New vaccine

[jaydee6969]

2 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

I heard on the news this morning that they are considering trials of giving one Pfizer vaccination and an AZ one later.  They want volunteers over the age of 60.  Quite a good idea.

 

It is for over 50's, and I have signed up as a potential volunteer this morning, as Southampton is one of the areas being recruited.

 

Lots of combinations to be tested, including 4 week to 12 week periods between jabs.

 

All down to luck if I get selected.

[terrierjohn]

3 minutes ago, Dinglebert said:

I would agree.  I imagine the scenario was very much the person received a letter with information leaflet inviting him to make an appointment to receive his vaccination.   He having read the leaflet or indeed not decides not to make that appointment.   He then receives a phone call asking him again to make an appointment which he declines.  To receive a second phone call wouldn't leave many people very happy.

 

While personally I have had my first vaccination and can't wait to get my second and equally I believe that everyone who can have it should.  However we do need to respect the rights of people to choose not to.

But there will be some who missed the letter or the venue was too far away, who will be only too happy to have multiple invitations until they are offered a venue they prefer.  How do you differentiate them?

[yorkshirephil]

3 minutes ago, arlowood said:

This discussion featured in the BBC news bulletin at 1pm. It would appear that mixing vaccines is practiced routinely in other therapies. Also during the Ebola epidemic they found that employing an approach of giving mixed vaccines was shown to be more beneficial and provided better outcomes.

 

It would appear that the Pfizer and Oxford/AZ vaccines both target the spike protein on the virus but in completely different ways. On that basis there is hope that a combination approach could boost the efficacy. Time will tell but it is certainly worth trying. Also with other new vaccines in the pipeline it would make eminent sense to investigate his mix and match philosophy to help the global effort to control Covid-19

Mixing vaccines has been going on for many years, when vaccines were coming into their own in the 50/60s it was not unusual to have a different vaccine as a booster when compared to the prime dose. It was not really discussed outside of the medical profession then. As you say time will tell, but unless we try these things we will never know and that is what has always driven medical science. Sometimes things go wrong and we have to learn from that. The government made a bold move ordering millions of vaccine doses many months before they were manufactured, they took a chance on the 3 week v 3 month dosage which may or may not prove wise. I would be happy to have a dose of each vaccine as I am confident that even if it didn't prove more effective it would do me no harm. 

[Adawn47]

3 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

I heard on the news this morning that they are considering trials of giving one Pfizer vaccination and an AZ one later.  They want volunteers over the age of 60.  Quite a good idea.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when the vaccinations were  first discussed in a briefing, didn't  Chris Whitty? say that it was important the 2nd dose had to be the the same vaccine as the 1st?

Avril

[Son of Anarchy]

Thanks Jean and Jaydee for posting.  We missed the news this morning.

 

Both The Ole Lady & I have now signed up as well.  Hopefully London will stretch out enough to be convenient for Sarfend if chosen.

 

I also noticed that it looks they are also looking to test AZ and Sputnik, but that will only be tested in Russia.

[arlowood]

6 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when the vaccinations were  first discussed in a briefing, didn't  Chris Whitty? say that it was important the 2nd dose had to be the the same vaccine as the 1st?

Avril

I think you are correct but equally at that point in time we only had the trial data provided by the separate research groups. I think it would have been jumped upon if he had suggested a mix and match approach even before the programme had got off the ground.

 

Now with the majority of the most vulnerable having received their first dose it would seem sensible to investigate the mixing option. That trial will now start in the lower over-50's group as they come forward for vaccination

From what I hear it will only be later this year or even next year before they will have the data to support or reject the mixing approach. All the vulnerable groups dosed this year will get the same vaccine for both doses

[yorkshirephil]

6 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when the vaccinations were  first discussed in a briefing, didn't  Chris Whitty? say that it was important the 2nd dose had to be the the same vaccine as the 1st?

Avril

He did say something along those lines, not sure of the exact words, and until trials are completed I don't see him changing. Pfizer and the MHRA manufactured and approved a vaccine based on 3 weeks between doses but that did not stop the the experts changing to 3 months, as I have previously said that is a huge gamble and time will tell. I don't really agree with going against protocol but realise that the decision was made for what will hopefully turn out to be for the greater good.

[Adawn47]

I have my jab booked at my local surgery for Saturday morning, Guess what the NHS letter I've just received is about?

Avril

[pete14]

3 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

Thanks for that Pete, I was thinking that I would do it so I will ask if they have any info on it when I go for my appointment next Thursday.

We are Thursday as well. 

[yorkshirephil]

3 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

I have my jab booked at my local surgery for Saturday morning, Guess what the NHS letter I've just received is about?

Avril

At least you got the letter before the jab, my MIL got hers the week after and thought it was for the second jab.

[Beckett]

39 minutes ago, Dinglebert said:

I would agree.  I imagine the scenario was very much the person received a letter with information leaflet inviting him to make an appointment to receive his vaccination.   He having read the leaflet or indeed not decides not to make that appointment.   He then receives a phone call asking him again to make an appointment which he declines.  To receive a second phone call wouldn't leave many people very happy.

 

While personally I have had my first vaccination and can't wait to get my second and equally I believe that everyone who can have it should.  However we do need to respect the rights of people to choose not to.

