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The Coronavirus Discussion Thread.

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Though anyone still thinking of travelling abroad considering how far behind Europe is needs to maybe be prepared to rethink nearer the time. Just because governments say you can doesn’t mean that you should.

EU are about 2-3 months behind UK, so should have 70% done by July?
Obviously theres a lot of variation country by country within the EU


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 5:11 pm
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blood clots

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56404542

"However, experts say the number of blood clots reported after the vaccine were no more than those typically reported within the general population.
About 17 million people in the EU and the UK have received a dose of the vaccine, with fewer than 40 cases of blood clots reported as of last week, AstraZeneca said."

About 1 in every 425,000 then.

"WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said the body was investigating the reports.
"As soon as WHO has gained a full understanding of these events, the findings and any unlikely changes to current recommendations will be immediately communicated to the public," he said.
"As of today, there is no evidence that the incidents are caused by the vaccine and it is important that vaccination campaigns continue so that we can save lives and stem severe disease from the virus."
The European Medical Association - which is also currently carrying out a review into incidents of blood clots - said the vaccine could continue to be administered.
The UK medicines regulator also said evidence "does not suggest" the jab causes clots, as it urged people in the country to get the vaccine when asked to do so.
Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford vaccine group that developed the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, told the BBC's Today programme there was "very reassuring evidence that there is no increase in a blood clot phenomenon here in the UK, where most of the doses in Europe [have] been given so far".


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 5:18 pm
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It’s what I fear will happen here in a month or two.

I doubt that. We've already had the spike associated with the Kent variant - this is the Kent variant getting to them.

We must be getting close to half the adult population with some degree of immunity either via vaccination or infection, and the vast majority of those at greatest risk have been vaccinated at least once. It's not over, by a long shot, and there will be significant challenges to come, but there are grounds for cautious optimism.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 5:21 pm
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If I was a commentator eg Spiegelhalters piece in the Guardian, I'd be making a conscious decision to stay the **** out of this one, as to me it sounds like the facts have yet to be properly disseminated through the various agencies. This is one of those situations where either side could be properly embarrassed.

Again, there are some very professional medicines authorities here, who I have deep respect for - who have halted the AZ vaccine.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 5:22 pm
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half the adult population with some degree of immunity

Reckoned to be about 30% in London - which is the highest in the UK IIRC.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 5:36 pm
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Though anyone still thinking of travelling abroad considering how far behind Europe is needs to maybe be prepared to rethink nearer the time. Just because governments say you can doesn’t mean that you should.

They'll still go, it's their right to have a holiday. What they fail to understand is that there is no right to go abroad and have a fortnight getting pissed up in the sun. So they will then pull the "I've been vaccinated!" card and go anyway, completely ignoring the fact that:

The vaccine reduces severity of, not necessarily actual numbers of, infection, remember.

In their minds they are now safe and pose no risk to anyone else so why should they be stopped from doing what they want to do.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 5:36 pm
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Again, there are some very professional medicines authorities here, who I have deep respect for – who have halted the AZ vaccine.

Yet EMA & the WHO say it's ok to continue with the AZ vaccine. It's the individual government's who are rowing back on it. Certainly confusing to say the least..


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 5:42 pm
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They aren’t “governments” they are independent non-political agencies like the MHRA. We aren’t the only one with an independent medicines regulator.

So somewhere down the line, communication has broken down.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 5:51 pm
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Spain have suspended its use for two weeks now.

I still haven’t seen any data to support the decision… does that mean these bodies are seeing more recent data than that published? Still looks like “you can’t be too safe” over caution to me.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 6:19 pm
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They aren’t “governments” they are independent non-political agencies like the MHRA. We aren’t the only one with an independent medicines regulator.

Apologies - individual national agencies working for varied governments have gone against the advice of their own European body (EMA). Pardon my confusion..


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 6:31 pm
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can’t be that difficult to work out how many covid deaths there will be for each week the vaccine is paused. i would imagine its way higher than the number of blood clotting deaths that would happen in that same week.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 6:32 pm
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kelvin
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Spain have suspended its use for two weeks now.

that seems crazy, Framnce stopping for a day could just about be justified, but 2 weeks is bonkers


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 6:36 pm
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can’t be that difficult to work out how many covid deaths there will be for each week the vaccine is paused. i would imagine its way higher than the number of blood clotting deaths that would happen in that same week.

very true. Its an interesting trolley problem for those making descisions in a litigious society though.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 6:36 pm
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Again, there are some very professional medicines authorities here, who I have deep respect for – who have halted the AZ vaccine.

