Well, I’m on the way to having some vaccination powers. I now need my immune system to do its thing, then I can come back for dose two. At the time I was expecting the routine 12-week AstraZeneca interval. For me, AstraZeneca was the option I chose after weighing the known risks. The rare adverse event being watched at the time was thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS): unusual blood clotting together with a low platelet count. Anti-PF4 antibodies were found in many cases, and the syndrome had some similarities to heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, but it was a distinct vaccine-associated syndrome and the exact mechanism was still being investigated.

What annoyed me most was the messaging. In late June the federal government emphasised that younger adults could discuss AstraZeneca with a GP under informed consent, while ATAGI still preferred Pfizer for people under 60. AstraZeneca remained registered for adults over 18, but the difference between regulatory approval, ATAGI preference and individual informed consent was not exactly simple public messaging. I wish that distinction had been clearer much earlier. With Delta upon us, I wanted some degree of protection as soon as I reasonably could.

At the time there was still a lot we did not know about how long protection after infection or vaccination would last, or how often boosters might eventually be needed. I expected boosters to become part of the picture, but that was a 2021 expectation, not something established by this little experiment. Regardless, I’m looking forward to washing my hair tomorrow morning when my arm will probably hurt like hell; it can’t be worse than a tetanus booster shot, right? 😁

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