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

iamwhoiam

stephenjmcd wrote: »

First vaccination in St James's around 1.30pm, 79 year old paitent in the hospital, to be followed by an ICU nurse and more nurses working on covid wards.

Fantastic news ,It lifts me up to know we can see light .

nommm

stephenjmcd wrote: »

No they don't need to do a press release. I'd much rather they give what they have to the regulators and let them decide. They've also said they'll submit data for peer review.

All much more favourable than press release

They’re not being transparent at all. Pfizer and Moderna have set the standard here, they need to follow to build confidence. The CEO giving an interview behind a paywall does not do that.

stephenjmcd

nommm wrote: »

They’re not being transparent at all. Pfizer and Moderna have set the standard here, they need to follow to build confidence. The CEO giving an interview behind a paywall does not do that.

He said it at a press conference, there's other links not behind a pay wall, its like the Independent having a paywall but the Times not.

At the end of the day its the regulators they have to give the information to, as it stands they've not submitted everything to EMA nor have they applied for marketing authorisation yet with EMA

Van.Bosch

stephenjmcd wrote: »

First vaccination in St James's around 1.30pm, 79 year old paitent in the hospital, to be followed by an ICU nurse and more nurses working on covid wards.

Great news - hopefully the start of using up our 9750 doses over the next few days.

iamwhoiam

Mr Donnelly assured colleagues that inoculation would be a full seven-day operation and not a five-day system as has been suggested. He reiterated the only constraint would be supply and all resources would be in place.

The Minister also assured Cabinet that they were engaging with GPs and pharmacies after a number of Ministers expressed concern that different GPs were out raising questions about the pace of vaccines and the importance of engaging with them.


https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/coronavirus-government-may-impose-full-level-5-restrictions-due-to-concern-at-number-of-hospitalisations-1.4446673

Stheno

Van.Bosch wrote: »

Great news - hopefully the start of using up our 9750 doses over the next few days.

They are keeping half of them back

Prof MacCraith added that quantities of the vaccine “will never be held back” and will be administered as quickly as they become available.

He explained that the reason half the doses that arrived in the country on December 26 had been held back was to ensure that they have sufficient quantities to administer the second dose.

This was being done as a precaution and once supply chains, manufacturing schedules and delivery dates have been confirmed “we will never hold back the vaccine” he said. It will be used as quickly as it becomes available.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40197993.html

stephenjmcd

One slight change as to the distribution, it had been planned that as vaccines came in they'd go straight out.

For the initial 2-3 weeks while the supply chain is essentially confirmed half the doses will be held back. They want to ensure that Pfizer can indeed deliver on the 40k per week and that deliveries arrive when they say they will.

Prof MacCraith,

"We're expecting that that regularity will happen, and we're getting more and more reassurances from Pfizer in the regard," he said.

"In the coming weeks we will be growing the numbers. We will never hold back vaccines in storage, we will use vaccines as soon as we have availability".

stephenjmcd

Stheno wrote: »

They are keeping half of them back


https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40197993.html

Yup, slight change, they essentially want to ensure Pfizer can indeed deliver on the promise of 40k a week in the next 2-3 weeks.

AdamD

nommm wrote: »

So AZ are changing their dosing regimen again? This all seems messy to me. They need to do a press release with data. All the leaks aren’t inspiring confidence. 3 months is a long time to wait for full immunity.

What exactly do you want to see? At some point pragmatism has to take over here. Whatever about the dosing regime, we know the vaccine is safe, we know they have significant production capacity, we have a country facing into another level 5 lockdown, bloody get on with it.

Stheno

stephenjmcd wrote: »

One slight change as to the distribution, it had been planned that as vaccines came in they'd go straight out.

For the initial 2-3 weeks while the supply chain is essentially confirmed half the doses will be held back. They want to ensure that Pfizer can indeed deliver on the 40k per week and that deliveries arrive when they say they will.

Prof MacCraith,

"We're expecting that that regularity will happen, and we're getting more and more reassurances from Pfizer in the regard," he said.

"In the coming weeks we will be growing the numbers. We will never hold back vaccines in storage, we will use vaccines as soon as we have availability".

Really inspires confidence, they literally cannot keep to a script. Why not state this from the outset?

stephenjmcd

Stheno wrote: »

Really inspires confidence, they literally cannot keep to a script. Why not state this from the outset?

From reading his comments they mention issues around supply, I think they're slightly spooked that Spain and Germany had minor supply issues during the week.

Better to be safe than sorry probably and ensure that Pfizer can indeed deliver the 40k on time and in that quantity for the first 2-3 weeks. Seems prudent to me

Stheno

stephenjmcd wrote: »

From reading his comments they mention issues around supply, I think they're slightly spooked that Spain and Germany had minor supply issues during the week.

Better to be safe than sorry probably and ensure that Pfizer can indeed deliver the 40k on time and in that quantity for the first 2-3 weeks. Seems prudent to me

But yet again Stephen its last minute back of a fag packet crap

The communication is appalling as well

stephenjmcd

Also mentioned by Prof MacCraith that at peak 530,000 vaccines a week would be expected into the country. Safe to assume this is when a few more are approved.

