International vaccine safety concerns

UK, Third injection

Pensioners, possible booster in August / September

Waiting until winter could be too late

Prof Anthony Harnden, Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation

Top up would be needed, protect against a new variant or as a safety net

(as the duration of protection is unknown)

Possible third wave affecting the vulnerable elderly next winter

Annual Covid-19 vaccinations could be necessary in the years to come

(Or not, if immunity lasts for a long time)

AZ 14th March, vaccine is safe

17 million people vaccinated in the European Union (EU) and UK with COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca

No increased incidence in any defined age group, gender, batch or in any particular country.

8 March data

15 events of DVT and 22 events of pulmonary embolism

Much lower than would be expected to occur naturally

In clinical trials, number of thrombotic events was small, lower in the vaccinated group

No evidence of increased bleeding in over 60,000 participants enrolled.

there are also no confirmed issues related to any batch of our vaccine used across Europe, or the rest of the world

Quality testing, 60 quality tests are conducted by AstraZeneca

20 independent testing laboratories

Epidemiology of venous thromboembolism

Incidence rate

Men, 130 per 100,000 per year

Women, 110 per 100,000 per year

That’s 10 per month per 100,000

That’s 120 per million per month

Therefore for 3 million of the population 360 thromboembolic events expected per month

Early data, vaccination and long covid

Vaccine may alleviate symptoms in long Covid

Patient groups and scientists

About 10% symptomatic for 12 weeks, some longer

20 to 50% reduced symptoms, fatigue, headaches, brain fog

Effects may be temporary

Dr David Strain, University of Exeter

Runs long Covid clinics, member of the NHS long covid taskforce

We are getting people reporting improvements, and it’s quite widespread, about half of the people we are asking.

There is a major reporting bias, though - the people who notice something remarkable are the ones shouting about it.”

This provides a bit of hope for people who have been struggling with this for 12 months or more, just to feel better for a bit.

But also as researchers it tells us a lot of information: does this give us clues about how we should be treating it? We need to look very carefully

Lou Barnes, coordinates 4,000-strong Post Covid Syndrome support group

Estimates 20%

Improvements lasting for around three weeks

Others reported feeling worse for a short time

Professor Danny Altmann, immunologist, Imperial College, London

It’s very interesting because we still have no clue about the mechanisms in long Covid and what to do for patients,

and also because many sufferers are very anxious about their immune status.

This has led to some paradoxical vaccine hesitancy

Professor Eleanor Riley, immunologist, University of Edinburgh

One of the hypotheses about chronic fatigue syndrome is that it is a failure of the immune system to reset after a viral infection.

And if that’s the case, then giving the immune system a jolt, for example by vaccination, may help to reset.

But that is purely speculation

It’s possible it may turn out to be random

Seems to be two forms of long covid

After severe and milder disease

CoViD tongue

Previously reported mouth and tongue changes

Dry mouth, loss of taste (dysgeusia) and fungal infection (oral thrush).

Changes in tongue sensation, muscle pain while chewing, swelling in the mouth and ulcers on the tongue or inner surface of the mouth and lips

Reporters ask to identify new features

Loss of smell, skin rashes, delirium

Tongue doesn’t look normal, white and patchy

What causes COVID tongue?

Could be direct viral effect or an immune response

Increased susceptible to fungal infections in the mouth

However, anti-fungals don’t seem to work

How common is COVID tongue?

Up to a quarter of hospitalised patients had tongue or mouth changes

Less common mild disease

Don’t knows

If it can be an isolated feature

When in the condition it arises

Now a specific question