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

pconn062

Wesser wrote: »

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

To be fair given the obscene amounts that GPs are going to be paid to administer the vaccine I'd say they can't wait to start.

Sky King

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.

Look, here's my take on it.

All the lockdowns and restrictions - this was done to protect the vulnerable, the heathcare system and those who work in it. That's the only reason.

Those people are now (or will shortly be) all protected by vaccines.

Once they are are protected, what is the point of draconian lockdowns?

Right now you could say it is purely selfish for someone to travel around, go on holidays etc. because it impacts vulnerable people and healthcare staff.

But once the vulnerable are protected, and people have their own vaccinations too we can assume total personal responsibility.

If you want to stay at home wrapped in cotton wool - fine. But if you want to take a calculated risk and travel, stay in a hotel, play sport.... why the hell not? Why should we be stopped from doing it.

I can tell you once the hospital and ICU numbers are way down (and they're already going that way) there's no way people will continue to accept restrictions.

timsey tiger

Sky King wrote: »

Look, here's my take on it.

All the lockdowns and restrictions - this was done to protect the vulnerable, the heathcare system and those who work in it. That's the only reason.

Those people are now (or will shortly be) all protected by vaccines.

Once they are are protected, what is the point of draconian lockdowns?

Right now you could say it is purely selfish for someone to travel around, go on holidays etc. because it impacts vulnerable people and healthcare staff.

But once the vulnerable are protected, and people have their own vaccinations too we can assume total personal responsibility.

If you want to stay at home wrapped in cotton wool - fine. But if you want to take a calculated risk and travel, stay in a hotel, play sport.... why the hell not? Why should we be stopped from doing it.

I can tell you once the hospital and ICU numbers are way down (and they're already going that way) there's no way people will continue to accept restrictions.

That's all fine but you haven't considered that plenty of non vunerable people who recovered fine ended up clogging up the health system for a while. We haven't sorted this issue out yet.

polesheep

timsey tiger wrote: »

That's all fine but you haven't considered that plenty of non vunerable people who recovered fine ended up clogging up the health system for a while. We haven't sorted this issue out yet.

That word 'plenty' seems to pop up a lot regarding non-vulnerable people. Can you put a figure on it?

opinionated3

Should we be concerned about the nursing home in Germany that has had a breakout (14 cases) despite the fact that the residents received the full vaccination of Pfizer on 25th January. ..?? UK variant I believe.....

lawred2

polesheep wrote: »

That word 'plenty' seems to pop up a lot regarding non-vulnerable people. Can you put a figure on it?

indeed

some figures by age group of "non vulnerable" people who clogged up the hospitals would be very helpful

funnydoggy

Someone sent me this:



City Hall in Cork looks to be ready

Sky King

polesheep wrote: »

That word 'plenty' seems to pop up a lot regarding non-vulnerable people. Can you put a figure on it?

Agreed. Also, i never said we 'sorted it out'. I am saying that the consequences of lifting restrictions will shortly be taken off the vulnerable and HCW and placed on ourselves. Meaning, if a person wants to stay at home and be safe, fine by me, but I'm fcuked off with this whole setup and am prepared to take the risk of living my bloody life, once I know I am not placing others in harms way.

ceegee

opinionated3 wrote: »

Should we be concerned about the nursing home in Germany that has had a breakout (14 cases) despite the fact that the residents received the full vaccination of Pfizer on 25th January. ..?? UK variant I believe.....

Outbreak detected last week so presumably infection happened before the 2nd vaccine kicked in. No serious symptoms would seem to suggest the vaccines are working

polesheep

opinionated3 wrote: »

Should we be concerned about the nursing home in Germany that has had a breakout (14 cases) despite the fact that the residents received the full vaccination of Pfizer on 25th January. ..?? UK variant I believe.....

No, as the vaccine hadn't had sufficient time to work at that point.

Golfman64

opinionated3 wrote: »

Should we be concerned about the nursing home in Germany that has had a breakout (14 cases) despite the fact that the residents received the full vaccination of Pfizer on 25th January. ..?? UK variant I believe.....

Link and details pls?

Before 'we' are concerned, details such as severity of infection and outcome, confirmation of vaccination date etc. would be important to know.

funnydoggy

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

Is there a source for this? That's great

IRISHSPORTSGUY

Some good news in the middle of this article of Ursula admitting she screwed up
https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2021/0210/1196152-coronavirus-vaccine/

The Senior Director of Government Affairs and Policy for Johnson & Johnson's supply chain EMEA has said the company has not delivered its dossier to the European Medicines Agency yet, but hopes to do so by the end of this month.

On track for first doses in April.

Sanjuro

pconn062 wrote: »

To be fair given the obscene amounts that GPs are going to be paid to administer the vaccine I'd say they can't wait to start.

Who gives a rat's ass what the GPs are paid. The primary goal is to get people vaccinated. Christ, people will complain about the type of chair you have to sit in to get vaccinated if it gives them something to complain about.

MerlinSouthDub

Good news on Pfizer vaccine production starting in a new plant. Should increase supplies from April

https://www.bloombergquint.com/onweb/biontech-starts-production-at-new-covid-vaccine-plant-in-germany

pconn062

Sanjuro wrote: »

Who gives a rat's ass what the GPs are paid. The primary goal is to get people vaccinated. Christ, people will complain about the type of chair you have to sit in to get vaccinated if it gives them something to complain about.

Yes because those things are the same. Honestly, the level of debate on here sometimes.

Sanjuro

pconn062 wrote: »

Yes because those things are the same. Honestly, the level of debate on here sometimes.

Well why are you debating the levels of GP pay? What has that to do with vaccines? In fact, you weren't even debating. You were having a swipe at GPs. Just like the quoted part above. Attempting a point without actually addressing it.

is_that_so

pconn062 wrote: »

Yes because those things are the same. Honestly, the level of debate on here sometimes.

