Vaccine Megathread - See OP for threadbans

Doctor Jimbob

iguana wrote: »

What happens then to the people in our 40s who are higher risk of CVST? I've had a look through the conditions that make you higher risk for CVST and I have a history of a couple of them, including several episodes of severe Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension where I've been rushed to hospital by ambulance. I'm very strongly pro-vaccine but I suspect that my risk from an ad-virus vector vaccine may be higher than my risk from Covid, especially as I most likely have some sort of immunity from prior infection. At this point, I'm feeling that if NIAC allow women over 40 to get those vaccines that I'm going to have to contact my doctor to see if I can qualify to be exempted from AZ and J&J. Because as far as I can remember from registering my mother, the portal only asks about clotting disorders. I really hate to be one of those people demanding a 'better' vaccine but I'm quite worried about this now considering my medical history.

I'd usually be fairly critical of people doing that but in fairness it sounds justified in your case. Even if your concerns turn out to be unfounded it sounds like they're coming from a rational place.

SusanC10

iguana wrote: »

What happens then to the people in our 40s who are higher risk of CVST? I've had a look through the conditions that make you higher risk for CVST and I have a history of a couple of them, including several episodes of severe Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension where I've been rushed to hospital by ambulance. I'm very strongly pro-vaccine but I suspect that my risk from an ad-virus vector vaccine may be higher than my risk from Covid, especially as I most likely have some sort of immunity from prior infection. At this point, I'm feeling that if NIAC allow women over 40 to get those vaccines that I'm going to have to contact my doctor to see if I can qualify to be exempted from AZ and J&J. Because as far as I can remember from registering my mother, the portal only asks about clotting disorders. I really hate to be one of those people demanding a 'better' vaccine but I'm quite worried about this now considering my medical history.

If I were in your shoes, I would 100% talk to my GP before taking AZ or J&J.

plodder

MerlinSouthDub wrote: »

I see that https://vaccine.hse.ie/ is down

"This service is not available right now. Please try again later."

The site I used is https://vaccine3.hse.ie/s/ and that is working.

eoinbn

iguana wrote: »

What happens then to the people in our 40s who are higher risk of CVST? I've had a look through the conditions that make you higher risk for CVST and I have a history of a couple of them, including several episodes of severe Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension where I've been rushed to hospital by ambulance. I'm very strongly pro-vaccine but I suspect that my risk from an ad-virus vector vaccine may be higher than my risk from Covid, especially as I most likely have some sort of immunity from prior infection. At this point, I'm feeling that if NIAC allow women over 40 to get those vaccines that I'm going to have to contact my doctor to see if I can qualify to be exempted from AZ and J&J. Because as far as I can remember from registering my mother, the portal only asks about clotting disorders. I really hate to be one of those people demanding a 'better' vaccine but I'm quite worried about this now considering my medical history.

I don't think they have made any link between the usual risk factors for CVST and the ones caused by the vaccines. If they did then it wouldn't be much of an issue.

josip

plodder wrote: »

The site I used is https://vaccine3.hse.ie/s/ and that is working.

That url says:

..Registration is currently unavailable. If you are aged 50 to 69 you can call HSELive on 1850 24 1850 to register. All vaccination appointments are going ahead as normal..

Rebelbrowser

Russman wrote: »

Sooo, when are we thinking the portal will open for the 40s ? Monday/Tuesday ?

As an aside, despite all the differing views on what NIAC should or shouldn't do, you do have to wonder what exactly they've been considering for the last week or more.

On one level I admire NIAC on this. The government and hse tried to bounce NIAC into making a decision this week that contradicts a decision NIAC made two weeks ago. While I think the initial NIAC decision was very conservative, fair dues to them to sticking to their guns. They are obviously seeing data that makes them uncomfortable reducing the age below 50. However unhappy we might be with that state of affairs, they are the experts.

plodder

josip wrote: »

That url says:

You're right. I was "logged in" at the time and that worked fine.

iguana

Doctor Jimbob wrote: »

I'd usually be fairly critical of people doing that but in fairness it sounds justified in your case. Even if your concerns turn out to be unfounded it sounds like they're coming from a rational place.

