Thread by @DrZoeHyde

It's increasingly clear this is a real & very serious adverse effect.

In much of the world, use of the AstraZeneca vaccine still makes sense. The benefits still outweigh the risks.

That's not the case in Australia, and we should pivot to an alternative vaccine. #auspol

https://twitter.com/reuters_health/status/1376946167939010563

Australia doesn't have widespread community transmission. That means the AstraZeneca vaccine could harm more people than it helps - at this point in time.

This picture could of course change, if Australia were to experience a major wave.

But what about Europe, or the Americas? A case could be made for continuing to use the vaccine, but restricting its use to older age groups, who seem less likely to experience this adverse effect.

This is now the case in France or Germany.

Would I still take the vaccine if it were offered to me?

Yes! I don't want to end up in hospital with COVID-19 or get long COVID.

At the individual level, the risks are minimal.

But at the population level, some hard, utilitarian logic must be applied if your country is in the middle of a raging pandemic.

If there are no alternative vaccines, it unfortunately makes sense to use the AZ vaccine, even if a small number of people will experience harm.

This is yet another reason why an elimination strategy makes sense.

If your country does not have widespread community transmission, you are not forced to make these difficult choices.

Instead, you can wait for alternative vaccines to become available.