I thought just the same actually. Remember that the vaccine is made in multiple factories. There is not ONE product. It is not impossible that different batches from different sites have different contaminants. All of these have potential to play a role.

Years ago there was an issue with injectable EPO. When given as an injection not an infusion, some patients developed anti-EPO antibodies. These neutralised their own EPO and then their red blood cells started tanking. After much investigation, the effect was traced to the rubber in the stoppers, not the actual drug, causing the effect.

So this is a complex process and precautions are always merited. The UK may not have seen cases of ITP (and I suspect that’s what it will be- bleeding on the brain being one such consequence), but that does not negate other country’s experiences. It has nothing to do with nationalism. Of that one can be certain.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 6:38 pm
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Laura Kuenssberg on Radio4 explaining Johnson’s hindsight on his behalf, as regards the first lockdown being called well after everyone else could see it was needed.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 6:44 pm
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+1 TiRed

I’ve worked in QA, alongside Qualified Persons Pharamcovigilance (QPPVs) and in injectables most of my career so agree with that assessment.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 6:56 pm
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Years ago there was an issue with injectable EPO. When given as an injection not an infusion, some patients developed anti-EPO antibodies. These neutralised their own EPO and then their red blood cells started tanking. After much investigation, the effect was traced to the rubber in the stoppers, not the actual drug, causing the effect.

Rings a bell.

The UK may not have seen cases of ITP

Have we not then?


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 7:06 pm
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https://www.hematology.org/covid-19/covid-19-and-itp

"Should I immunize my ITP patient to SARS-Cov2 and influenza?

Even though vaccine administration in general can occasionally result in a drop in the platelet count in otherwise stable ITP patients, the expected benefits of receiving the influenza vaccine and a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine likely outweigh this concern. A case of new onset severe acute ITP, complicated by a fatal intracranial hemorrhage, was diagnosed three days following vaccination with the Pfizer COVID vaccine was recently made public. Best available knowledge from all phases of the vaccine clinical trials and individuals vaccinated to date suggests that post-COVID vaccine ITP is either extremely rare or unrelated coincidental event. ITP onset or worsening has been reported with some frequency following viral infections and anecdotally following other vaccines. Based on current knowledge, the risks associated with COVID-19 disease appear to outweight risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in ITP patients. It may be appropriate to obtain baseline and post vaccination platelet counts in certain ITP patients, particularly in those with ongoing thrombocytopenia or a history of unstable platelet counts."

Relevant or not?..


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 7:14 pm
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Apologies – individual national agencies working for varied governments have gone against the advice of their own European body (EMA). Pardon my confusion

It’s the individual bodies that contribute and help design EMA policy - in the past that has included the MHRA who are as respected and if not more respected than the EMA. TiRed will quite happily give you his opinion of the EMA.

It wouldn’t be the first time that individual regulatory agencies have gone against the EMA and it won’t be the last.

Back to TiReds point about this vaccine being produced in different factories, there is that, there is also the fact that a lot of these facilities are operating in what is essentially a “surge” capacity - site heads won’t tell you they are but the manufacturing technicians will. This increases the propensity for manufacturing error. Which is partly why I have been very worried about the ability to keep this up. Europe’s pivot to Sputnik somewhat validates my thoughts on the matter.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 7:30 pm
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I was vaccinated this morning. After hearing about the issues on the news this morning I'll admit to being a little concerned but I decided to go ahead with it regardless. As it turns out, I received the Pfizer vaccine.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 7:52 pm
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I'm getting mine on Friday - AZ.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 7:54 pm
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I posted a few days regarding my mums friend who developed platelet issues a few days after AZ vaccination, she originally developed clots but now her platelet count is non existent, she's went seriously downhill since and is currently receiving multiple iv platelets and plasma and other stuff, been in intensive care for the previous 3 weeks, i'll find out her current status later and come back to this thread


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 8:24 pm
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I don't see a problem with delaying for long enough to elimate any doubt. Vaccination capacity is so far above vaccine availability catch up will be very fast.

