where they have supplies of AZ that the people refuse to take and unlike here those countries populations won’t rollover for 12 months anything close to level 5, so European countries have big problems going forward and along with pushing digital or vaccine passports at a local level, opposition to vaccines could grow even more….its all up in the air

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    Mute Lesidees
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    Apr 13th 2021, 11:57 AM

    @Tarraing Mo Liathróidí: don’t know about Germany, but it’s not the case in France – pharmacies have waiting lists of over a million people waiting for the AZ vaccine

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    Mute Alex Bailey
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    Apr 13th 2021, 7:56 AM

    About the clotting ussue: the HSE hasn’t issued one media notice about how people (especially older people who can’t get around so easily) should avoid getting clots while homebound for over a year. Does anyone really think it’s going to be worried about the danger of killing people from clotting with a vaccine.?

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    Mute Tarraing Mo Liathróidí
    Favourite Tarraing Mo Liathróidí
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    Apr 13th 2021, 7:47 AM

    So I’m assuming this will push back the targets for vaccination number’s and since the cabbages in charge have basically tied us down to only reopening via vaccinations and when Glynn and Co at the church of NPHET decide we are worthy to be allowed a bit more freedom…..where does that leave us now. Because maybe the blind and cult member like support of those in charge of this absolute farce of a circus act maybe willing and are probably nice and financially comfortable to write off the summer now or pray we find all the supplies needed to make sure the AZ ones are replaced. But the notion we backing the vaccine horse at all to reopen given the mess made originally with supplies was always gonna be a dangerous PR game

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    Mute Hugo Bugo
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    Apr 13th 2021, 9:14 AM

    OMG, can everyone not see what a mess this has turned into, u have celebrity Dr Ronan telling people to accept the astrazeneca vaccine and have full confidence in it when the age cohort has been changed countless times in the last few months of who it is and isn’t safe for. The mess now is u will have everyone being offered a vaccine asking can they get a different one. It reminds me of D’unbelievables d’telly with willy in the sweet shop, can I have one of those and 2 of these, lol.

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    Mute Joeohah
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:13 AM

    Why would fit healthy people under 60 take a vaccine against Covid-19 and why would anyone want to take going into summer

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    Mute Kevin O'Hara
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    Apr 13th 2021, 9:39 AM

    Up to 15,000 appointments cancelled today, even though the EMA say the benefits far outway the risks. We are way behind on the roll out and Glynn is talking about an abundance of caution, all the while the opening up gets pushed back. I suppose if you are a HSE exec living in a massive house in Blackrock or in your bolt hole in Connemara, it doesnt have the same amount of urgency.

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    Mute catinthehat
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:09 AM

    Why close down all AstraZeneca clinics today? That just does not make sense to the over 60’s scheduled to receive them throughout today. Seriously ridiculous decision. Either they can give them to that age cohort or they can’t.

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    Mute James Mccartan
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:22 AM

    What a mess

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    Mute Gavin Courtney
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:53 AM

    Just another delay to get the country and people’s lives back on track

    How much longer can we sustain this from an economic and mental point of view ?

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    Mute Jack Inman
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:22 AM

    Seen less flip flopping in a haivaina store. Just give people the choice and let them decide. Utter incompetence.
    Ireland handled the initial outbreak relatively well compared to other nations including the UK but, I am afraid to say that since then it’s been utterly shambolic.
    No amount of politicising and trying to blame all and sundry is going to change that.

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    Mute Hugh Morris
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    Apr 13th 2021, 12:38 AM

    The juice is worth the squeeze

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    Mute Ríain HenC
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    Apr 13th 2021, 6:45 AM

    Jayysus I better not got this vaccine

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    Mute Leah Nic an tSaoir
    Favourite Leah Nic an tSaoir
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    Apr 13th 2021, 9:46 AM

    Can the government please start behaving like a group of people interested in taking care of the country. Every day my mind is more blown by their rapidly growing incompetence. We need these vaccines!! Please stop clutching at new straws on a daily basis as though you’re using a word of the day calendar. It’s like you’re running after shiny new objects every time something new appears elsewhere in the world. None of what this government makes any sense. Be coherent, consistent and get better results for all of us.
    The pandemic is stressful enough, but this government truly bring our collective anxiety and confusion to a whole new level.

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    Mute Daragh Hackett
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    Apr 13th 2021, 9:25 AM

    We’ll never reach our vaccination targets at this rate what other country has changed their plans so much

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    Mute Rhoda Cunningham
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:10 AM

    Headless chickens

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    Mute Niamh Brady
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:45 AM

    I don’t think they can accurately give the odds of getting a clot at the moment, the non first world countries probably wouldn’t look in to this, also aren’t they looking in to another issue with this vaccine “capillary leak syndrome “. I think there will be more to come and I for one am glad not to be getting it but if people under 60 want to get it they should set up an online register and let people register to take it.

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    Mute Brendan J O'Connor Jr
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    Apr 13th 2021, 9:16 AM

    I got mine yesterday.. I’m 44 .

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    Mute VeganIreland
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    Apr 13th 2021, 8:47 AM

    Long Covid me hole. Post viral fatigue. Everyone thats ever had a viral infection has it.

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    Mute Joe Thorpe
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    Apr 13th 2021, 12:36 PM

    Seems ridiculous to be stopping the use of a perfectly good vaccine, the J&J vaccine has been found to induce clots too with the US showing so far half a dozen or so from 4 & a half million doses, they all have side effects its just that the AZ vaccine has been delivered on a bigger scale where the side effects are reported.

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    Mute Dave Hammond
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    Apr 13th 2021, 1:50 PM

    @Joe Thorpe: true – the J+J vax and Astrazenica Vax are both similar type – they are unlike pfeizer morderna RNA based vax and so its actually almost identical in the tiny % of side effects – no surprise actually that both are being seen to perform so similarly – for me the bigger issue is the health authorities management and govt handing of all of this – as usual its all over the map. Such poor leadership and management IMO

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    Mute CmaGoo
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    Apr 13th 2021, 12:38 PM

    One on a million? OMG this is a farce of a decision. How much of a delay will this have on the vaccine rollout?
    To put it in prospective, if you took an AZ shot every single day it could take 2700 years to have a problem.
    Let the people decide, this government is too scared to be allowed makes decisions.

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    Mute Emma Green
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    Apr 13th 2021, 10:54 AM

    Wanna have hot-lovin’ conversations? You’re on the right way! Registration is completely free and takes 5 minutes, Ladies are already waiting for you))
    link —> re.chat/J4s6qrQ

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