COVID-19: Vaccine and testing procedures Megathread Part 2 [Mod Warning - Post #1]

Happydays2020

Micky 32 wrote: »

Interesting, sorry if it’s off topic but it should make vaccine roll outs potentially easier. Worldwide cases are literally dropping off a cliff!

Lockdown or something else?

Micky 32

Happydays2020 wrote: »

Lockdown or something else?

Probably, but It’s the USA drop i find curious.

Van.Bosch

VG31 wrote: »

Honestly with all the unexpected supply issues we're seeing I'll believe that when I see it.

Same but even if it goes drastically wrong, you’d still be getting 500,000 a month say, so I’m optimistic we should be in a great place for September.

Stark

Happydays2020 wrote: »

Is this true?

Pretty sure VAERS reports are unverified. I see lots of posts on anti-vaxxer fora encouraging people to stuff it with false reports.

blackcard

Le Bruise wrote: »

Accidentally heard Sam McConkey on the last word on my way home from work.

Apparently the vaccines won’t be worth a sh1te (doesn’t stop transmission, don’t know how long they last, what about the variants etc....) and we’ll be dealing with this for the next 3-5 years....why oh why does that man get air time??

Even Matt Cooper was exacerbated with him (which begs the question as to why he had him on the show in the first place).

Exasperated even

pconn062

Mitch Connor wrote: »

8 weeks to get to an 83 year old is just depressing.

I know it is because the vaccines aren't there to give but fooking hell it is depressing anyway.

It is shocking how slow the rollout is (in all europe). We are going to be in lockdown through the summer at these rates.

Yes, 2021 looking to be a right off too. Depressing for those whose of livelihoods rely on a full return to normality.

Ludo

Have people actually begun to get appointments yet for the first group of over 80s which is supposed to be starting on Monday I believe? You would think at least some people would be hearing by now. Maybe they have but not much evidence of it so far. My mother is 86 I am obviously interested in when this process will begin to ramp up properly. Hopefully there is sufficient vaccine available to get thru this group in a somewhat timely manner.

lawred2

VG31 wrote: »

Honestly with all the unexpected supply issues we're seeing I'll believe that when I see it.

I don't have any confidence at this stage in such projections

daydorunrun

dominatinMC wrote: »

How so? Just because he's a professor doesn't make him correct. Plenty have been wrong before, and will continue to be

Maybe I’m just in a negative space at the moment but I’m feeling like a frog that’s just realised it’s getting pretty hot.
What he said is that we’ll be dealing with this for years to come- it’s hard to refute that as much as it pains me. Initially I thought at some point we would return to normal, I think I’ll have to accept the term I hate most that has been coined during COVID- new normal.
With vaccines that may not stop people infecting each other and may ware off after a short period, variants, travel bans, lockdown without end dates I’m just feeling low and hopeless at the moment. I haven’t really heard much from this guy before, from what people are saying about him he doesn’t have the best rep- I hope is is totally wide of the mark with his 3-5 year comment!

Edit: the other thing that worries me is that in the history of our state our health system has never done things efficiently and on time. At least we can blame Europe this time.

Le Bruise

blackcard wrote: »

Exasperated even

That’s the one!

Martina1991

OscarMIlde wrote: »

I work in a hospital lab in a very large hospital. Very few people working in the labs have been vaccinated in our hospital. Those that have been received left over doses, and people with underlying conditions/other mitigating circumstances were prioritised. It is important that people working in labs do get vaccinated before the general population however. They have to work in quite cramped conditions in close proximity, which can make outbreaks more likely. If the labs are down or work delayed due to staff illness a lot of general hospital functions will suffer, including those related to critical care.

I don't know why that poster has taken an exception to "young" laboratory staff when staff are aged up to 65 as every other profession.

Although not patient facing, we're still very much exposed to the virus. If lab staff were to fall, there would be long delays in Covid results for the entire hospital, as well as all other diagnostic tests.
Being understaffed and stretched covering multiple benches increases the risk of making simple mistakes that could effect patient results.

A handful of our staff got the call and were offered the vaccine. I would guess around 10%. I believe those that work on call were prioritized first.

It's so frustrating to see people dismiss the efforts of a profession they know nothing about, who has had to go above and beyond the past year.

embraer170

josip wrote: »

My mother (83) has been given a Tuesday 6th of April appointment with her GP for the vaccine.

Surely that must be some kind of mistake and is worth following up. Maybe a wrong d.o.b. entered into whatever spreadsheet they use?