Two weeks in a nine month programme is nothing but another "sang contaminé" scandal would seriously reduce vaccine uptake and compromise the whole strategy. Better to takee a couple of extra months to vaccinate 85% than get stuck at 60%.

And question, even if they know there is an issue do you think the UK authorities would make the information public? I find it curious that the issue has been raised by countries that have injected a tiny number of doses compared with the UK.

I totally get the overall benefit of vaccination outweighs a tiny number of vaccine related deaths (if they are),but public confidence relies on transparency. So I'm happy with decisions being made.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 8:29 pm
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The MHRA would let us know, as TiRed alluded to you - it could quite easily be a batch related issue.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 8:30 pm
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Relevant or not?..

Refers to a case following Pfizer vaccine...
Relevant though. Indicates it’s not a problem with az vaccine per se, possibly a vaccination risk in general. This is a massive worldwide program and things are going to happen. Decision makers need to make good decisions if they are t going to undo the good work of the vaccine program


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 8:32 pm
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I'm 53, got a text from local doctors this afternoon. after 29 minutes in their phone queue, booked in for Thursday. Not bothered by the latest issues over AZ, I'll take whatever is being offered. Wife (NHS district nurse team) happens to be booked in for 2nd jab (Pfizer) same day, but thats tagging onto 2nd vacinations at a local care home.
Back towards end of Jan, I worked out that us Group 9'ers would be 3rd-4th week in March based on vac rates, group sizes, and North Yorkshire setting a good pace, even though offical line was "before May". Well Pleased.
I think I maybe had a brush with Covid (or another virus) end of last March, 5 days feeling a bit of a chill, but no temperature or other symptoms, then short period of tight chest, minor breathing problems, followed by 6 months of intermittent sky-high heart rate and occasional dizzy spells.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 8:51 pm
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52 in April, text came through at 4.15 this afternoon when I was driving, appointment booked online half an hour later when I was home, for Friday at 5pm.

I cannot wait, though I was due to do a 100km road ride on Saturday with a mate now we've figured a local route, and I've put him on warning I may have to bail out if I get one of the weird reactions (that aren't blood clotting).


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 9:36 pm
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mrlebowski, more than 30% of the adult population have been vaccinated...


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 9:39 pm
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Great to see the steady stream of forum members being offered the vaccine. Happy for you and your families.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 9:43 pm
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It’s brilliant that the over 50 group are now getting jabbed. I don’t think Scotland is nearly as advanced unfortunately. I’m banking on hopefully getting mine by the the end of April at earliest (I’m 44), although probably may more likely. Hopefully I’ll be vaccinated a few weeks before things open up here.

Someone told me they were now aiming for everyone before end of June which is a month earlier than I’d thought?


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 9:48 pm
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Turns out Notts accidentally (?) opened up their booking system to all over 40s.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 9:55 pm
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tpbiker

Someone told me they were now aiming for everyone before end of June which is a month earlier than I’d thought?

I think on this one single issue the government has finally learnt to under promise, over deliver.

Anything else relating to Covid/Brexit though.... It's BS as normal obviously.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 9:59 pm
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@mrlebowski here's the EPO story https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2730535/ . It wasn't the product per se. The Vaccine is likely different. Perhaps a batch contains something at levels high enough to induce auto-antibodies - or not? But ITP is relevant and can be a serious adverse event.

Mrs TiRed is experiencing the effects post-Pfizer. Nothing to book yet for me, but she's vulnerable and younger. I'm just old and sick!


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 10:01 pm
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The Vaccine is likely different. Perhaps a batch contains something at levels high enough to induce auto-antibodies – or not?

You'd think QC would pick that up, but who knows - I've seen some almighty **** ups caught post-release in my time (which is admittedly not that long).


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 10:04 pm
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 I don’t think Scotland is nearly as advanced unfortunately.

It's patchy - both across Scotland and across the UK.

https://i.postimg.cc/Y06tFsVr/Screenshot-2021-03-15-210415.jp g" alt="" />


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 10:05 pm
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Two weeks in a nine month programme is nothing but another “sang contaminé” scandal would seriously reduce vaccine uptake and compromise the whole strategy. Better to takee a couple of extra months to vaccinate 85% than get stuck at 60%.

