The frivolous "science" of COVID-19

 

The Australian government has just changed its stance on the AstraZeneca vaccine, the main vaccine used in Australia, which was available for everyone above the age of 40. It is no longer recommended for anyone under 60 years of age.

 

This is due to the occurrence of rare blood clots – according to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), 60 people have developed the clotting disorder out of more than 3.8 million AstraZeneca doses administered, with two people having died.

 

While untimely deaths are always sad affairs, to say that this is an overreaction by the government is an understatement. This decision, like so many regarding lockdowns, show that the so-called experts are simply muddling along. This already preposterous situation is additionally muddled by the federal decision on the 28^th of June to allow people under the age of 40, who has yet to be eligible for any vaccines, to access the AstraZeneca vaccine. The frivolousness and confusion of these decisions reveal institutions that are utterly disordered.

 

https://www.gps-can.com.au/covid19-blog/astrazeneca-blood-clots

Firstly, it is not even confirmed whether the blood clots reported are caused by the vaccine, especially given that clotting conditions such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism have incidence rates of around 1-2 in 1,000 individuals each year—100 times higher than the 0.015 in 1,000 from the Australian AstraZeneca vaccine data, even if we accept all of the blood clots as being directly due to the vaccine. 

Indeed, the Australian Government Department of Health website states that “The rate [of AstraZeneca-linked thrombosis] is lower than the natural background occurrence of a blood clot in people who have not received the AstraZeneca vaccine.” So, with a normal appreciation of the English language, the Department of Health, which just stopped recommending the vaccine to millions of people, is in fact stating that the vaccine is actually associated with a reduction in the risk of blood clots!

 

Data from the UK, which relies heavily on the AstraZeneca vaccine, shows similar numbers. As of April 14^th 2021, of the more than 21 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine given, 168 cases of blood clots were detected with 32 deaths. That’s a mortality rate of 0.0015 per 1,000. Putting it in context, incidence of death from car accidents in Australia is 0.054 per 1,000 people, and 0.029 per 1,000 people in the UK; much higher than the 2 deaths linked to the 3.8 million vaccinations in Australia or the 32 deaths linked to the 21 million vaccinations in the UK.

 

Note this is the risk of only one type of thrombosis (cerebral vein thrombosis) https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/blood-clots-up-to-10-times-more-common-with-covid

Secondly, besides the obvious risk of mortality, a study has found that the risk of developing vein blood clots after contracting SARS CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is ten times higher than from the AstraZeneca vaccine. To stop vaccinations for a microscopic danger but thereby to expose the populace to a much higher risk of illness and death is devoid of logic. To add further context, during 2020, eight people were killed by sharks in Australia, in a similar time span as the AstraZeneca vaccine roll out. And I’m not certain if, unlike the 3.8 million people who got the jab, a similar number would have visited the beaches during the various lockdowns.

https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/05/06/putting-risks-into-context-covid-19-vaccines-and-blood-clots/

 

Other countries are thankfully more sensible. The Health Minister Greg Hunt conceded that the UK allows the AstraZeneca vaccine for those aged 40 and above, South Korea for those aged 30 and above, and Germany to anyone above the age of 18.

 

Thirdly, a recent report suggests that the Pfizer vaccine, which is preferentially recommended to those under 60 years of age, is linked to almost 30% more deaths than the AstraZeneca vaccine. So much for the logic of plan B.

 

Australia is behind in its vaccination program compared to many countries, with only about a quarter of its citizens having received a first dose. This decision, devoid of logic and terribly communicated, will not only further slowdown the vaccination effort due to lack of the alternative Pfizer vaccine, but the prevarication will no doubt increase the vaccine hesitancy in Australia, all over a risk that’s on par with the chance of being hit by lightning.

 

Now, the 180 degree about-face by the federal government to suddenly allow people under 40 access to the AstraZeneca vaccine, less than a fortnight after suggesting that it is dangerous, particularly to this age group, reveal the utter lack of cohesion and sense among the institutions that are supposed to lead us out of the pandemic, 18 months after it has started. While the authorities have finally arrived at the correct decision, based on the data, it has paved the road in the worst possible way, leaving even doctors confused, let along the average citizen. What the government has done is to ensure that the already slow vaccine roll out will be slowed further by its own mixed messages. 

This will also mean that when small outbreaks of COVID-19 inevitably happens again in Australia, entire states will go into more hysterical lockdowns, denying everyone semblance of normal life. Perhaps the government should impose a permanent lockdown—it might save Aussies from the very real and much more immediate threats of cars, sharks, and thunderstorms.