Residents who received the first dose of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine without suffering a blood clot are being advised to have their second.
The jab has been linked to “extremely rare” clotting, and regulators have recommended that people aged 18 to 29 should be offered alternatives.
But Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) health chiefs say the benefits far outweigh the risks and that everyone should take up the offer of a second dose.
In a Covid-19 newsletter to residents on Monday (April 12), South Gloucestershire Council said: “Recently there have been reports of a very rare condition involving blood clots and unusual bleeding after vaccination.
“Although this condition remains extremely rare there appears to be a higher risk in people shortly after the first dose of the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine.
“Around four people develop this condition for every million doses of AZ vaccine doses given.
“Following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the BNSSG Covid-19 vaccination programme will be offering people under 30 who have not yet had their first Covid-19 vaccination a choice of vaccine other than AZ.
“If you have already had a first dose of AZ without suffering a blood clot as a side effect, you should have your second dose.
“This includes people aged 18 to 29 who are health and social care workers and unpaid carers.
“The benefits of the AZ vaccine outweigh any risks for the vast majority of people, and you should still book your Covid-19 vaccine when asked to do so.”
More information about the benefits and risks of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab is available from this Public Health England leaflet.