Makes sense to me.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 10:33 pm
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Turns out Notts accidentally (?) opened up their booking system to all over 40s.

Not for the first time, iirc


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 10:38 pm
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57 first jab last Saturday, arm sore as hell, feel a bit shit but not bedridden. I know that I have not had covid as i had a proper test a few weeks ago so maybe i got off lightly.


 
Posted : 15/03/2021 10:53 pm
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I made the mistake of opening up the Guardian tab earlier to be greeted with the headline "Chaos in Germany and Italy after suspension of Oxford vaccine" along with a pic of a vaccination center with nobody in sight.

Since when was nothing happening chaos? The bias in reporting on Covid in Europe is disappointing. How about doing some investigative journalism Guardian people rather than publishing more sensationalist nationalistic shite. You're becoming more and more part of the problem.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 5:14 pm
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@Edukator - sadly they are increasingly guilty of low quality journalism nowadays. They still do some good articles but it's becoming quite hit & miss.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 5:20 pm
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What you are saying with that post I’ve quoted is that we should stop all vaccinations until the people who have already been injected are studied for years? ... You spreading the ‘information’ that the vaccine is dangerous when it plainly isn’t puts you in the same group as the anti-vaxxers and conspiracy nutjobs like Lawrence Fox.

Um, did I say any of that?

Ok, silly of me to expect any humility on here, but given the ravaging I got a few weeks ago for asking (yes, asking) about the safety of a vaccine tested so briefly, I do feel somewhat inclined to blow a raspberry at the lot of you.

It is indeed Logic 1 Science 0. Logic (me) said you can’t pick up all side effects in a few months. Science (you lot) told me unequivocally and aggressively that you can.

It will be interesting to see what other unexpected effects crop up in the coming months and years with these vaccines.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 5:22 pm
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It is indeed Logic 1 Science 0. Logic (me) said you can’t pick up all side effects in a few months. Science (you lot) told me unequivocally and aggressively that you can.

It can.

For a properly manufactured batch.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 5:23 pm
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Getting my first jab on Saturday.

Berkshire & I’m just 50!


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 5:27 pm
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They still do some good articles

Yup, Marina Hyde and Simon Jenkins though very different styles usually get me reading to the end.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 5:33 pm
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German regulator has released info on their decision to pause

The German authorities have provided more details of what motivated their decision to suspend vaccinations with the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab, saying they had recorded three new cases of cerebral venous thrombosis since last Friday in people who had received the shot.

In a statement, the health ministry said there had been a total of seven cases of CVT since vaccinations with the AstraZeneca jab started, three of which resulted in death. It said the cases were in conjunction with thrombocytopenia, a condition characterised by abnormally low levels of platelets.

“Despite the high number of vaccinations with AZ (1.6m in total), that [the seven cases of CVT] is above average.” It said one would normally expect about 1-1.4 cases in the population over 14 days after vaccination, not seven.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 5:41 pm
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I've noted that the AZ people are quick to point out blood clots are common and not exceptional. What they're not saying is whether the blood clot victim within a few days of vaccination fit in with the long term risk or short term risk. What is chance of having blood clots in any week in the year rather than in any year.

Fatal traffic accidents due to fog might not appear to change annual road fatality statistics much as they only happen when it's foggy. You can't however dismiss fog as being a cause of road fatalities and say they'd have happened anyhow.

They need to look for signs of cause and effect, nad from what I can gather that's just what the various EU health authroities are doing while vaccination is paused.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 5:43 pm
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It is indeed Logic 1 Science 0. Logic (me) said you can’t pick up all side effects in a few months. Science (you lot) told me unequivocally and aggressively that you can

Science has never said that all possible adverse events will be detected within the duration of a clinical trial. Not for any drug. That is why participants will continue to be monitored after the study has finished. It's also why the surveillance of safety of a medicinal product carries on for as long as the product is licensed (and years thereafter, should it be withdrawn for any reason).

What science has said is that the probability of adverse events (and especially serious ones) is sufficiently low that the benefit of the treatment outweighs any harm it could possible do - with vaccines the scales really need to tip very far in the benefit direction, even for COVID-19.

It can.

