New vaccine

[jeanlyon]

Just reading about the AZ vaccine and Europe.  Can't quite understand how EU can make a fuss about supply, when they haven't even approved it yet!

[yorkshirephil]

3 minutes ago, arlowood said:

I would also pay tribute to the healthcare professionals who. at the very early stages of the pandemic, started trials to asses what treatments might be effective in alleviating the symptoms of Covid.

 

My brother (78) had a fall in early March and was operated on to repair a broken femur. After a few days he was discharged to a rehab centre that happened to be in a residential care home. 10 days later he was diagnosed with Covid. In the A&E admissions area my niece was effectively told that if his condition deteriorated than he would not be offered an ICU bed. I think at that time there may have been some arbitrary scoring system being used to triage patients and select those who would benefit from Intensive care.

In any event he was transferred to a ward and put on a CPAP machine. A day or so later he was asked if he wanted to be part of a trial for an intervention treatment. He agreed and after about a week he was taken off the CPAP and has now fully recovered. It wasn't until he was back home and talking to his GP that he found out that he had received dexamethazone as part of that trial.

When talking to him I suggested that he should start buying lottery tickets - he could so easily have been one of the untreated placebo patients on that trial and who knows how that would have turned out.

I am happy that your brother recovered, this terrible thing has touched so many people, there are lots of unsung heroes out there who have quietly gone about their business.

[wowzz]

35 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

Unfortunately, without Covid restrictions

I agree to a certain extent, but many of the restrictions imposed in the early days were arbitrary and unjustified. 

I'm not being critical, as people were between a rock and a hard place, but some knee jerk reactions  meant that there are many hidden victims of the crisis that are being totally ignored.

[Angel57]

20 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Just reading about the AZ vaccine and Europe.  Can't quite understand how EU can make a fuss about supply, when they haven't even approved it yet!

Totally agree. As I understand it they have been very slow to approve and they then expect AZ to make the EU a priority.....

[zap99]

4 minutes ago, Angel57 said:

Totally agree. As I understand it they have been very slow to approve and they then expect AZ to make the EU a priority.....

I think they are due to approve it by the end of the week. AZ are no doubt on standby. Interesting interview from their CEO in Republica in Italy.🤣

 

 

[yorkshirephil]

4 minutes ago, Angel57 said:

Totally agree. As I understand it they have been very slow to approve and they then expect AZ to make the EU a priority.....

I think something like this was always going to happen, everybody wants their share (or what they think is their share) and they want it now, I think this type of situation will escalate globally as other countries will compare themselves with the likes of Israel, the UK and US who are leading the world at the moment. These situations don't always bring the best out in people,  look at the furore in the early days of our vaccine deployment when the vaccine companies were being blamed for not supplying enough vaccine. If the EU think they are being short changed they will hit back just like we would have in the same situation.

[arlowood]

2 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

I think something like this was always going to happen, everybody wants their share (or what they think is their share) and they want it now, I think this type of situation will escalate globally as other countries will compare themselves with the likes of Israel, the UK and US who are leading the world at the moment. These situations don't always bring the best out in people,  look at the furore in the early days of our vaccine deployment when the vaccine companies were being blamed for not supplying enough vaccine. If the EU think they are being short changed they will hit back just like we would have in the same situation.

Yes I believe there was a report last week that Canada have ordered enough vaccine to treat their population four times over. 

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-07/canada-has-reserved-more-vaccine-doses-per-person-than-anywhere

 

I think the Archbishop of Canterbury had a go at them - suggesting that we are not protected until all countries are protected and maybe they should rethink their "stockpiling"

[AnnieC]

21 minutes ago, Angel57 said:

Totally agree. As I understand it they have been very slow to approve and they then expect AZ to make the EU a priority.....

Plus, according to the CEO of AZ, they ordered three months later than we did; it also looks like they put quite a few of their eggs into the French Sanofi vaccine basket, and that's now delayed until (probably) the end of this year.

 

Bit like ordering a car three months after someone else then expecting to queue jump. Having said all this, it's in all our interests that the EU gets its citizens vaccinated as soon as possible.

[zap99]

4 minutes ago, AnnieC said:

Plus, according to the CEO of AZ, they ordered three months later than we did; it also looks like they put quite a few of their eggs into the French Sanofi vaccine basket, and that's now delayed until (probably) the end of this year.

 

Bit like ordering a car three months after someone else then expecting to queue jump. Having said all this, it's in all our interests that the EU gets its citizens vaccinated as soon as possible.

Just on the news that the EU scheduled a meeting today so that AZ could give reasons for the shortfall and eat some humble pie. AZ have pulled out of the meeting.

[Snow Hill]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

Just reading about the AZ vaccine and Europe.  Can't quite understand how EU can make a fuss about supply, when they haven't even approved it yet!