I feel really horrible about it because I was very pro my parents getting it, even though I know my mum was feeling slightly anxious about it, I kept on talking it up. And I have lots of family and friends who have had one or two doses of AZ and they are all fine. Up until a few days ago I had been joking about how low blood pressure has two words in common with low blood platelets. And then I went and actually read up on CVST and it turns out that the kind of low blood pressure I have is considered higher risk for CVST. It's not such a high risk that I'd worry about it in normal life but I definitely don't feel I can get AZ or J&J without at least having a long conversation with my (poor) GP (who undoubtedly gets lots of calls about it right now).

Mylady75

I have been a long time lucker here on boards.
My husband was registered in cohorts 4 but was never called so we registered him.by age and got his vaccine yesterday,
which was astrazeneca and now have been told it will be 16 weeks before he gets his next one.
I thought it was 12 do you think this might be lowered to 10 as it just seem so long till he is fully vaccinated we had been told that this was all he would get.
Just so disappointed we have done everything right all along .
I would not mind waiting a while but to be told 16 week it just seem forever

OwlsZat

bodun wrote: »

Nonsense, NCHD's don't want to work in specific hospitals because of their IT systems, they want to work in the best teaching hospitals where they will work with the best superiors and see a wide variety of cases.

NCHDS don't manage paper files of write letters either, there are admin people to do that for them.

Have you been talking personally to any of these doctors? I have. Yes they want to work in the best teaching hospitals i.e., the ones where they are actually being taught. I live with a intern doctor and he most certainly does write letters on a daily basis. As mundane as letters to GPs to inform them their patient has been discharged, which should obviously be automated. He also spends huge amounts of time reviewing paper files for senior doctors reviewing patient histories looking for allergies to medicines etc., Love to hear why you think differently, can't wait to tell him he's living a lie.

Back on topic the news about the India variant and how ineffective vaccines are against it is very worrying. Is this as bad as it sounds?

eoinbn

revelman wrote: »

Varadkar said in the Dail yesterday that we should hear from NIAC within days but “certainly before Tuesday”. The way he singled out Tuesday suggests to me that they were planning to open registration from Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.

The importance of Tuesday was probably a cabinet meeting. They can open the portal at any time. The appointments are probably weeks away so the system doesn't need to send them out right away.

stephenjmcd

OwlsZat wrote: »

Have you been talking personally to any of these doctors? I have. Yes they want to work in the best teaching hospitals i.e., the ones where they are actually being taught. I live with a intern doctor and he most certainly does write letters on a daily basis. As mundane as letters to GPs to inform them their patient has been discharged, which should obviously be automated. He also spends huge amounts of time reviewing paper files for senior doctors reviewing patient histories looking for allergies to medicines etc., Love to hear why you think differently, can't wait to tell him he's living a lie.

Back on topic the news about the India variant and how ineffective vaccines are against it is very worrying. Is this as bad as it sounds?

Care to back this up with something ??

See attached

E1VPK06XoAIKjOU.jpeg

plodder

OwlsZat wrote: »

Have you been talking personally to any of these doctors? I have. Yes they want to work in the best teaching hospitals i.e., the ones where they are actually being taught. I live with a intern doctor and he most certainly does write letters on a daily basis. As mundane as letters to GPs to inform them their patient has been discharged, which should obviously be automated. He also spends huge amounts of time reviewing paper files for senior doctors reviewing patient histories looking for allergies to medicines etc., Love to hear why you think differently, can't wait to tell him he's living a lie.

Back on topic the news about the India variant and how ineffective vaccines are against it is very worrying. Is this as bad as it sounds?

Most (if not all) of what you wrote in that post was wrong. Just because someone has to manually type a letter doesn't mean there are no digital records in a hospital. And you're on to the scaremongering now I see.

Icantthinkof1

Mylady75 wrote: »

My husband was registered in cohorts 4 but was never called so we registered him.by age and got his vaccine yesterday,
which was astrazeneca and now have been told it will be 16 weeks before he gets his next one.

