Use up stockpiled AstraZeneca doses before they go out of date, GPs told

At least 40 GP practices with stockpiles of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been urged to use up the doses before they expire.

The stock had been delivered earlier this month and was earmarked for use on at-risk under-60s before the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac) changed its recommendations.

AstraZeneca has been linked to reports of blood clotting-type events combined with low platelets in people who got the jab.

Dr Denis McCauley, chair of the IMO General Practitioner Committee, said GPs had “a week or so” to administer the vaccines to ensure that they were not kept in fridges beyond their expiry date.

“We were told we had to give Pfizer to the category 4s and category 7s under 50,” he said.

“Everyone between 60 and 69 was going to go to the regional vaccination centres so the AstraZeneca that had been delivered to some GPs was just sitting in limbo.

“Now we just want to get it into people’s arms.”

GPs who currently have the vaccine in their fridge have been advised to give it to “patients aged 69-50 years prioritised in line with clinical guidance”, according to the HSE.

Currently, people in the 60 to 69 age cohort are being offered the AstraZeneca vaccine, which has a 12-week interval between the first and second dose.

GPs are not involved in administering the vaccine to this age-group.

Instead, people in the cohort are being vaccinated in vaccination centres after registering on the HSE portal.

This week Niac recommended the age restriction on the use of AstraZeneca vaccine be eased, allowing it to be offered to people over 50.

The committee also said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine could be used for those under 50 for whom another vaccine was not available and for people in difficult-to-reach communities.

To date, more than 220,000 people aged 60 to 69 have not yet registered for the vaccine, prompting concerns about vaccine hesitancy.

Dr McCauley said that while there was anecdotal evidence of people who are being invited to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine asking for another product, resistance to the vaccine was minimal.

“People are voting with their feet and the number of over-65-year-olds who have registered is a sign of that,” he said.

“There is always going to be someone who will refuse but the vast majority of people are taking it and there is no reason why they shouldn’t.

“We aren’t in a position to offer alternatives.

“Unfortunately, if you are 65, bar you having thrombosis in your head or a low platelet count, you have two choices – to have it or not.”

Monaghan GP Illona Duffy said that GPs had been fielding calls from patients inquiring about the possibility of choosing their “preferred” vaccine.

“People are calling about AstraZeneca and asking, ‘Can I get another one?’” she said.

“Then they are asking, ‘Have you got vaccines? Can you give me one of yours?’”

Meanwhile, Trinity College Dublin immunologist Kingston Mills warned the messaging around the use of AstraZeneca in the 60-69 years age group could result in vaccine being left unused.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said that those who refuse the jab would be placed at the back of the vaccine queue.

“I do think we could end up with vaccine being unused,” said Prof Mills.

“It’s very likely that those who haven’t registered are waiting to see if there’s a change of plan that will allow them  get another vaccine.

“This week Niac recommended Johnson & Johnson for the over-50s and including 60- to 69-year-olds.”