The Pill is more likely to cause a blood clot than AstraZeneca vaccine which has risk of just 0.00021%
THE risk of developing a blood clot after getting the AstraZeneca jab is 0.00021 per cent - lower than the chance from taking the Pill.
Safe everyday activities - done without a second thought - are actually riskier than the chance of getting a clot from a jab.
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Sitting down with your legs crossed for most of the day and getting on a plane increases your risk of developing a thrombosis - but shouldn't be a cause for concern either.
It comes as scientists and experts rushed to reassure the public the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe, after a small number of people had clots after their jab.
A host of countries have temporarily banned using it, but yesterday the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced there is currently no direct link with the vaccine.
The possibility of getting a blood clot from the shot is tiny - and is, in fact, less than you would expect in the normal course of events.
But if you avoid the jab and then catch Covid, you are two per cent more likely to develop a clot.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and Clinical Director of , said: "As a frontline healthcare professional, I’ve already had my vaccine.
"But if I hadn’t been, and I was invited to have an AZ vaccine today, I would jump at the chance without any hesitation.
"If there is a risk at all – and there’s no firm evidence the vaccines were to blame - it’s absolutely tiny compared to the benefit of protection against Covid-19."
So what is the concern and how does all this compare with the risks in normal life?
According to AstraZeneca, about 17million people in the EU and UK have received a dose, with fewer than 40 cases reported as of last week.
Blood clots happen for a wide range of reasons, with around 3,000 people a month in the UK suffering them.
Thrombosis UK said taking the contraceptive pill makes you two or three times more likely to develop a clot.
Being hospitalised for any reason increases risk tenfold, while 60 per cent of major orthopaedic surgery patients suffer a clot.
Two in every 1,000 women are likely to develop one during or after pregnancy.
And around three to five per cent of people travelling by plane run the risk of suffering with a clot.
But these are all largely safe activities, medications and conditions to be in.
How safe is the AstraZeneca vaccine?
Experts have reassured the general public it is very safe.
The World Health Organisation and the EU's regulators have both said there is "no indication" the vaccine causes clotting, and have urged countries to vaccinate.
The UK's medicines regulator, the MHRA, has given a similar assurance.
No issues relating to blood clots were found during the Oxford/ AstraZeneca trials.
Recent phase three trials have also indicated Covid protection of over 70 per cent starts after just one dose of the vaccine, and initial findings suggest it reduces Covid transmission by up to 67 per cent.
Crucially, latest trials suggest the vaccine is safe and effective at preventing Covid-19, with no severe cases and no hospitalisations more than 22 days after the first dose, according to AstraZeneca.
Side-effects of the jab can include pain after the injection, feeling unwell or tired, as well as aches, chills and headaches.
Pharmaceutical giant Astra- Zeneca, which helped to develop the vaccine, has also reassured the public "based on clear scientific evidence".
Ann Taylor, the firm's chief medical officer, said on Sunday: "The nature of the pandemic has led to increased attention in individual cases and we are going beyond the standard practices for safety monitoring of licensed medicines in reporting vaccine events, to ensure public safety."
UK leaders have also confirmed their confidence in the jab. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she will take her shot when offered.
Northern Ireland's chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride happily had his first dose on Monday.
Will the concerns affect me getting the jab?
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there is “no reason at all” to stop the rollout
There has been no disruption to the country’s vaccination programme, despite the EU’s unnecessary halting.
The use of the AstraZeneca vaccine is continuing in the UK with regulators saying it is safe.
When you are called to get your first shot, don’t delay and book in a slot.
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Thrombosis UK says “many people have little or no understanding about the causes and effects of thrombosis, and how it can be prevented”.
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Blood clots are a leading cause of death in the UK, claiming the lives of one in four people who develop one.
However, they can be treated early, if you know the signs to look out for - this includes swelling, usually in one leg (or arm), leg pain or tenderness, reddish/blue skin discoloration or a limb feeling warm to touch.
