There are some people that cannot have the Astra Zeneca vaccine no matter what age they are. They are patients who have either had a bad reaction to their first dose or patients that are thought to be at increased risk of the rare clotting side effect or something called capillary leak syndrome.
This includes any patients who have had:
- An anaphylactic or hypersensitivity reaction to a previous COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca dose or any of its ingredients
- major clot in a vein or an artery with low platelets following vaccination with any COVID-19 vaccine.
- Previous episode of capillary leak syndrome
- Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis – clot in one of the large veins in the brain
- Heparin induced thrombocytopenia -severe reaction to heparin
- Idiopathic splanchnic (mesenteric, portal, splenic) vein thrombosis- clot in large veins in the abdomen
- Antiphospholipid syndrome with thrombosis
If any of our patients have these conditions whatever age they are we can recommend they have the Pfizer vaccine.
This list may change as more information becomes available.
Many patients are concerned that because of medical problems they have now or had in the past they are at increased risk of the rare clotting problem. The medical advice is that there is no increased risk if you have any of the conditions below
- History of blood clots in typical places like the leg
- Clotting disorder that is not related to your immune system (anti phospholipid syndrome)
- Family history of blood clots
- History of heart disease
- History of a stroke
- Low platelet count
- Being on blood thinners