To counter any vaccination hesitancy in our community, a number of our doctors have decided to send out the following Statement on Covid vaccination that is based entirely on current evidence.
This Statement on Covid vaccination has been prepared by AZA doctors as information for the local Zoroastrian community
COVID-19 is a disease caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. It can cause severe lung disease and can also affect other parts of the body. Although the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions are at the highest risk, anyone, including healthy young people, can get severe disease and die of COVID-19.
Vaccination remains the best way to protect against severe illness and death from COVID-19 and is a core element of the pandemic response.
Currently, only the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are available in Australia.
In people over the age of 50 years, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) continue to advise that the benefit of vaccination with AstraZeneca COVID vaccine far outweighs the small risk of side effects associated with vaccination. This recommendation is based on the increasing risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 in older adults (and hence a higher benefit from vaccination).
As the AstraZeneca vaccine appears likely to be causally linked with a very small risk of a newly recognised clotting disorder known as Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS) in adults under the age of 50 years, the Pfizer vaccine is the preferred option in this age group. The overall rate of TTS is extremely low at about 6 cases per million people vaccinated.
The most common side effects for both vaccines include pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain and fever. These side effects are temporary and go away without treatment (or mild over-the-counter treatment like paracetamol) in 1–2 days. You cannot get COVID-19 from either of the vaccines.
Conclusion:
We wish to strongly urge all adult members in the Zoroastrian community to receive a Covid vaccination as soon as they are eligible for it.
Everyone over 50 years of age should contact their GP or a vaccination centre for the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine, now.
Those under the age of 50 years may elect to wait till they are eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine.
This statement is endorsed by:
Dr Yasmin Abadi
Dr Farah Azar
Dr Behram Doctor
Dr Navaz Hiramanek
Dr Boman Kalapesi
Dr Freny Kalapesi
Dr Peshotan Katrak
Dr Farnoush Noushi
Dr Palu Malaowalla
Dr Keki Mehta
Dr Simonil Mehta
Dr Aspi Sahukar
Dr Diane Sahukar
Dr Kuresh Zorabi
30th April 2021