The EU paid AZ €336m up front for 300m doses of the vaccine in August last year, so not surprising they are a little annoyed if they are unable to deliver. Plus AZ didn’t submit their documentation to the EU EMA until 12 January, it’s expected approval will be granted by Friday.

 

 

Edited January 27, 2021 by Snow Hill

[davecttr]

On 1/26/2021 at 9:47 AM, Dermotsgirl said:

From what has been said before, I'm a 10 minute walk from the health centre that you mention, and it is where I will eventually get my jab ( unless they open a mass vaccination centre somewhere in in Medway or Kent).  I walk past the health centre a couple of times a week on my walking route, and it always seems eerily quiet - I expected to see a bit of bustle if that's where vaccinations are happening.  My doctor's web site says they are still on the over 80's, and will call the 75-79's 'soon'.

 

Whereas my friend in Scotland, who was 70 last month, has got his appointment for 3rd February, although he has to go into central Edinburgh for it.

 

It seems different all over the country. 

I took a walk past your health centre hub this morning and noticed it was quiet. A staff member was just returning from buying cakes etc so I asked if they were vaccinating today. No they said, only when they get a batch of vaccine. I learned elsewhere that the next delivery is expected on Friday? It must be very frustrating for the GP hubs who could do so much more if they had the supplies. I wonder if opening these super hubs is just robbing Peter to pay Paul. I checked my hub lead practice web site and it says they have not started vaccinating yet. However friends of friends report that they have had their jab there 

[zap99]

5 minutes ago, Snow Hill said:

The EU paid AZ €336m up front for 300m doses of the vaccine in August last year, so not surprising they are a little annoyed if they are unable to deliver. Plus AZ didn’t submit their documentation to the EMA until 12 January, it’s expected approval will be granted by Friday.

Perhaps a lesson for both parties. Having your discussions in private may turn out to be more productive.🤔

[jeanlyon]

My friend up the road has just received her NHS letter to book online.  I think she is 78, so slightly ahead of me.  She doesn't want to go Plymouth Argyle football ground whereas I don't care where I go as long as I get it.

 

Agree with John and Zapp.  I cannot knock the Government in what I feel is the worst possible thing to have hit the world.  Sometimes decisions are wrong and sometimes they are right.  US numbers are now dropping and they have done nothing to help it at all.  These decisions are so hard.

[Adawn47]

The UK death rates contributed to covid are tragic, and my family is included in that number. We were warned that the new variant was more contagious and that hospitalisations and deaths would rise, but still people ignored the guidelines and as a result we are where we are today. Yes, the numbers are heartbreaking, and  we have hopefully learned from the mistakes, but we should now refocus on the speed and efficacy of the vaccination rollout instead of concentrating on things that we cannot change. We have to look forward now to a more promising future and the careful rebuilding our lives. 

Just my personal thoughts.

Avril

[jeanlyon]

Avril, when you see the stupid antics of 400 people at a wedding, 200 at a party in Kensington, not to mention a few other things like 2 raves down here in Devon, I just give up with people.  They obviously feel they are exempt or that the virus is not dangerous.  The Government cannot be held responsible for that.

[kalos]

Or to put it very simple ,keep politics off these pages .

Who honestly can say they would like to lead the UK at this time ? Anyone ?

By all means learn from what is /was wrong  .

If we work together , we make progress together , lets move on .

Stay safe and follow the rules .

[P&O SUE]

Just to put a piece of good news here, News at Ten had a lovely item a couple of days ago. A lady, in her 90’s I think, had survived Auschwitz and now has beaten COVID - amazing!

[yorkshirephil]

2 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

Just to put a piece of good news here, News at Ten had a lovely item a couple of days ago. A lady, in her 90’s I think, had survived Auschwitz and now has beaten COVID - amazing!

Thanks for posting that, it is snippets of news like that that makes us smile and gives us a boost.

[zap99]

22 minutes ago, kalos said:

Or to put it very simple ,keep politics off these pages .

Who honestly can say they would like to lead the UK at this time ? Anyone ?

By all means learn from what is /was wrong  .

If we work together , we make progress together , lets move on .

Stay safe and follow the rules .

Absolutely 100% agree. Thank you for your wise words.🛳️

[P&O SUE]

Just now, yorkshirephil said:

Thanks for posting that, it is snippets of news like that that makes us smile and gives us a boost.

I find the News at Ten have been trying to bring a lighter story recently if they can. She was a remarkable lady and very jolly. Her grandson is writing about her Auschwitz experiences.

[purplesea]

Some good news from down in Cornwall.

My mother (88) had her letter on Monday inviting her for her jab and is booked in for Sunday, and my husband's arrived this morning and he's all booked in for tomorrow morning with the second dose on 16th April. 

