Do you have any concerns about the coronavirus vaccine?

Tori_Scope

I'm sure many of you have heard by now that there are a few different coronavirus vaccine trials going on at the moment. You can read more about them on this BBC webpage.

Although many are celebrating the news of promising trials, others may also have some concerns. 

We're really interested in hearing your views, so we'd like to know:

• What was your initial reaction to the news about potential coronavirus vaccines, such as those by Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca?
• Do you have any worries or concerns about getting a vaccine against coronavirus?
• Do you think there'd be any barriers to you getting a coronavirus vaccine?
• Who do you think should be prioritised when the vaccine becomes available? 

@Hannah_Dobbin

Ami2301

I'm disappointed after reading the article, it appears that disabled people are, yet again, forgotten about. There is no mention of whether the vaccine(s) are safe for those with disabilities, types of conditions, rare diseases, etc. I also don't agree with that age plays a big factor, because COVID has taken many lives of all ages, not just the elderly.

I'm not getting my hopes up from the results.

janer1967

I am excited about a vaccine its the only way to control this virus but IU do have a few concerns

How long will it give you immunity for ? As the virus hasnt been around for that long I cant see how this can have been tested 

Will it be like the flu jab can be and give you symptoms of the virus which could have drastic consequences 

I would have the vaccine personally as long as it doesnt have any adverse effects on my current health issues

As for priority I think those identified as being at risk from dying from the virus should be the priority regardless of age, or disability eg elderly obese, ethnic, diabetic, and so on

All GPs should be sent a supply for them to prioritise their own patients. After all they are still not doing face to face appointments in lots of places which is something I disagree with. All other people if they cant work from home are going into work, all our teachers are expected to work and our children go to school yet the GP are not seeing patients.

I agree with telephone consultations where they are all that is required but feel people are going to A&E rather than the GP knowing they will see a doctor, but this is just clogging up our over stretched hospitals

Sorry I have gone a bit off topic here

cat6873

My brother is mentally disabled because of a vaccine and, for this reason, I won't be queuing for it.
I know I sound selfish but I saw first hand what my mother went through with zero assistance from the state, my brother got his disability pension long after our parents died and it was a very long battle.
I've been locked indoors since March, like many others, and, so far, I have managed not to get this virus and I don't care how weak is the virus inside the vaccine - seriously???? - thanks but no thanks!
And I'm not even going into why they want to give it to the over 80s first...
Sorry for the rant

Tori_Scope

Disabled people are unfortunately often left out of these discussions @Ami2301, but hopefully this is something that will be considered. 

Of course people of all ages have unfortunately lost their lives, but there is evidence to suggest that coronavirus is more dangerous for older people (and of course people with long-term health conditions and so on). The majority of deaths involving COVID-19 have been among people aged 65 years and over (54,698 out of 61,136) (Office for National Statistics). 

Tori_Scope

Lots of good question there @janer1967. I've read a few articles that have raised the question of how long the vaccine might give people immunity for. I've seen a few things saying that we'll probably have to have multiple vaccines, but I suppose we'll just have to wait and see. The vaccines are still in the reasonably early stages of development, so hopefully we'll get some more answers as time goes on. 

chiarieds

If I had a choice, I'd rather go with the Oxford vaccine, as this has been developed from a common cold in chimpanzees, rather than Pfizer using part of the actual Corona virus' genetic code....so unlike the flu jab, you shouldn't get any symptoms, & it should be safe for all, hoping it's effective rate may later be found to be higher, which is suggested in the elderly (who are most susceptible to the virus).

I also appreciate @cat6873 's comment. My daughter rang me last week, as she'd received a text from her GP's surgery that their records showed she'd never had the MMR (measles, mumps & rubella) vaccine. My daughter thought this likely incorrect. Our decision however, had been based on the fact that when working in a hospital, I had been asked to see a little 5 year old girl, whom I'll not forget, as she happened to have the same first name as myself. She had sadly been brain-damaged following a MMR vaccination, so our eldest daughter hasn't had this because I saw one of the few who had had a severe adverse effect, which then had a profound effect upon me. I know this can be a controversial issue, but her medical records showed this vaccine had definitely caused brain damage in a previously 'normal' little girl.

As such a vaccination as MMR also contains weakened forms of these viruses, I would perhaps say again that anyone with concerns about a potential vaccination against this Corona virus, might be more assured if they were able to get the Oxford vaccine in the future.

The Oxford vaccine also doesn't have to be kept at such low temperatures, so easier to send to GP's surgeries, or wherever else it may be administered from here in the UK. This might also potentially help people in some other countries who may live in remote areas, where it would be logistically very difficult/impossible to keep a vaccine at such very low temperatures as Pfizer's.

OverlyAnxious

I'm really worried about it tbh.  I have a severe phobia of needles and any sort of illness or injury.

Even if I could force myself to have the jab, I couldn't cope with any side effects afterwards.  Last jab I had to have caused me to pass out and injure myself a few minutes later which obviously didn't help the fear!

Of course, I'm also very anxious about catching the virus, but hope staying away from people keeps my risk level very low.

I'm just hoping there will be a big enough uptake of the vaccines to mean that those of us that can't have them for whatever reason are eventually safe enough to start doing things again.