For a properly manufactured batch

Manufacturing process knowledge is not complete at the time of registration. Process understanding increases with each batch made. Over time, things change - equipment wears/is replaced, new operators are trained, raw material supplies change etc. etc. A batch can be 'properly manufactured' to all current controls and still have an undetected issue.

We are yet to see AZ or a competent authority issue a batch recall notice... Hopefully this won't be the case.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 5:46 pm
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Science has never said that all possible adverse events will be detected within the duration of a clinical trial. Not for any drug. That is why participants will continue to be monitored after the study has finished. It’s also why the surveillance of safety of a medicinal product carries on for as long as the product is licensed (and years thereafter, should it be withdrawn for any reason).

Yes, absolutely. I’m just messing with the armchair experts on here like ElShithead who are so damning of anyone who has the temerity to question the party line.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 5:55 pm
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I'm unlikely to get offered a vaccine any time soon but here's my personal league table at present.

1: Johnson and Johnson. One jab, under three weeks to almost full cover, Brazilian and South African covered.

2: Biontech pfizer

3: Moderna

4; the rest: AZ, Sputnik... .

Any ecperts who have more insight than the press care to comment and/or correct? Who knows, I might even be given a choice.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 6:05 pm
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Most medicines have listed side effects in the hundreds, with incident rates in the 1 per 100 not 1 per million. NICE lists the common or very common side effects of codeine phosphate as

Arrhythmias; confusion; constipation; dizziness; drowsiness; dry mouth; euphoric mood; flushing; hallucination; headache; hyperhidrosis; hypotension (with high doses); miosis; nausea (more common on initiation); palpitations; respiratory depression (with high doses); skin reactions; urinary retention; vertigo; visual impairment; vomiting (more common on initiation); withdrawal syndrome

Yet I bet most of the people saying they wont take the vaccine because a few people got a blood clot would be begging for some opioids if they suddenly had a painful injury.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 6:10 pm
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They feel the need for opioids, it's an immediate problem . Vaccination is different, most people have got this far without catching Covid or surviving it with varying levels of symptoms. Most people can look at the stats and not feel concerned, they might not get it and even if they do it's not an issue for most people.

Most of the people I know who are hoping to get vaccinated are doing it more for the general good than their own health. They want life to return to normal and see getting vaccinated as contributing to that.

But, big but, if they think they are taking a risk by getting vaccinated all that changes. They start comparing the risk of getting vaccinated with the risk of not getting vaccinated. That's where we are now. We need to give people some numbers: at age 50/60 with a,b,c comorbidities you have X risk of blood related issues which might kill you and Y risk of dying if you catch the virus.

I'm sure the numbers will come out vastly in favour of getting vaccinated but people need to be properly informed if they are to persuaded to line up for a jab.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 6:32 pm
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This has got me a little worried, and I will need to speak to the GP, but I'm 50 and currently on Clopidrogel (anti-platelets) and asparin (blood thinning) under the orders of the stroke clinic.

So is the AZ going to have an adverse effect, or be "more" risky* re blood clots?

*if there is a risk.

Or should I aim for another manufacturer's version?


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 6:34 pm
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Chance of dying of Covid = 1 in 1000

Chance of Long Covid = 1 in 10

Chance of serious reaction to vaccine = 1 in 225,000

I know what I'm more worried about.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 6:45 pm
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Chance of serious reaction to vaccine = 1 in 225,000

Where does that come from? That's supposed to be the number we don't know yet. As for 1 in a 1000, not if you're skinny and otherwise healthy. And 1 in 10 for long Covid, that needs referencing too.

You don't need to reassure me, you need to reassure the millions who are already sceptical. That needs more convicing numbers than I've seen so far. AZ is bungling it with their dismissive sweeping approach. The devil is in the detail, the Italian cases aren't just the fruit of coincidence. That number of health workers within a very limited time frame needs detailed investigation and explanation. They're doing it, be patient not dismissive.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 6:57 pm
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Patience costs lives too.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 7:03 pm
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I agree, Mefty. I think that impatience will cost more because of a lack of confidence leading to a lack of take up. Vaccination isn't obligatory, you're relying on good will. A two week break wil change nothing, withijn a week of resuming vaccination EU countires will run out again.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 7:07 pm
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A two week break wil change nothing,

More people will die.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 7:10 pm
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Or should I aim for another manufacturer’s version?