Well, you did start it off at a very low bar, with your greedy GPs claim.

embraer170

opinionated3 wrote: »

Should we be concerned about the nursing home in Germany that has had a breakout (14 cases) despite the fact that the residents received the full vaccination of Pfizer on 25th January. ..?? UK variant I believe.....

Apparently none of them ended up with severe symptoms.

Without the vaccine, you might expect 2-3 of them to end up dead. If it was Belgium, more than half of them to end up dead. Germany has apparently been better than its neighbors at treating people who catch it in a care home setting (or are Germans in care homes in better health on average??).

is_that_so

Yevon wrote: »

I'm presuming this just relates to Pfizer. Will there be a separate AZ schedule or will GPs be involved with that?

GPs will be involved in the overall mass vaccinations anyway. AZ, at the moment, is really dependent on how many we get. There is a HCW group of 110K who will be the first group.

josip

Happydays2020 wrote: »

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.

Yevon wrote: »

I'm presuming this just relates to Pfizer. Will there be a separate AZ schedule or will GPs be involved with that?

I think the 70+ will only be getting Pfizer.
Hopefully the every 2 weeks rollout schedule is correct, but my mother (80-84 cohort) has been given an appointment of April 6th by her GP for her 1st injection.
So something doesn't add up there.

markodaly

Happydays2020 wrote: »

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.

Those figures would be 'at best' as there is no guarantee that all cohorts will have their first shots in the first two weeks. In fact, we could well be looking at June before all of that age group get their second shot.

Irish Stones

A new variant of the coronavirus, involving the accessory protein ORF-6, has been detected at the Milan University.
This modification in the protein, according to the research, shouldn't change the ability of the virus to infect people, so it shouldn't be more infective, but could alter the ways it causes the symptoms and the evolution of the disease in the infected person.

Irish Stones

South Africa has put a stop to the vaccinations with the AZ vaccine because they claim it has minimum effects on the SA variant.
If this is the path they are going to follow, could other countries follow the same route and put an end to the AZ roll out?

ACitizenErased

Irish Stones wrote: »

South Africa has put a stop to the vaccinations with the AZ vaccine because they claim it has minimum effects on the SA variant.
If this is the path they are going to follow, could other countries follow the same route and put an end to the AZ roll out?

South Africa are still planning on rolling it out as normal, just delaying.

But health experts say while the new variant has affected South Africa's initial vaccine plan, all is not lost - and 100,000 older nurses and other health workers will still be given the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as part of a new trial.


This is because they believe that the vaccine may still be effective in preventing severe illness and go some way to reducing the number of people who need to be admitted to hospital for treatment.

ixoy

josip wrote: »

I think the 70+ will only be getting Pfizer.
Hopefully the every 2 weeks rollout schedule is correct, but my mother (80-84 cohort) has been given an appointment of April 6th by her GP for her 1st injection.
So something doesn't add up there.

Honestly, sounds like something doesn't add up with her GP. GPs were only informed yesterday, by a webinar, of the rollout plan for all categories yet she got hers before that. Hopefully, she'll get some clarity soon as GPs bed down their patient list that they'll be submitting.

markodaly

Sky King wrote: »

Look, here's my take on it.

All the lockdowns and restrictions - this was done to protect the vulnerable, the heathcare system and those who work in it. That's the only reason.

Those people are now (or will shortly be) all protected by vaccines.

Once they are are protected, what is the point of draconian lockdowns?

Right now you could say it is purely selfish for someone to travel around, go on holidays etc. because it impacts vulnerable people and healthcare staff.

But once the vulnerable are protected, and people have their own vaccinations too we can assume total personal responsibility.

If you want to stay at home wrapped in cotton wool - fine. But if you want to take a calculated risk and travel, stay in a hotel, play sport.... why the hell not? Why should we be stopped from doing it.

I can tell you once the hospital and ICU numbers are way down (and they're already going that way) there's no way people will continue to accept restrictions.

Yes, that is a selfish viewpoint because we know that this virus mutates and changes, which makes existing vaccines less effective and we have no idea how long these vaccines work for. There are simply too many unknowns still to give anything definite about opening up.

The idea that we just vaccinate some old people and then be on our merry way, and live life as before is fantasy.

I know, I know, people hate hearing this but it's true. No public or international health body, from the CDC to the WHO agrees with that point of view, that is why I have been saying for ages now that this lockdown is not going to be ending anytime soon and if you think we can just open it all up for summer again, and jet off to Lanza or Ibiza, then you are not living in the real world.

The politicians have finally woken up to this reality, and it took them 3 lockdowns to get it.
We can get slowly back to normal over time with vaccines, but it will also be in conjunction with keeping cases low and manageable, as in single digits. This also requires some restrictions.

It will also mean mandatory quarantining and restrictions on who can enter the country and leave.
If you think we will have 80,000+ in Croke Park this year on All-Ireland final day, think again. Maybe in 2022, but not 2021.

There are no shortcuts. We tried short cuts before and look where it got us!

ACitizenErased

Mental how people still think this variant thing will become common. Influenza viruses mutate substantially faster than coronaviruses and yet we only have a flu jab once a year...

silverharp

So NI is making Eire look bad?

seamus

josip wrote: »

I think the 70+ will only be getting Pfizer.
Hopefully the every 2 weeks rollout schedule is correct, but my mother (80-84 cohort) has been given an appointment of April 6th by her GP for her 1st injection.
So something doesn't add up there.

Yeah, something definitely not adding up. They're hoping to have the 85+ groups' first jabs complete by 8th March. At which point you'd expect them to move onto the 80-85 group.

Maybe her GP has her in the wrong cohort? Would definitely be worth a phone call.