Alison Hammond has revealed she is ‘so worried’ about getting the coronavirus vaccine due to links to blood clots.
The TV presenter, 46, discussed her fears about getting vaccinated on Monday’s episode of This Morning and said she was even more worried about possible side effects her son Aiden, 15, could have when he is called for the jab.
Two vaccines, one manufactured by Oxford-AstraZeneca and the other by Johnson & Johnson, have been linked to rare clotting disorders, particularly among women under the age of 50.
Fears: Alison Hammond revealed on This Morning on Monday she is ‘so worried’ about getting the coronavirus vaccine due to rare links to blood clots
AstraZeneca’s has been linked to 309 clots and 56 deaths in the UK out of 33million shots. The J&J single-dose vaccine has been linked to 28 cases in the US out of more than 10.4million shots.
Speaking to Professor Tim Spector from King’s College London, Alison said: ‘I’m so worried about the vaccine because I don’t want to get a blood clot, I’m really enjoying this job.
‘Because I’m worried about myself, I’m even more worried about my son. I don’t want him to get ill from the vaccine if he wasn’t going to get ill anyway.’
However, Professor Spector reassured Alison that chances of a blood clot from the vaccine are low and you are more likely to get sick for several months from catching long Covid.
Family: The TV presenter, 46, discussed her fears about getting vaccinated on Monday’s episode of This Morning and said she was even more worried about possible side effects her son Aiden, 15, (pictured) could have when he is called for the jab
He said: ‘Your risk if you got Covid is very much more than having a blood clot which is around one in 300,000, it’s extremely low.
‘You’re much more likely to get long Covid and be sick for several months. For kids, we’re not seeing problems with the vaccine in those countries that are doing it so far.
‘We’ve got to make this balance between wanting to get schools back to normal. It’s never going to be 100pc safe.’
In Europe, some countries have stopped using AstraZeneca’s jab completely, while others, including Britain, recommend that younger women get a different vaccine.
However, Professor Spector, (right) reassured Alison that chances of a blood clot from the vaccine are low and you are more likely to get sick for several months from catching long Covid
It comes after data showed a growing number of people are suffering from blood clotting disorders after their second dose of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine, when scientists originally noticed most cases were linked to the first.
The UK’s medical regulator found 15 cases in people given their booster dose by May 12, up from six at the start of the month.
So far more than 9million Britons have been given two doses of AstraZeneca’s jab, meaning the extremely rare clots are occurring in around one in 600,000 people.
Scientists told MailOnline it was ‘disappointing’ the extremely rare complication was becoming more frequent in double-jabbed patients.
The clots are happening alongside abnormally low platelet levels, a condition known as thrombocytopenia.
Honest: Speaking to Professor Tim Spector from King’s College London, Alison said: ‘I’m so worried about the vaccine because I don’t want to get a blood clot, I’m really enjoying this job’
But the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said symptoms were ‘milder’ and less frequent than after the first dose.
As of May 12, the MHRA had spotted 294 cases of the clots in Britons given an initial injection, affecting about one in 80,000.
The conditions were found to be occurring more frequently in young people, which has led to the British jab being restricted for use in under-40s.
Speaking to The Mirror in January 2018, Alison – who found fame after appearing on Big Brother – admitted she chooses her TV appearances wisely for the sake of her child.
She said back then: ‘I have a 12-year-old son at school, and he’s at a very impressionable age. For his sake, I don’t think it’s fair for me to go on Big Brother, because I’d probably trip myself up now.
Family: The star previously revealed that Aiden encouraged her to take on her new role presenting This Morning, which she now does every Friday alongside host Dermot O’Leary
‘I’m older and wiser now, I was 27 when I went in there and don’t take no flack no more. I know he wouldn’t want me to do it.’
She added: ‘There aren’t any reality shows I’m doing. I’m concentrating on This Morning and being a parent.’
Alison also revealed she struggled with the demands of raising a child in her native Birmingham while juggling a successful career in the public eye.
‘Trying to find that balance is hard, sometimes I don’t get it completely right,’ she said. ‘It’s just trying to get that balance.’
Career: Alison – who found fame after appearing on Big Brother – admitted she chooses her TV appearances wisely for the sake of her child.