The actual scenario was that this particular gentleman had originally told us he was thinking about it so we made a follow-up call.  He knows us very well, and all of us by name, so there was no chance he could have thought it was a scam call. Quite a few of our patients have said no initially then reversed their decision after speaking to friends and family and/or doing their own research. There was no, and never will be, any pressure on our patients to have the vaccine. It is entirely their choice. I apologised to him and told him we were certainly not stalking him. His right to have, or not to have, is entirely respected. J.x

[Josy1953]

12 minutes ago, pete14 said:

We are Thursday as well. 

 

I will be out of the house most of Thursday, Novavax am, optician 1 pm, dentist 3:30 pm 😁

[john watson]

44 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

But there will be some who missed the letter or the venue was too far away, who will be only too happy to have multiple invitations until they are offered a venue they prefer.  How do you differentiate them?

 

I think it important that your GP surgery have your current address and phone number, ideally mobile phone also.  Some people like their GP and move slightly out of the GP catchment area and don't report it and this may also mean a different telephone exchange.

 

This can be a problem where a GP gets blood tests from the hospital relies on you contact details as recorded on the computer and the hospital comes up with an alarming result and it goes to the Out of Hours service on an immediate contact basis which doesn't happen. Your plan is to go back to the GP on Monday.

 

Regards John

 

 

[Adawn47]

7 minutes ago, Beckett said:

The actual scenario was that this particular gentleman had originally told us he was thinking about it so we made a follow-up call.  He knows us very well, and all of us by name, so there was no chance he could have thought it was a scam call. Quite a few of our patients have said no initially then reversed their decision after speaking to friends and family and/or doing their own research. There was no, and never will be, any pressure on our patients to have the vaccine. It is entirely their choice. I apologised to him and told him we were certainly not stalking him. His right to have, or not to have, is entirely respected. J.x

Just doing your job Jane. Making sure that everyone who wants  to be vaccinated is contacted and no-one is forgotten

Avril

[yorkshirephil]

4 minutes ago, Beckett said:

The actual scenario was that this particular gentleman had originally told us he was thinking about it so we made a follow-up call.  He knows us very well, and all of us by name, so there was no chance he could have thought it was a scam call. Quite a few of our patients have said no initially then reversed their decision after speaking to friends and family and/or doing their own research. There was no, and never will be, any pressure on our patients to have the vaccine. It is entirely their choice. I apologised to him and told him we were certainly not stalking him. His right to have, or not to have, is entirely respected. J.x

It is a credit to you that you are following up, a lot of people just don't understand or are frightened by anti vac propaganda, I would imagine lots of older people are worried and need support to make their decision. 

[Beckett]

6 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Just doing your job Jane. Making sure that everyone who wants  to be vaccinated is contacted and no-one is forgotten

Avril

Exactly that Avril. The funny thing is, that in this case, the gentleman concerned is quite likely to change his mind. He's very well-known to us. Jane.x

[davecttr]

Just got my NHS letter asking me to book my jab via the NHS site. As the mass vaccination centres are many miles away, especially if you don't have access to personal transport, I will wait for the GP hub call. The letter does make it clear that you have the choice. I am 69 so things are moving along nicely as I was expecting to wait until late February or early March.

[Beckett]

7 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

It is a credit to you that you are following up, a lot of people just don't understand or are frightened by anti vac propaganda, I would imagine lots of older people are worried and need support to make their decision. 

You're right Phil. The anti-vaxxers have a lot to answer for. Also, some of the older, worried population have no-one whose opinion they can seek. Many of our oldies have been unsure at first but are swayed by their equally elderly neighbours who have been vaccinated  - especially if they are in assisted living settings. Bless 'em. Jane.x

[Beckett]

24 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

 

I will be out of the house most of Thursday, Novavax am, optician 1 pm, dentist 3:30 pm 😁

A full M.O.T. Josy! J.x

[yorkshirephil]

32 minutes ago, Beckett said:

He's very well-known to us. Jane.x

We have a saying in Yorkshire for them which I won't repeat for fear of being castigated for being rude😉

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, Adawn47 said:

I have my jab booked at my local surgery for Saturday morning, Guess what the NHS letter I've just received is about?

Avril

Better to have 2 rather than still be waiting Avril. From all the postings I guess just about everyone has had at least 2 notifications.

[Aulanis]

3 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

We have a saying in Yorkshire for them which I won't repeat for fear of being castigated for being rude😉

Castigated sounds pretty rude to me  - 🙂

[delgirl]

Had a letter from my gp this morning thought it was for my jab (I am 68). Turns out it was a letter inviting me to do a trial for migraine. Seeing as I have never had a migraine in my life I was a bit gobsmacked. Surely they would need people who suffer from migraine to do the trial.

[Dinglebert]

1 minute ago, delgirl said:

Had a letter from my gp this morning thought it was for my jab (I am 68). Turns out it was a letter inviting me to do a trial for migraine. Seeing as I have never had a migraine in my life I was a bit gobsmacked. Surely they would need people who suffer from migraine to do the trial.

No you would be part of the control group.

[pete14]

1 hour ago, Josy1953 said:

 

I will be out of the house most of Thursday, Novavax am, optician 1 pm, dentist 3:30 pm 😁

Novavax is 10:00 am