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The current rate of vaccination is hopelessly inadequate and will do little to stem the rising death rate over the next month. We need to be at the level of millions per week, not the current rate of one million per month.
Amen to that.
With lagged data, the number of positive swabs on the 29th has been revised to 74,500, even allowing for an up-tick in people getting tested after the holiday weekend that is worrying.
The current rate of vaccination is hopelessly inadequate and will do little to stem the rising death rate over the next month. We need to be at the level of millions per week, not the current rate of one million per month
The worthless Peston brought this up in his interview with “Johnson” and the obese scarecrow just dodged. Of course Peston did not press the question.
It's currently on a par with the TTI fiasco. A focus on headlines and soundbites to the exclusion of effective policy. We were the first!
Israel has vaccinated more than 10% of its population.
Admittedly we aren't doing worse in this respect than most other countries including those of the EU. But it's hopeless. I really thought that on the back of the excellent flu program, we would do this reasonably well.
While you are right that we need to vaccinate faster we are something like third in the world with 1.6% vaccinated.
It isn't where we need it to be but at least it is moving
We had a two week head start on most of them. Scaling up was always going to be the issue, not sticking some old dear for the cameras and Matty Hancock having a blub on the news. If they've managed to **** up the landing with a nine-month run-up, that's quite something.
At least the teaching unions are doing the right thing and bouncing the government into stopping the return to school. I feel we will owe them a massive debt of gratitude come March/April. My two certainly aren't going back.
f the govt was going to instruct the use of vaccines based on a hunch rather than the results of rigorous testing, why the f didn’t we just start using them back in May?
Back in May we didn't know whether the vaccines would give people two heads or not. At this point we know that they're perfectly safe, so they're taking a gamble on the effectiveness of the new dosing plan.
At least the teaching unions are doing the right thing and bouncing the government into stopping the return to school
They don’t have the power to do this… if they could do it, I for one would support them in doing so. Or are you referring to the U-turn as regards certain London boroughs?
...
Just reading messages from local heads… and would like to retract much of my last post as being premature. I don’t think we can now know who will be in school Monday ‘till tomorrow night.
I don’t think we can now know who will be in school Monday ‘till tomorrow night.
Both our kids schools have confirmed neither are in this week. Eldest currently due in on 11th for mocks, daughter home schooling till 18th. Strongly suspect both of those will be changed
My better half works in a private girls school, not boarding, they have said they wont test as they cannot do it safely. Makes you think.
Makes you think what?
sorry but I don't understand that comment
grahamt1980
As far as I can tell there is a difference between ‘expect’ children of critical workers to go to school and what you are reading as ‘must’ go to school.
Expect indicates that there is an assumption that those children will be in school but there is no real compulsion indicated by using that.
If they had put ‘must’ in there, then the reading would be much more definitive
Fair point ... though it then seems to just direct it into being yet another poorly worded and ambiguous communication.
Like the rest of the government response that puts it in one or more (mostly all of) of Too Late, Too Little or Too Vague.
It still seems to make little sense though.
Why should a kid who's adopted be "expected" in school 1st day of term vs one that isn't?
Not to mention the tricky situation of "why do I have to go to school?" and -"ah because Daddy/Mummy isn't actually your real mother/father even though we love you just like you are so the government classes you as "vulnerable".
I guess substitute that by "we are poor", "we don't have our own house" etc.
It seems wrong to me.
My better half works in a private girls school, not boarding, they have said they wont test as they cannot do it safely. Makes you think.
When I had my pre-op test I was really not able to not cough, splutter etc. and I felt very sorry for the nurse.
I have a bad gag reaction but then so will some of the girls at the school so I can understand the safety concerns.
Makes you think what?
sorry but I don’t understand that comment
They have less kids, more space and more staff but are not being held to account by the government they are held to account by fee payers.
Why should a kid who’s adopted be “expected” in school 1st day of term vs one that isn’t?
Looked after kids are much more likely to under achieve at school and so schools are prioritising there education.
Schoolboy SPAG error there a_a.
(Sorry - reflex action innit?)
Schoolboy SPAG error there a_a.