[yorkshirephil]

Seemingly Sanofi are going to manufacture the Pfizer vaccine and maybe AZ. Sanofi are having problems with their own vaccine. This is the sort of deal that very rarely happens with competing companies and could be a real boost for Europe.

[tring]

As mentioned earlier there has been and will be future death and suffering due to things more than the virus itself, but surely that is still because of the virus.  It covers more than just cancer deaths, which are often mentioned. Other illnesses have also been untreated, leaving other damage, be it physical or emotional due to lack of prompt treatment which would have otherwise taken place and many of those will be permanent

 

Whilst originally trying to keep some other treatments in place our local hospital has got to the situation where any elective surgery or non urgent work has had to be cancelled.  I do not know exactly when that point was reached, possibly some time back, yet the number of covid patients are still in increasing.  Critical cases only being treated otherwise.

 

I do wonder about the possible extra mortality caused by the new variant.  Is it in fact caused because there has been much stricter triaging of who does and does not get certain treatments, some perhaps not even making hospital at all?  The stresses and numbers of hospital patients have been way higher this time than in the first wave last summer throughout the country, but more so in some areas than others.  A TV report a couple of days ago featured a nurse responsible for finding beds to admit new covid patients, so her days are spent trying to assess which patient needs to be discharged to make room for the new admission.  I wonder how those discharged are in the long term.  Most may survive initially, but with treatment not as good as it could have been, I wonder if some may have a shortened life, or other health problems that persist longer, perhaps permanently.

 

Yes mistakes were certainly made by allowing the Christmas jolly and not taking some more controls earlier, but that is not a political attack on a person, but a criticism of actions taken.  No matter what colour of politics the decision maker(s) belong to the criticism is of that action and would be levied against any of them if the same decision is/was taken. Hence not a political statement as such.

Edited January 27, 2021 by tring

[yorkshirephil]

2 minutes ago, tring said:

As mentioned earlier there has been and will be future death and suffering due to things more than the virus itself, but surely that is still because of the virus.  It covers more than just cancer deaths, which are often mentioned. Other illnesses have also been untreated, leaving other damage, be it physical or emotional due to lack of prompt treatment which would have otherwise taken place and many of those will be permanent

 

Whilst originally trying to keep some other treatments in place our local hospital has got to the situation where any elective surgery or non urgent work has had to be cancelled.  I do not know exactly when that point was reached, possibly some time back, yet the number of covid patients are still in increasing.  Critical cases only being treated otherwise.

 

I do wonder about the possible extra mortality caused by the new variant.  Is it in fact caused because there has been much stricter triaging of who does and does not get certain treatments, some perhaps not even making hospital at all?  The stresses and numbers of hospital patients have been way higher this time than in the first wave last summer throughout the country, but more so in some areas than others.  A TV report a couple of days ago featured a nurse responsible for finding beds to admit new covid patients, so her days are spent trying to assess which patient needs to be discharged to make room for the new admission.  I wonder how those discharged are in the long term.  Most may survive initially, but with treatment not as good as it could have been, I wonder if some may have a shortened life, or other health problems that persist longer, perhaps permanently.

 

Yes mistakes were certainly made by allowing the Christmas jolly and not taking some more controls earlier, but that is not a political attack on a person, but a criticism of actions taken.  No matter what colour of politics the decision maker(s) belong to the criticism is of that action and would be levied against any of them if the same decision is/was taken.

I hate to think what the fallout from covid will be in coming years, people having to deal with getting missed treatments, the mental anguish for people who have lost their jobs and businesses to name a few, the effects of long covid are only now starting to show themselves. My MIL was scheduled to have a hip replacement in March, after having her other hip replaced several years ago she was given a new lease of life but that put stress on her other hip. It is heart breaking to see her struggle and not be able to do the few things that made her happy in her latter years, she just battles on and sees herself as being lucky to be here.

[Dermotsgirl]

1 hour ago, davecttr said:

I took a walk past your health centre hub this morning and noticed it was quiet. A staff member was just returning from buying cakes etc so I asked if they were vaccinating today. No they said, only when they get a batch of vaccine. I learned elsewhere that the next delivery is expected on Friday? It must be very frustrating for the GP hubs who could do so much more if they had the supplies. I wonder if opening these super hubs is just robbing Peter to pay Paul. I checked my hub lead practice web site and it says they have not started vaccinating yet. However friends of friends report that they have had their jab there 

It would be very helpful if an up to date progress report was displayed on GP’s website in a prominent place. At the moment it’s all every much word of mouth. I think people are being patient, but there is a natural desire to know how it’s proceeding on a local level.

 

I understand that Rehman Chishti asked a question in PMQ’s about the speed of the Gillingham roll out - I don’t know what the answer was though! 
 

(disclaimer - although an event in politics mentioned, no opinions discussed)