If the plan is to vaccinate all over 70s by the end of April, I can’t see how a first dose for an 83 year old should happen in 2 months times.

My father is in his mid-80s and got a call that he could expect a vaccine next week, and will be sent info about the appointment in the coming days. At least I really hope that is the case.

dominatinMC

daydorunrun wrote: »

Maybe I’m just in a negative space at the moment but I’m feeling like a frog that’s just realised it’s getting pretty hot.
What he said is that we’ll be dealing with this for years to come- it’s hard to refute that as much as it pains me. I think everyone accepts this, it's been said numerous times on here. This virus is never going to disappear, we will live with it in the background of our lives just like the flu. What's the problem?

Initially I thought at some point we would return to normal, I think I’ll have to accept the term I hate most that has been coined during COVID- new normal. I think people are getting too obsessive over this new normal phrase, and assuming the situation in which we are currently will persist forever. Obviously not, social distancing will cease, masks will be discarded and most of the "old normal" will return, but not completely as we know it as we will most likely need an annual covid jab, and some form of covid passport. So not exactly as before, but more or less really!

With vaccines that may not stop people infecting each other Evidence so far suggests otherwise, I suggest you look it up

and may ware off after a short period Unknown, most experts (bar McConkey) say a year

variants Vaccines still work

, travel bans, lockdown without end dates I’m just feeling low and hopeless at the moment. I haven’t really heard much from this guy before, from what people are saying about him he doesn’t have the best rep- I hope is is totally wide of the mark with his 3-5 year comment!

Edit: the other thing that worries me is that in the history of our state our health system has never done things efficiently and on time. At least we can blame Europe this time.

Whilst I'm no expert, I've read enough on the topic to respond to some of your concerns..

daydorunrun

dominatinMC wrote: »

Whilst I'm no expert, I've read enough on the topic to respond to some of your concerns..

I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I’ve always been a glass half full person who can see the positives in pretty much any situation. I’m just totally overcome with negativity at the moment, need to give my head a wobble I suppose!

Micky 32

daydorunrun wrote: »

Maybe I’m just in a negative space at the moment but I’m feeling like a frog that’s just realised it’s getting pretty hot.
What he said is that we’ll be dealing with this for years to come- it’s hard to refute that as much as it pains me. Initially I thought at some point we would return to normal, I think I’ll have to accept the term I hate most that has been coined during COVID- new normal.
With vaccines that may not stop people infecting each other and may ware off after a short period, variants, travel bans, lockdown without end dates I’m just feeling low and hopeless at the moment. I haven’t really heard much from this guy before, from what people are saying about him he doesn’t have the best rep- I hope is is totally wide of the mark with his 3-5 year comment!

Edit: the other thing that worries me is that in the history of our state our health system has never done things efficiently and on time. At least we can blame Europe this time.

Totally understand how you feel, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel at times!

Maybe something a little positive, Varadkar said today :

Mr Varadkar said he is "quietly confident that we will have a relatively normal summer and the things we were able to do last summer, we'll be able to do this summer as well".

josip

embraer170 wrote: »

Surely that must be some kind of mistake and is worth following up. Maybe a wrong d.o.b. entered into whatever spreadsheet they use?

If the plan is to vaccinate all over 70s by the end of April, I can’t see how a first dose for an 83 year old should happen in 2 months times.

My father is in his mid-80s and got a call that he could expect a vaccine next week, and will be sent info about the appointment in the coming days. At least I really hope that is the case.

Sounds like your father is 85 or older and he's in the first cohort if he's getting vaccinated next week.
My mother is in the 2nd cohort so would be at least a few weeks later.
She'll actually be 84 by the time she gets the vaccine but still a year too young.
Nice to be able to say at that age that you're still too young for something
I should get her some fake id.

Ludo

embraer170 wrote: »

My father is in his mid-80s and got a call that he could expect a vaccine next week, and will be sent info about the appointment in the coming days. At least I really hope that is the case.

May I ask in what general area of the country is that? As I said above, my mother is 86 and not a word yet to her or any of her friends. I am glad to hear some people may be getting calls though. That is encouraging.

DaSilva

Martina1991 wrote: »

I don't know why that poster has taken an exception to "young" laboratory staff when staff are aged up to 65 as every other profession.

Although not patient facing, we're still very much exposed to the virus. If lab staff were to fall, there would be long delays in Covid results for the entire hospital, as well as all other diagnostic tests.
Being understaffed and stretched covering multiple benches increases the risk of making simple mistakes that could effect patient results.