I R sceince teachest so dont giveca ****
😆
Was discussing the vaccine supply with my folks today. What I can't get my head round is that they have known for 9 months they needed a vaccine. They have known for 6 months pretty much what the vaccine was, and they've had a fairly good idea for 3 months what the dose had to be.
Why the hell didn't they take the gamble on massively ramping up production 3 months ago. Unless it has a limited shelf life surely it would have made sense to throw everything at the production process in Sep, if they had (they claim they can produce 2 million doses a week) they'd have nearly 25 million doses good to go on Monday, instead of 4. If they subsequently found out the vaccine didn't work we'd have wasted 100 million..chump change in the grand scheme of things.
The other thing I can't work out is why they aren't doing drive through vaccinations (for those with a car). Park in a bay, wind down the window, stick out your arm for a jab, then wait 15 min to ensure you don't have a bad reaction..and honk the horn if you do.
And rather than have some moron Tory mp in charge of this, they need a logistics expert, someone from the army probably..but id accept anyone with a hint of experience.
Definition of vulnerable for Steve to knock himself out with
Vulnerable children and young people include those who:
are assessed as being in need under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, including children and young
people who have a child in need plan, a child protection plan or who are a looked-after child
have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
have been identified as otherwise vulnerable by educational providers or local authorities (including
children’s social care services), and who could therefore benefit from continued full-time attendance.
From school newsletter
I R sceince teachest so dont giveca ****
Hey, I'm an Art teacher - it's a bloody miracle I spotted it in the first place...
They don’t have the power to do this… if they could do it, I for one would support them in doing so. Or are you referring to the U-turn as regards certain London boroughs?
If it looks like teachers and heads are walking out (they certainly have the power to do this, their safety at work is a valid reason), the government will shut down schooling and claim that was the plan all along.
Park in a bay, wind down the window, stick out your arm for a jab, then wait 15 min to ensure you don’t have a bad reaction..and honk the horn if you do.
One honk for 'I'm a bit wheezy', two honks for 'my throat's closing up', three honks for 'I've passed out'.
Hey, I’m an Art teacher – it’s a bloody miracle I spotted it in the first place…
Thank god neither ofvus are PE teachers!!! Mind you they cant read so wouldnt be here!!
If it looks like teachers and heads are walking out (they certainly have the power to do this, their safety at work is a valid reason), the government will shut down schooling and claim that was the plan all along.
No they will keep schools open and blame us
No they will keep schools open and blame us
How? Is there a secret vault of frozen supply teachers under Whitehall?
What I can’t get my head round is that they have known for 9 months they needed a vaccine. They have known for 6 months pretty much what the vaccine was, and they’ve had a fairly good idea for 3 months what the dose had to be.
Why the hell didn’t they take the gamble on massively ramping up production 3 months ago.
Couldn't agree more.
How? Is there a secret vault of frozen supply teachers under Whitehall?
Its not hard is it, they say schools stay open, teachers dont turn up and schools close it is therefore not .govs fault its the teachers not prioritising kids education like the lovely tories do.
By next week it'll be the teachers job to vaccinate as well, so that they can shift the blame for that **** up also
We should just shove the Senior Leadership Team from a school into Number 10 for a week. They'd sort everything out whilst still finding a way to provide a full academic program to the incumbents.
I R sceince teachest so dont giveca ****
Hey, I’m an Art teacher – it’s a bloody miracle I spotted it in the first place…
I just laughed so loud MrsMC came in to see what was so funny.
Why the hell didn’t they take the gamble on massively ramping up production 3 months ago.
I suspect that in terms of new vaccine production, this has been massively ramped up. Other diseases/vaccine needs haven't gone away while this pandemic is going on, remember
They did ramp up production, we just haven't got any of it, because we are run by incompetent windbags.
India have stockpiled 40 million doses of the Oxford/AZ vaccine.
How is that Vaccination centre of excellence we announced 8 months ago doing?
How is that Vaccination centre of excellence we announced 8 months ago doing?
It's waiting on the sunlit uplands at the end of the operation rimshot rainbow.
Drive thru mass vaccination centres will be happening depending where you live. 1-4 per car, stick your arm out type.
