Express & Star comment: Nobody should hesitate to get the jab
Is it safe?
It is a question which people waiting for their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and those who have had their first dose and are soon to have their second, will be legitimately asking in the wake of this week's "course change" in the light of indications of potentially fatal side effects in a very small number of cases.
Safety is a relative term. Is anything safe?
Consciously and unconsciously people balance risks all the time. If you are sitting on your sofa reading this, not even that is completely safe as an inactive lifestyle has an impact on health. Coming down the stairs in the morning has risks. Driving to work has risks. Ordinary unskilled, untrained people are even permitted through self-service to fill up their vehicles with highly flammable fuel.
We accept those risks, and numerous others, because they are far outweighed by the benefits.
If people are having any doubts about the vaccine, there is a figure to bear in mind. It is that over 126,000 people have died in this country with coronavirus, and there are many others on top of that who are facing long term health problems.
It is a pandemic sweeping the world and is very dangerous for older people and vulnerable people, which is why they have been prioritised for the vaccine.
For younger age groups the danger of death is very considerably reduced, but not removed.
It is a national strategic necessity for large numbers of people to have the jab if we are to rebuild the economy and with it the livelihoods of Britons.
However, this week's decision to allow those under 30 to choose to have a different vaccine is a sensible one as the danger is that younger people, for whom the risk-benefit balance is a closer call, will be put off having the vaccine at all.
It will mean those young people who harbour doubts about AstraZeneca despite all the reassurances will still be able to be part of the vaccination programme.
The AZ vaccine has been a saviour and will continue to be. And thanks to the scientists there are other saviours too.
Nobody should hesitate in getting the jab. Because on the balance of risks, it is failing to get vaccinated that is the extremely risky option.