Sandy_123

No sorry, I've spent all these months trying to avoid the so called virus, so I'm definitely not having it injected into me. I'm high risk because I born with dodgy lungs. I'm not risking it.
Plus I don't have much faith in scientists and government after watching how they've handled things.
Also it's been developed too quick usually these things take years and as we've seen in the past, some medications that have took years to developed have had drastic side effects, like the babies that were born with out limbs through a so called sickness tablet. 
So I'm opting out personally.

Cress

Dont have any concerns about the vaccine for myself but haven't been able to find any info on if my son should have it.
He was advised against having certain vaccines when a baby because of brain malformation and epilepsy.
So far, all I can find out on the covid vaccine is they're advising against giving it to pregnant women.

Tori_Scope

Hi all! Thank you for continuing to share your thoughts and concerns. It's really useful for us to know what you're all thinking about the latest developments so that we can best represent disabled people in our campaigns and other work.

I just wanted to share a BBC video I saw, where a few common questions about the vaccine are answered by an expert from King's College. Closed captions are available on the video.

I also wanted to share with you a copy of the letter our Chair, Robin Millar, wrote to Matt Hancock. The letter asks for two key things:

1. For disabled people to be prioritised in the roll-out of any coronavirus vaccine
2. For improved access to non-Covid-19 health screening and treatment for disabled people
   

alex72

i dont have a problem  with getting the vaccine by my thinking when it comes to me getting it thousands of people will have had it so  i will know if it's really safe. i am nearly 70 years old and i have heart problems, vertigo, and peripheral arterial disease { blocked arteries } and something i heard on the news that some blood thinners may help protect from the virus i don't know if that is true or not. i don't walk very well but i do have to have a walk every day or i will seize up or lose my mobility. i will never let this virus rule my life if i did i would give up and i do follow the rules but i will not be locked up ever because i am a widower i have no one to worry about but myself life has to go on and to hell with the virus. excuse my language 

Tori_Scope

Thank you for sharing @alex72 In terms of the blood thinners point, it seems that there is some evidence to show that blood thinners can improve survival rates in those hospitalised whilst seriously ill with coronavirus, but that the studies haven't been conclusive. You can read more on the Cochrane website.

COVID-19 typically affects the lungs and airways, however, in addition to respiratory problems, about 16% of people hospitalised with COVID-19 experience problems with their blood and blood vessels, leading to blood clots forming in the arteries, veins and lungs. 

Nearly half of all people with severe COVID-19, in intensive care units, may develop clots in their veins or arteries.

alex72

thankyou for that Tori what makes me wonder about thinners is i normally after every winter i really get bad colds and within a couple of weeks it goes as quick as it came. this year it taken a month or so to go and i never expierienced it being so long lasting  so i just wonder if i caught the virus i did have problems with breathing and feeling really tired and maybe me being on thinners helped if it was the virus.

Tori_Scope

I'm not sure @alex72! I don't think they seem to have done enough research into it to say for sure.

I'm glad you're okay now at least  

alex72

yes i know they shouldnt really say things like that until they do. yep so far i am thankyou. 

chiarieds

Hi @alex72 - it's really difficult, as Covid-19 is a new virus, altho it's somewhat like some that are already known. There's just not enough evidence with Covid-19 (yet) to show that a person on blood thinners would necessarily benefit, rather than someone not taking these. More trials need to be done where everyone standardizes their results (so they're comparable), & not enough studies have been done so far.

I wish we knew more, but hopefully we will, with more time.

Great to hear you're doing OK, & that's the main thing; stay safe.

alex72

hi CHIARIEDS thankyou for that i'm afraid it will be awhile before we know, that is true but life has to go on i know its difficult we just have to deal with it in our own way i refuse to be a prisoner in my own home  but thats how i deal with it. you stay safe too

charlie79

Did you know all the pharmaceutical companies who are supplying the vaccine have done a legal form where they cannot be held accountable for any side effects or law suits in the future. That's a big concern and not enough research.

Tori_Scope

Do you have a source for that @charlie79? I'd be interested in reading more about it. I've only been able to do a quick search, but I found a little bit of information in this article from The Independent: 

The UK government has granted pharmaceutical giant Pfizer a legal indemnity protecting it from being sued, enabling its coronavirus vaccine to be rolled out across the country as early as next week.

The Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed the company has been given an indemnity protecting it from legal action as a result of any problems with the vaccine.

Ministers have also changed the law in recent weeks to give new protections to companies such as Pfizer, giving them immunity from being sued by patients in the event of any complications.

NHS staff providing the vaccine, as well as manufacturers of the drug, are also protected.

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on Tuesday under regulation 174 of the Human Medicine Regulations 2012 which allows an unlicensed medication to be used in an emergency such as a pandemic.

It also has the effect of granting civil immunity to Pfizer after the government changed the regulations following a short three-week consultation in September.

The chief executive of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), speaking at a separate briefing on Wednesday, said “no corners had been cut” in the safety analysis of the vaccine.

June Raine said: “This recommendation has only been given by the MHRA, following the most rigorous scientific assessment of every piece of data, so that it meets the required strict standards of safety of effectiveness and of quality."

The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed an indemnity was in place for Pfizer and added that the government would be adding the coronavirus vaccine to the list of vaccinations covered by the Vaccine Damages Payments Act.

This pays out a one-off £120,000 payment to people who are permanently disabled or harmed as a result of a listed vaccination.