I’m in similar position qualify under cohort 4 but got the AZ vaccine back in Feb as a hcw. Was told back then that my 2nd dose would be given at 12 weeks; week beginning 10/5 (this week)
My understanding was if high risk you are still to be offered the vaccine at 12 weeks but still waiting for my employer to come back with an answer for me when I’ll be getting my 2nd dose
Which is frustrating as I’m at week 13 now nearly but as I’m in my 30’s am nervous about taking this 2nd dose

Tim Robbins

expectationlost wrote: »

are other people in their twenties vaccinated no, so why do these people feel left out?

If you vulnerable you are vulnerable. Who cares what age you are.

abff

Mylady75 wrote: »

My husband got his vaccine yesterday
which was astrazeneca and now have been told it will be 16 weeks before he gets his next one.

That’s very disappointing news. My wife and I got our first AZ dose almost 4 weeks ago and had booked flights for early August in the expectation that we would be able to travel by then. If it’s pushed back to 16 weeks, we will have to cancel our trip.

I know that’s a relatively minor issue compared to general health concerns, but it was something to look forward to after enduring 14 months of almost continuous lockdown.

plodder

abff wrote: »

That’s very disappointing news. My wife and I got our first AZ dose almost 4 weeks ago and had booked flights for early August in the expectation that we would be able to travel by then. If it’s pushed back to 16 weeks, we will have to cancel our trip.

I know that’s a relatively minor issue compared to general health concerns, but it something to look forward to after enduring 14 months of almost continuous lockdown.

The vaccine passport thing should be based on having received one dose of any vaccine. The fact that they have pushed the second dose out so far is based on an expectation of a high level of protection from the first dose. I expect there will be some clamour for this very soon ... and it would remove some of the vaccine cherry picking that is going on.

abff

plodder wrote: »

The vaccine passport thing should be based on having received one dose of any vaccine. The fact that they have pushed the second dose out so far is based on an expectation of a high level of protection from the first dose. I expect there will be some clamour for this very soon ... and it would remove some of the vaccine cherry picking that is going on.

That would be great, but current thinking seems to be based on having had both doses. I think overall policy will be set at EU level, which probably improves the chances of it being based on one vaccine, given the ultra conservative approach that the Irish government is taking about everything related to COVID-19.

Russman

Rebelbrowser wrote: »

On one level I admire NIAC on this. The government and hse tried to bounce NIAC into making a decision this week that contradicts a decision NIAC made two weeks ago. While I think the initial NIAC decision was very conservative, fair dues to them to sticking to their guns. They are obviously seeing data that makes them uncomfortable reducing the age below 50. However unhappy we might be with that state of affairs, they are the experts.

Couldn't agree more, especially the last sentence. I'm as impatient as the next person to get jabbed and I'd take J&J (or any of them) in a heartbeat, but they are the experts.

OwlsZat

stephenjmcd wrote: »

Care to back this up with something ??

See attached

E1VPK06XoAIKjOU.jpeg

I asked a question. I asked was it as bad as it sounds. Not sure how the trend of variants reducing in England helps the discussion. I read this article and it doens't sounds great. I'd be delighted to hear how this isn't the case.


https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2021/0513/1221323-india-virus-global/


"The WHO added that the variant might also be resistant to vaccines, as a study reported sevenfold reduced effectiveness against antibodies released by Moderna and Pfizer vaccines."

OwlsZat

plodder wrote: »

Most (if not all) of what you wrote in that post was wrong. Just because someone has to manually type a letter doesn't mean there are no digital records in a hospital. And you're on to the scaremongering now I see.

There are no digitized patient history records in most Irish hospitals. No joke. The irony of this is that it's worked out massively in our favour here else the entire system would be at a standstill over the ransomware attack.

SJFly

Russman wrote: »

Sooo, when are we thinking the portal will open for the 40s ? Monday/Tuesday ?

As an aside, despite all the differing views on what NIAC should or shouldn't do, you do have to wonder what exactly they've been considering for the last week or more.