Talk to your clinic. The only other "version" available to you right now (BioNTech) is circumstantially linked to more cases of pulmonary embolism here in the UK than the AZ one.

A two week break wil change nothing

It may well feed the anti-vaxxers, who'll be shouting "I told you so", and infecting more sensible people with their logic fails. If this means a serious reduction in people taking the vaccine over the rest of the year, just as our gift of the Kent variant takes hold across Europe... it'll mean many extra unnecessary early deaths. It's not just about the pause.. it's about the effect of the pause on confidence in the public. While it would be nice to imagine everyone will think, "they are being super cautious, that feels me with confidence", I fear that it is more likely that, "my mate was right, he said it can't be safe when it's so new", is a more likely response.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 7:11 pm
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I made the mistake of opening up the Guardian tab earlier to be greeted with the headline “Chaos in Germany and Italy after suspension of Oxford vaccine” along with a pic of a vaccination center with nobody in sight.

The pic emphasises the chaos in the background of all the last minute cancellations having to be done, wasting peoples time and delaying unnecessarily something that'll save lives.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 7:24 pm
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Yo're one liners make you appear to be a number of things I hipe you're not Mefty. Discussions in provacative unrelenting one liners which are demonstrably false isn't constructive.

The total number of deaths will be more closely related to vaccine take up than the speed of vaccination. That is easy to demonstrate, so easy I'll let you do it for yourself.

We have differeing definations of chaos, Larry Lamb. Chaos is what happens when Harrods opens the doors in the sales, not when they are closed due to lockdown.

Chaos suggests a lack of organisation, everything is being very well organised.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 7:26 pm
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You won't stop the news of clot deaths getting out in the EU, kelvin. Ignore/rubbish the news and claim everyhting is fine and people will know you're lying. People have a healthy suspicion and bullshitting will exacerbate that.

If you want to persuade people to get vaccinated you need to be cautious, methodical and transparent. That strategy has worked very well so far with an ever increasing proportion of the population saying they'll get vaccinated. Now is not the time to be dismissive and undermine trust.

France 3 is curently going through all the numbers:

.66% of vacinated have an undesirable reaction, of which 32% "serious". The whole system of side effect recording is being presented.

That's the kind of information that people need to be given if you want them to turn up.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 7:39 pm
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No one said it wasn’t. I was talking about the effect of suspending distribution, not data reviewing and transparency. Being over cautious with this delay could well have a positive effect on uptake long term, and I hope it does. It’s not certain that people will respond that way to it though, is it?


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 7:42 pm
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Just a thought, could a vaccine be made lawfully mandatory? I realise that smacks of 1984 and state power, but...


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 7:55 pm
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As I said to Mefty you'l get a few more deaths short term. You can work that out: 300 000 delayed for a week in a country of 66 million with 25 000 new cases per day says that in a week you might prevent about 1000 cases and maybe 5 deaths. Seen like that I reckon it's worth delaying if it means millions more will accept vaccination.

Edit: my numbers are pesimistic, it's less deaths than that but I'm not going to correct.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 7:56 pm
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In France no chance, Kryton. Other countries no idea. You can't even suspend doctors for not getting vaccinated here because the law says there's no way of knowing if they've been vaccinated, medical secret it is.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 8:02 pm
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Seen like that I reckon it’s worth delaying if it means millions more will accept vaccination.

I agree. But “if” is the key word there.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 8:09 pm
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Edukator - 32% of people having serious side effects? No chance - that’s BS.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 8:12 pm
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Read again, .66% have side affects of which 32% "serious". That means about 1 in 400 get "serious" side effects.

I don't do bullshit and nor does France 3. 🙂


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 8:19 pm
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You need to write your posts better in that case!


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 8:19 pm
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Nah, you just need to read all the words and engage your brain


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 8:22 pm
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And 1 in 10 for long Covid, that needs referencing too.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55331166

The ONS said one in 10 people it surveyed who tested positive for Covid-19, still had symptoms 12 weeks later.
One in five had symptoms for five weeks or more.

I've also seen suggestions that those figures may underestimate the incidence of long covid. Fwiw, I've had 12 months of it and know four other people, all men, all very fit, aged from early 20s through to 50s with it.