Best case scenario in terms of approvals would see anyone who wants to be vaccinated having done so by August.

Stheno

stephenjmcd wrote: »

Also mentioned by Prof MacCraith that at peak 530,000 vaccines a week would be expected into the country. Safe to assume this is when a few more are approved.

Best case scenario in terms of approvals would see anyone who wants to be vaccinated having done so by August.

That level of doses would have the entire country vaccinated in five months which is good news

stephenjmcd

Stheno wrote: »

But yet again Stephen its last minute back of a fag packet crap

The communication is appalling as well

Ah now to be fair if some countries reported issues with delivery over the weekend then its prudent to ensure it doesn't happen here in the next week or two, I've no issue with that. Once Pfizer can show 40k a week in the next few weeks then full steam ahead. It doesn't change the timelines for hosptials and nursing homes anyway.

As for the communication Prof MacCraith was fairly upfront and open on radio 1 this morning. From talking to people that would have worked with him previously they've said if theres one person to get the job done and cut out the crap it'll be him.

The HSE could do with a communications overhaul but thats separate from this thread.

Stheno

stephenjmcd wrote: »

Ah now to be fair if some countries reported issues with delivery over the weekend then its prudent to ensure it doesn't happen here in the next week or two, I've no issue with that. Once Pfizer can show 40k a week in the next few weeks then full steam ahead. It doesn't change the timelines for hosptials and nursing homes anyway.

As for the communication Prof MacCraith was fairly upfront and open on radio 1 this morning. From talking to people that would have worked with him previously they've said if theres one person to get the job done and cut out the crap it'll be him.

The HSE could do with a communications overhaul but thats separate from this thread.

Thats also good news about MacCraith, let's hope it bears fruition

stephenjmcd

Stheno wrote: »

That level of doses would have the entire country vaccinated in five months which is good news

Yeah, I'd say though that's factoring in, Pfizer, Moderna, AZ, J&J at least.

Hmmzis

Hmmzis wrote: »

I think we can speculate here a bit. Given the comments from AZ about having figured out the efficacy troubles, it might well be how it's achieved. Instead of a 4 week booster, it's a 12 week booster with the prime giving you a 60%ish efficacy and no hospital admissions. Getting the booster much later then brings that up to the 90% efficacy mark.

Have they released any info on how many participants were given this regime?

JimmyVik

How many people will be vaccinated in Ireland today?

hotmail.com

Not starting to vaccine til 1.30 this afternoon.

We are a farce.

Stheno

JimmyVik wrote: »

How many people will be vaccinated in Ireland today?

5 maybe?

Hmmzis

Deleted User wrote: »

Have they released any info on how many participants were given this regime?

At the moment I don't think they have released that. Eagerly awaiting any snippets of data or even a Lancet publication.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Stheno wrote: »

5 maybe?

2000. 500 in each of 4 hospitals.

Micky 32

hotmail.com wrote: »

Not starting to vaccine til 1.30 this afternoon.

We are a farce.

Ah now you can’t begrudge the lads having a lie in, it’s xmas afterall

Stheno

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

2000. 500 in each of 4 hospitals.

Are they doing more tomorrow?

Van.Bosch

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

2000. 500 in each of 4 hospitals.

Good news if true - I feared it would just be a token few to say they have started.

The second batch arrived today too I believe?

Will be good to see us on the chart:

https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations

stephenjmcd

Van.Bosch wrote: »

Good news if true - I feared it would just be a token few to say they have started.

The second batch arrived today too I believe?

10k due to arrive today.

40k due next week.

All about ensuring the supply arrives when promised now

Bubbaclaus

stephenjmcd wrote: »

10k due to arrive today.

40k due next week.

All about ensuring the supply arrives when promised now

I believe its 30k arriving today.

Which still doesn't tie into Pfizers claim that they are providing 12.5 million doses to the EU before year end (which would be 135k for Ireland). I can't find anything to explain that discrepancy.

stephenjmcd

Bubbaclaus wrote: »

I believe its 30k arriving today.

Which still doesn't tie into Pfizers claim that they are providing 12.5 million doses to the EU before year end (which would be 135k for Ireland). I can't find anything to explain that discrepancy.

Sorry you're indeed correct I was getting mixed up, 30k to being the weeks total to 40k.

I did read recently that Pfizer reduced the 100m claim by year end to 50m. However still on track to supply the EU by the agreed dates and in quantity. 200m order to be completed by September

howiya

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

2000. 500 in each of 4 hospitals.

Beaumont have said that its 500 over the coming days rather than 500 today

From RTE.ie

"Beamount Hospital has said that 500 doses of the vaccine will be given at the hospital over the coming days with similar numbers expected to be administered at the other sites."

https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/1229/1186763-covid-vaccination/

Maybe the reporting is a bit unclear??