Horsham doctor urges: Get your second life-saving jabs

Concerns have grown nationally over reports of rare but serious blood clots in a small number of people·receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

But a leading Horsham doctor is urging people eligible for the shot to go ahead. He said the risks of Covid far outweighed the risks of the jab.

Dr Matt Greenwood clinical director of the Horsham Collaborative Primary Care Network - which has carried out 20,500 vaccinations at Christ’s Hospital - said: “The very small clot risks in people over 30 are much less than the harms and risk of a potential Covid infection so we would still advise vaccination.”

He said anyone who had not experienced a clot, regardless of their age, should get the second dose of AZ to improve the effect and duration of protection.

He pointed out that only around four people developed the clotting condition for every million doses of AZ given and that the condition could also occur naturally.

He said that of 20,500 vaccinations administered at Christ’s Hospital, 13,000 of them were of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Nationally, 30 million people had been vaccinated and more than 6,000 lives already saved.

He said that the primary care network - which looks after patients from Horsham’s Courtyard Surgery, Southwater, Cowfold and Rudgwick - was all set and ready to administer jabs to the 40-50 year old age group once the Governmnet go-ahead was given.

He added anyone worried about vaccine side effects should call 119.