Coronavirus

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Mad Max

Got a phone call from a very nice lady this morning asking if I wanted to get my Covid jab on Monday, which I gratefully accepted of course.

Originally Posted by spiderplant

They do have it now
https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/1...and-in-europe/

In far smaller quantities than originally anticipated, which is the whole point. There is a tiny amount of AZ to go round the whole EU, and somewhat more Pfizer. Withholding approval makes absolutely no practical difference to the rollout in any EU country, given the quantities involved.

[Sephiroth]

I wonder what the ordinary EU people make of all this vaccine stuff?

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

I wonder what the ordinary EU people make of all this vaccine stuff?

If they believe what their governments want them to believe, they are thinking that the crazy Brits are only so far ahead because they have overspent on a vaccine that is unproven and less efficacious than the one the glorious EU is making for them in Belgium. Better to do it right than do it fast. All hail the EU.

Or something like that.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

I wonder what the ordinary EU people make of all this vaccine stuff?

I can't imagine they're impressed at the slow speed of vaccinations in the same way that we're not thrilled with our track and trace.

[jfman]

They're probably asking if they can switch their AstraZeneca order for the one they state they can develop for the Autumn, while simultaneously asking the EU to iron out what "best effort" means.

Originally Posted by Hugh

So are you saying that the FOP treatment my Brother in Law is trying to get approved in the U.K. (already approved in the USA) is being held up for political reasons?

Originally Posted by papa smurf

It's not relevant to the debate.

So, different countries having different criteria for approving treatments isn’t relevant to this debate?

OK, then...

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Hugh

So, different countries having different criteria for approving treatments isn’t relevant to this debate?

OK, then...

(Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva) is still not relevant to covid vaccines, even if you wait till 3 hours after bed time

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Hugh

So, different countries having different criteria for approving treatments isn’t relevant to this debate?

OK, then...

I suspect that if it challenges the conspiracy theory that Ursula von der Leyen got scientists in various EU countries to age cap use of the AstraZeneca vaccine then some will wish it sidelined

---------- Post added at 10:32 ---------- Previous post was at 10:28 ----------

The BBC is now reporting the news story that the FT broke late yesterday.

Covid: Oxford jab protection against South Africa variant 'limited'

The Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid jab gives limited protection against mild disease caused by the South Africa variant, the firm said early trials had suggested.

It also said it had not yet fully determined whether the vaccine protects against severe disease caused by the more transmissible coronavirus variant.

The preliminary findings from a small study of more than 2,000 people have not yet been peer-reviewed.

More than 100 cases of the South Africa variant have been found in the UK.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55967767

Yup ... well the Oxford lab that developed the original vaccine is already prepared to work up a variant. They have previously said that could be ready for use by autumn. I’m curious whether a vaccine targeted at SA covid would also be fully effective against the original though.

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by Chris

Yup ... well the Oxford lab that developed the original vaccine is already prepared to work up a variant. They have previously said that could be ready for use by autumn. I’m curious whether a vaccine targeted at SA covid would also be fully effective against the original though.

With the seasonal flu vaccines they can use a mix of vaccines, rather than a single one. Same could go for Covid.

[jfman]

Do they mean the original South African variant or do they mean the highly transmissible UK variant that developed the same mutation as the SA variant? It’s easy to lose track in all the vaccine spin.

If it is the latter it certainly explains the door to door testing to find cases.

[jonbxx]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

I wonder what the ordinary EU people make of all this vaccine stuff?

We had a team call the week before last and in the call were people from Belgium, France, Austria, Sweden, Germany, The Netherlands and of course the UK. Two of the team have had vaccinations, one German and one UK, both due to being in risk groups.

The rest of us can’t wait for ours. On the whole AZ vaccine thing, we get the technical reasons why there’s a delay. Two of the team are working with the sites in Belgium and The Netherlands to fine tune the manufacturing. In general, they were happy for us in the UK and the progress made, noting, in the worst case, that when we’re done, it’s pretty likely that production will then feed their local demands.

The general feeling was that each country should have gone their own way in approving and buying the vaccine and that a centralised approach is not nimble enough for this type of situation. The political fallout at a local level is the biggest outcome of this.

There is a degree of vaccine nationalism, especially from my German colleagues who were definitely bigging up the BioNTech vaccine!

My Dutch buddy did say that it was about time the UK did something right which made me laugh (I don’t take these things personally - a criticism of how we have run things is not a criticism of me)

In all, pretty pragmatic. If we’re looking for someone to blame then it’s national government, followed by Astra Zeneca, followed by the EMA/EC. The UK doesn’t feature.

Of course, poor polling. This was a small group of well educated people who understand the underlying issues. Things might be different with the wider population.

[pip08456]

Originally Posted by jfman

Do they mean the original South African variant or do they mean the highly transmissible UK variant that developed the same mutation as the SA variant? It’s easy to lose track in all the vaccine spin.

If it is the latter it certainly explains the door to door testing to find cases.

They mean the SA mutation which although shares the N501Y variant but also the E484K one.

Laboratory tests have shown that the E484K mutation may be able to escape the body’s antibodies to some extent and is therefore of potential public health concern, so it’s one we’re monitoring closely. All cases with this mutation are currently being followed-up closely and monitored in the UK.

https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov...d-19-variants/

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

I suspect that if it challenges the conspiracy theory that Ursula von der Leyen got scientists in various EU countries to age cap use of the AstraZeneca vaccine then some will wish it sidelined

---------- Post added at 10:32 ---------- Previous post was at 10:28 ----------

The BBC is now reporting the news story that the FT broke late yesterday.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55967767

This was on the news this morning, saying the jab might not prevent you from getting a mild infection. So what?

You’re already 99.2% unlikely to die from the virus without any vaccine, if the vaccine means you stay out of hospital but get the sniffles and a cough then it’s good enough.