For me it's been massively debilitating, I can't work, can't ride a bike, if I do too much I'm crushed by a horrible, shaking fatigue for several days. For months I was sleeping two or three hours a night. My autonomic nervous system was shot. I have measured sensory nerve changes in both hands, and lots more etc.

Anyway, my point is that it's very unpleasant and not exactly rare even if exact figures are hard to find. The idea that if you're not old, fat, or without co-morbities you will simply feel crap for a few days then get on with your life is an attractive, reassuring safety blanket, but not accurate I'm afraid. And just because experts aren't sure whether there are 150,000 people with long covid in the UK or twice that, doesn't change the general point that it's happened to a lot of people.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 8:29 pm
 Del
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You won’t stop the news of clot deaths getting out in the EU, kelvin. Ignore/rubbish the news and claim everyhting is fine and people will know you’re lying. People have a healthy suspicion and bullshitting will exacerbate that

You're probably right. So where are these are effects in the UK?


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 8:30 pm
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Just a thought, could a vaccine be made lawfully mandatory? I realise that smacks of 1984 and state power, but…

But what?

I think the immediate worry is that vaccine take-up is statistically lower in deprived and minority neighbourhoods, so you potentially end up with pockets where fewer people are vaccinated and covid has the potential to spread and fester.

Also, although take-up has been high in older age groups, you have to wonder whether it'll fall off among younger people who perceive themselves as being at little or no risk from the virus.

And if that means not enough people are vaccinated to achieve some sort of herd immunity, then that conversation will probably be had. I also suspect the government is hoping they won't reach that point, but...

It wouldn't be a good look would it.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 8:37 pm
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Absolutely BadlyWiredDog. I was an occasional seasonal asthmatic until March last year. Some years I never took a puff on my inhalers and never had effort induced asthma, it was always allergy related. Since March I've used them almost constantly. A year on I'm slowly, slowly improving.

Mine is a mild case of long Covid if that's what it is; I can't say with certainty it's Covid, asthma sometimes just gets worse. I'l find out more when the trees start dowsing me in pollen this weekend.

I'm not rying to minimise how dangerous Covid is, I'm making acase for inciting the highest number of people to get vaccinated even if that means delaying AZ vaccination for a week or two to maintain confidence in the system.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 8:41 pm
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So by your numbers @edukator, there should be 61250 people in the UK with severe side effects of the vaccine. I don't think that's what we are seeing, or do you think that's been hushed up?


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 8:59 pm
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I never said "severe" which is a step up from "serious". I wish people would actually quote me if they're going to quote me.

There's a reason I put "serious" in inverted commas, the France 3 report didn't define "serious" and I simply repeated it in inverted commas to make it clear is was the language on the chart not mine. Refer to the appropriate thread for an STW sample in which many people are reporting some side effects but I don't think anyone would class them as "serious" yet. Keep watching.

I don't know if there has been hsushing up, I do know that from a lower number of vaccinations in the EU a higher number of issues have been raised which has led to AZ releasing some numbers of cases with as little complementary information as possible it seems to me. Transparent not.

Edit, and while I'm reminding people what I actually said the term was "undesired rection"


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 9:13 pm
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what defines 'serious' side effects?

As per OWG's calc, either serious means 'not really that serious' or those France 3 numbers can't be correct, can they?


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 9:19 pm
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South Park Vaccine special is out! 🙂 Its on Amazon


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 9:20 pm
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what defines ‘serious’ side effects?

As per OWG’s calc, either serious means ‘not really that serious’ or those France 3 numbers can’t be correct, can they?

Tbh, the EMA are meeting on Thursday I think. And the UN have said this;

WHO has not received reports about “thrombo-embolic events” in other parts of the world, she added.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1087362

Id just give it two days and see what comes out. The reports I’m seeing in French news paint this as partly aligning with other EU countries and precautionary measures. Certainly nothing on the sites I looked at to suggest anything other than “following procedures”.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 9:28 pm
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I'm inclined to think "serious" "undesirable reaction" is as you say, 'not really that serious', theotherjonv, they didn't die. But I'm just reporting as it was reported - don't shoot the messenger !

At least France 3 report such information.


 
Posted : 16/03/2021 9:35 pm
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