Considering there are a fixed number of vaccine production sites around the world they will not have prioritised this simply because it will have taken production space away from other known diseases that haven't gone away.
i. E. Mmr etc so you make a few extra million covid vaccines but cause a massive measles outbreak somewhere else.
Plus production schedules are normally booked out a long way in advance so due to this other stuff will be shifted now.
So basically why take a chance on something that might not work and end up having to bin millions of doses of something you can't use, when the time could have been spent making millions of doses you absolutely know works
tpbiker - my 87 yr old father in law in Kent had a drive through vaccination in a Taxi or so he told us.
Unless it has a limited shelf life surely it would have made sense to throw everything at the production process in Sep, if they had (they claim they can produce 2 million doses a week) they’d have nearly 25 million doses good to go on Monday, instead of 4.
How many doses can be administered per week?
Considering there are a fixed number of vaccine production sites around the world they will not have prioritised this simply because it will have taken production space away from other known diseases that haven’t gone away.
In 9 months I struggle to see how they couldn't have built a new facility for the specific purpose of producing this vaccine. In fact I thought this was the plan originally.
The fact that india have stockpiled 40m doses tells me we could probably have done similar if there had been enough of an effort put into production.
Have we been prepared for anything? Why would this be any different. Spaff money on private consultants and PR - we are world class at that!
The vaccines manufacturing Centre is nearly up and running.
the trouble is you need to get the equipment (which every other country is wanting too) which has to be manufactured to a very high level. This must then be installed in potentially a new building. The building has to be high spec too.
All of this then needs to be validated both in the absence of the vaccine and also but producing test batches as well.
All of this then needs to be approved.
If you are installing another line into an existing facility it is slightly easier as the building doesn't need to be commissioned or approved be the mhra.
To do that in 9 months would be more astonishing than a vaccine being designed and approved in a year.
Repurposing lines is easier as it would only need a level of validation (easy means probably at least a month or two off work.
All of this while under distancing and everyone in the world fighting for the same resources.
Sorry just don't see it
Edit - india has one of the biggest pharma industries in the world and 40 million isn't a lot if you consider as a proportion of population
And rather than have some moron Tory mp in charge of this, they need a logistics expert, someone from the army probably..but id accept anyone with a hint of experience.
This sums politics up full stop though. Very few of them are in a position to understand the ins and outs of the sectors they manage, for example Handcock has zero medical experience or Patel zero in a judicial / legal. They are all in their little parliament bubble with no clue what happens outside of it.
Politicians are supposed to be figureheads, working alongside actual experts. This lot believe they are cleverer than everyone else.
Graham - what you say all sounds very realistic. The problem we have is that Boris promised everybody the world and lies constantly about where we are at.
Shit getting serious in old London Town. I was hoping to have a (much less serious) op but I guess that’s out for a very long while. Luxury problem, I suppose.
There is no way I can disagree with that.
People voted in a charlatan who will say whatever the hell he likes and then blame his failure on everyone else.
On a positive note though, what has been achieved is astonishing and the vmic place that is being built will be valuable as another manufacturing centre within the uk.
Nice to know that the Oxford vaccine is being made in wrexham too
I know somebody designing the systems to repurpose an animal vaccine facility in the Netherlands, started back in the summer with a blank chequebook and a massively compressed timescale and told “just get it done” this for a vaccine that is yet to approved. (One of the bigger firms, not saying which)
Why the hell didn’t they take the gamble on massively ramping up production 3 months ago. Unless it has a limited shelf life surely it would have made sense to throw everything at the production process in Sep, if they had (they claim they can produce 2 million doses a week) they’d have nearly 25 million doses good to go on Monday, instead of 4. If they subsequently found out the vaccine didn’t work we’d have wasted 100 million..chump change in the grand scheme of things.
Because we didn’t have the manufacturing capacity to do 2 million doses in the Uk 9 months ago.
We’ve literally been building that capacity, including me.
I know somebody designing the systems to repurpose an animal vaccine facility in the Netherlands, started back in the summer with a blank chequebook and a massively compressed timescale and told “just get it done” this for a vaccine that is yet to approved. (One of the bigger firms, not saying which)
I worked on a similar project in the UK.
The vaccines manufacturing Centre is nearly up and running.
Lol which one? There’s actually a few, of which only one is actually close to being up and running.