Pleas for people to keep accepting Covid-19 vaccinations in Newcastle

Tyneside public health officials have urged anyone who is offered the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine to take it, after claims some people have refused their dose at Newcastle’s Centre for Life.

It was announced this week that the under-30s will be offered an alternative to the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, following a review into possible links to extremely rare blood clots by UK medicine regulator the MHRA.

It was found that 79 people, 19 of whom died, experienced clots after receiving their first jab of the vaccine – though that is a tiny proportion of the more than 20 million doses of it given in the UK so far.

Newcastle councillor Wendy Taylor, a consultant at the Freeman Hospital, told a council meeting on Thursday that she had heard of people in the city refusing to take a second dose of the AstraZeneca jab due to the concerns.

At a meeting of the council’s health scrutiny committee, public health director Eugene Milne said that people were now more wary of the jab “to some extent”, but reiterated that the clotting issues are “really extraordinarily rare” – with approximately four people in a million affected.

Coun Taylor said: “It is an issue we need to take very seriously. I have certainly heard of people turning up at the Centre for Life and refusing their second vaccine because it is AstraZeneca. Perhaps some comparisons of risk might be useful, like getting into a car or taking a paracetamol tablet.

“It is one in a million at the most that could be a death from this. A lot of people are taking it completely out of proportion and even if it is a confirmed risk it is incredibly small.”

Caroline Docking, assistant chief executive of Newcastle Hospitals, said that she was not aware of any particular impact of hesitancy around the Oxford vaccine at the Centre for Life site, which was the North East’s first mass vaccination hub.

Prof Milne, who also announced that the Moderna vaccine is likely to be in use in the North East “in the next week or so”, added on Friday: “All Covid-19 vaccines, including the AstraZeneca jab, are safe, effective and have already started to save thousands of lives across the country.

“I would urge anyone who is invited for a vaccination to get their jab. They offer a remarkable level of protection and are an essential part of our gradual recovery from the pandemic. If you already received your first dose, including AstraZeneca doses, returning for your second appointment will boost your level of protection further and help to protect others.

“There is minimal risk associated with the AstraZeneca vaccination and the MHRA – the UK’s independent regulator – and JCVI have advised on alterations that will minimise this risk even further.

“When we reach the stage of vaccinating younger adults we will be able to offer a choice of vaccines. This is a ‘belt and braces’ approach to ensure maximum possible benefit and safety, though it is clear that when Covid rates are high, the AZ vaccine would be significantly beneficial in all adults.

“Our vaccination programme in Newcastle, built on the strength of our partnerships with health and social care colleagues, has moved at an incredible pace and we have already protected the majority of the most vulnerable people in the city. This includes providing more than 93% of adults aged over 50 with their first vaccination.”

Gateshead public health director Alice Wiseman reported that 30 people did not attend vaccination appointments at one site in the borough last Saturday – though it is not known whether that could be due to vaccine hesitancy, the impact of the bank holiday weekend, or any other factors.

She has also encouraged people to ask if they are unsure about any of the vaccines and said that “no question is a silly question”.

Ms Wiseman added: “The benefits outweigh the risks for the vast majority of people. Actually, the risk of having a blood clot as a result of having Covid is higher.”