Reports were coming out that the decision was imminent and then it seemed to be pushed out till next week. This seemed to coincide with more data coming out of the US. It's really hard to imagine them considering that data and then recommending J&J for women under 50, seeing as they are most at risk. We'll see what happens soon I guess.

revelman

OwlsZat wrote: »

I asked a question. I asked was it as bad as it sounds. Not sure how the trend of variants reducing in England helps the discussion. I read this article and it doens't sounds great. I'd be delighted to hear how this isn't the case.


https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2021/0513/1221323-india-virus-global/


"The WHO added that the variant might also be resistant to vaccines, as a study reported sevenfold reduced effectiveness against antibodies released by Moderna and Pfizer vaccines."

I’m not sure which study is being referenced here but the EMA this week said that they are confident that Pfizer and Moderna protect against the Indian variant. They also are optimist about AZ and J&J. This is based on incoming data.

https://www.euronews.com/2021/05/13/european-regulator-pretty-confident-mrna-covid-vaccines-work-against-indian-variant

TheDoctor

Did Wednesday numbers get released yet?

stephenjmcd

OwlsZat wrote: »

I asked a question. I asked was it as bad as it sounds. Not sure how the trend of variants reducing in England helps the discussion. I read this article and it doens't sounds great. I'd be delighted to hear how this isn't the case.


https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2021/0513/1221323-india-virus-global/


"The WHO added that the variant might also be resistant to vaccines, as a study reported sevenfold reduced effectiveness against antibodies released by Moderna and Pfizer vaccines."

If you look at the chart it clearly shows the rise in cases in areas where Indian variant is known to be circulating amongst the younger more unvaccinated population.

Same rise not observed in older vaccinated population.

The chart is nothing to do with reducing variant levels in the UK

OwlsZat

OwlsZat wrote: »

I asked a question. I asked was it as bad as it sounds. Not sure how the trend of variants reducing in England helps the discussion. I read this article and it doens't sounds great. I'd be delighted to hear how this isn't the case.


https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2021/0513/1221323-india-virus-global/


"The WHO added that the variant might also be resistant to vaccines, as a study reported sevenfold reduced effectiveness against antibodies released by Moderna and Pfizer vaccines."

That's a misquote that's been doing the rounds. The WHO never said that. As for the second part a study showed a 7-fold reduction in neutralization. That DOES NOT mean 7 times less effective. All samples from vaccinated individuals were able to neutralize the virus.

revelman

SJFly wrote: »

Reports were coming out that the decision was imminent and then it seemed to be pushed out till next week. This seemed to coincide with more data coming out of the US. It's really hard to imagine them considering that data and then recommending J&J for women under 50, seeing as they are most at risk. We'll see what happens soon I guess.

We don’t know that women under 50 are more at risk. All we know is that currently there are more women than men who have had this blood clot. We would need to know all sorts of things e.g. how many women vs how many men were given the vaccine in the first place? Could it be that more young healthcare workers (many of whom are women) received this vaccine in the US? This is what skewed the early numbers on AZ-associated clots in Germany and Norway.

There was an interesting article in the Atlantic a few weeks ago where doctors were doubting that this would be a “women only” issue.

Van.Bosch

TheDoctor wrote: »

Did Wednesday numbers get released yet?

No - assume the hack is impacting it.

More worryingly, the GP referral system is down so cases may be impacted, unless they allow all test centres to be walk-in

stephenjmcd

Van.Bosch wrote: »

No - assume the hack is impacting it.

More worryingly, the GP referral system is down so cases may be impacted, unless they allow all test centres to be walk-in

Close contact system is also down

dominatinMC

OwlsZat wrote: »

I asked a question. I asked was it as bad as it sounds. Not sure how the trend of variants reducing in England helps the discussion. I read this article and it doens't sounds great. I'd be delighted to hear how this isn't the case.


https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2021/0513/1221323-india-virus-global/


"The WHO added that the variant might also be resistant to vaccines, as a study reported sevenfold reduced effectiveness against antibodies released by Moderna and Pfizer vaccines."

Can file this under RTE - Variant - Hypothetical. Typical article from them. Yes, variants are to be monitored and any or all COULD be resistant but all evidence (real world, trials, etc) suggests that is not the case. Even Pfizer announced during the week that they will not be updating their vaccine for variants

https://www.thejournal.ie/no-evidence-pfizer-vaccine-update-variants-5433235-May2021/