Samantha Yammine, PhD Profile picture
Apr 16, 2021 13 tweets 8 min read Read on X
I asked people on Instagram what may be making them or their loved ones feel unsure about booking an appointment for an #AstraZeneca vaccine.

🧵 Thread with my 15-second answers to the 9 most frequent questions they asked.

#VaccinesWork #Canada #Ontario
Q: How effective is [the AstraZeneca vaccine] compared to other vaccines?

A: When it comes to just one dose, which is all most people in Canada are gonna have for the next few months, the mRNA vaccines have similar effectiveness to the AstraZeneca.

NACI: canada.ca/en/public-heal…
Q: My mom is hesitant b/c she has seen the [AstraZeneca] efficacy is lower than Pfizer?

A: Study out of Scotland (bmj.com/content/372/bm…) looked at effectiveness of reducing hospitalizations 1 month after just 1 dose:

Pfizer: 85% ⬇️🏥
AstraZeneca: 94% ⬇️🏥

Both #VaccinesWork.
Let me elaborate on findings from this Scottish study:

If you were to get the AstraZeneca vaccine *tomorrow*, in a month you could expect up to a 94% reduced risk of hospitalization from COVID w/ just the 1 dose.

This is what else may happen in a month: cbc.ca/news/canada/to…
Q: Can you explain the risks for persons between ages 30-55 who choose to take this?

A: Based off a COVID incidence of ~60 per 100k, for all age groups, the AstraZeneca vax offers far more protection against ICU admission for COVID than risks from clots.

wintoncentre.maths.cam.ac.uk/news/communica…
Q: Everyone wants to know if getting [the AstraZeneca] vax means you can't get a more "effective" vaccine later?

A: All vaccines approved in Canada are = effective at preventing hospitalization & death. If that changes, we're testing mixing & matching + boosters.

Don't worry.
Q: Are there signs of developing a blood clot that we can look out for?

A: Symptoms of the very rare blood clots with low platelets that can happen after AstraZeneca vaccination typically start 4-20 days after the first dose.

Learn more: cbc.ca/news/health/ca…
Q: My mom is worried abt AZ because she has a family history of blood clots... Concerning or no?

A: Blood clots w/ low platelets are atypical, so having a fam history or underlying med condition, or being on certain meds may or not be relevant. I'm not sure, pls ask your doctor!
Q: Would taking ibuprofen daily after receiving AZ reduce risk of clots?

A: This has not been recommended by any officials, nor unofficially recommended by any experts I know. If you have a fever or pain you can take meds, but otherwise it hasn't been studied yet so not advised.
Q: Do you expect the age group to open up for AZ to under 55?

(This was VERY popular -- lots of young people are interested in AZ!)

A: Health Canada maintains authorization for those 18+ (canada.ca/en/health-cana…), we are still waiting for NACI's independent review & statement.
Q: I'm trying to get pregnant .... chance it affects my or my partner's fertility outcomes?

A: There is NO known or theoretical risk that ANY of the vaccines authorized for use in Canada will cause infertility.

NONE. It was a lie and a rumour. statnews.com/2021/03/25/inf…
Learn more about the risk/benefit analysis for the AstraZeneca vaccine here:

Spoiler: if you're 30+, regardless of COVID exposure risk, the benefits far outweigh the risks.

And if you're at high risk of COVID exposure the benefits are greater at any age
For those interested, some popular Qs I didn't get to:

- efficacy & effectiveness against variants of concern
- risks/benefits with underlying conditions
- contraindications if on certain meds
- ideal dosing schedule
- if AZ vax unclaimed, can people come early for dose 2

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More from @heysciencesam

Jul 20, 2022
There are very few people on this app whose tweets I 100% agree with. And that’s okay!

This is especially true when it comes to opinions about Covid.

Just wanna normalize that it’s ok to disagree. In fact, if you agree with someone 100% you might be in ideology-first territory.
But to be clear: “it’s ok to disagree” does NOT mean “it’s ok to spread misinformation.”

And also maybe we would disagree less if people spewed fewer hot takes but at this point I’m a broken record on that point so I digress…
I’m gonna link to my previous appeals for fewer hot takes because why not
Read 6 tweets
Dec 17, 2021
I was very lucky to get to chat with virologist @angie_rasmussen about rapid antigen tests.

This short video (also on IG here: instagram.com/tv/CXmHYnkLVQ2…) shares 2 key things we want you to know before using them over the holidays ⤵️
[& 🧵with more info]
1⃣ Use the rapid antigen test RIGHT before you see others. The result is relevant for hours, not days.

2⃣ Rapid antigen tests are great, but not as good as PCR at detecting infections from the last 2-3 days. Factor in what you’ve done the last 3 days when interpreting -ve result Graph showing that viral load from Delta reaches the detecta
In the video, I show the example below to demonstrate how quickly viral load, and thus rapid test results, can change:
Read 13 tweets
Dec 15, 2021
Omicron may be sneakier at getting around some of the initial layers of our immune response that protect against infection/transmission.

But some other layers of our immunity are really good at evolving too -- & fighting back.

Let's tighten up our risk budget til we learn more.
With that said — and because this is a @KatherineJWu stan account:
Read 4 tweets
Dec 6, 2021
FLU SHOT✅ (finally!)

Really disappointed by how difficult it was to find an accommodating appt. Especially after being asked to talk about my anxiety so much this year.

But better late than never. Did it for my niece, inspired by @jillpromoli’s advocacy 💗 #ForJudeForEveryone Sam smiling with long black hair cascading down on shoulder
I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to @horsepharmer who, in the true compassionate form of so many of our community pharmacists, went out of his way to help me find a local pharmacy that would do an at-home vaccination.

I didn’t know that was even a possibility!!
Our conversation inspired me to contact TO public health, & they let me know about the at-home vaccination program run by Toronto Paramedic Services.

I was very hesitant to take a spot in this program in case there was limited availability, but they were so happy to include me.
Read 8 tweets
Aug 31, 2021
Looking for answers to questions about #COVID vaccines? Or a short video you can send to a friend or family member who's on the fence?

🧵 META-THREAD | Featuring the top videos & resources I've made summarizing expert consensus on #vaccine FAQs.

Bookmark & RT :) #VaccinesWork
Q1: How do we know the COVID vaccines are safe in the long-term?

A1: The vaccine product doesn't last more than a few days/weeks in your body, only immunity does. Like with other vax, rare but serious effects happen in the short-term, within 2-3 months 👇🏼
Q2: I have medical anxiety and REALLY hate needles. How can I get vaccinated?

A2: I have tremendous needle anxiety too! You're not alone. If I could do it, YOU CAN TOO. Accommodations can help.

Here are some tips based on my experience ⤵️
Read 17 tweets
Jul 23, 2021
I asked people on Instagram what’s holding them back from getting vaccinated.

One of the top answers: “I don’t need to since I had COVID already.”

Here’s why you should still get vaccinated even if you’ve recovered from COVID 👇🏼 #VaccinesWork #DeltaVariant
Also yes, I’m tweeting about a question asked on Instagram I replied to with a tik tok 😅
If you want to read some of the sources I referenced:
Read 6 tweets

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