A handful of our staff got the call and were offered the vaccine. I would guess around 10%. I believe those that work on call were prioritized first.

It's so frustrating to see people dismiss the efforts of a profession they know nothing about, who has had to go above and beyond the past year.

I am not suggesting people who work in labs are young, I am saying we are in some cases prioritising people with low risk of severe disease who are not working directly with covid patients (as some would believe the term "front-line HCW" suggests) ahead of people in their 80s who are potentially in their last years of life, who have almost no freedom to do anything with their remaining time. I am also not suggesting that lab workers have not sacrificed or played a huge role in this crisis, again let me restate, I think there are people who would really benefit more from the vaccine, that is all.

ixoy

GPs only just got told about the plan - vaccinations of the elderly are aimed to be starting sooner than some are saying above. GPs haven't contacted people before now because GPs didn't know either.

josip

ixoy wrote: »

GPs only just got told about the plan - vaccinations of the elderly are aimed to be starting sooner than some are saying above. GPs haven't contacted people before now because GPs didn't know either.

I don't fully understand what you mean by the bolded bit ixoy?
I don't expect my mam to be the first of her cohort in the country to be vaccinated, so it would be logical that they start earlier for her cohort.

ixoy

josip wrote: »

I don't fully understand what you mean by the bolded bit ixoy?
I don't expect my mam to be the first of her cohort in the country to be vaccinated, so it would be logical that they start earlier for her cohort.

That it should be before April for her. Mid- to late-March for the group before her (75-79) so the older group should be before that again I'd have thought, even accounting that obviously not everyone gets done immediately.

josip

ixoy wrote: »

That it should be before April for her. Mid- to late-March for the group before her (75-79) so the older group should be before that again I'd have thought, even accounting that obviously not everyone gets done immediately.

I'd have thought the same, but don't have any visibility of what's being told to GPs.
Her GP would have no reason to unnecessarily delay her vaccination, so I assume it's similar dates being given to all her cohort at that practice.

ixoy

josip wrote: »

I'd have thought the same, but don't have any visibility of what's being told to GPs.
Her GP would have no reason to unnecessarily delay her vaccination, so I assume it's similar dates being given to all her cohort at that practice.

Agreed but it's my understanding GPs only found out today about the plan with no firm dates yet. Maybe he was putting in a place holder? Could be earlier from what I've heard (a reliable source). Certainly hoping for example my own mother gets seen before then and she'd be younger.

Van.Bosch

josip wrote: »

I'd have thought the same, but don't have any visibility of what's being told to GPs.
Her GP would have no reason to unnecessarily delay her vaccination, so I assume it's similar dates being given to all her cohort at that practice.

Is it possible that’s for dose 2 and there is another appointment 4 weeks before that wasn’t communicated?

Wesser

GP S only got details tonight

Over 85 s starting the week of the 15th feb
Over 80 s starting 2 weeks later
Over 75 starting 2 weeks later
Over 70s starting 2 weeks later

2 shots.... 4 weeks apart

embraer170

Ludo wrote: »

May I ask in what general area of the country is that? As I said above, my mother is 86 and not a word yet to her or any of her friends. I am glad to hear some people may be getting calls though. That is encouraging.

Kerry

The HorsesMouth

Wesser wrote: »

GP S only got details tonight

Over 85 s starting the week of the 15th feb
Over 80 s starting 2 weeks later
Over 75 starting 2 weeks later
Over 70s starting 2 weeks later

2 shots.... 4 weeks apart

That is unbelievably slow....which I presume is down to supply

Happydays2020

Stark wrote: »

Pretty sure VAERS reports are unverified. I see lots of posts on anti-vaxxer fora encouraging people to stuff it with false reports.

I was wondering that it must be true when the moderators let it go.

Happydays2020

The HorsesMouth wrote: »

That is unbelievably slow....which I presume is down to supply

So as I see this.

Overs 85’s - fully vaccinated by 28th March.
Over 80’s - fully vaccinated by 11th April.
Over 75’s - fully vaccinated by 25th April.
Over 70’s - fully vaccinated by 9th May.

The alternative of AZ where we don’t have supply with doses 12 weeks apart would have been well into summer.

This timing may also go quicker if supply increases and 4 week gap between shots drops to 3 weeks.

All in - given supply the way it is, having the most vulnerable in society all vaccinated by early May is a great result for society.

This is something which should be celebrated and we will all benefit.

Wesser

Agree. Huge effort by GP s who are adding this work on top of their pre existing workload