UK Restrictions Threaten 2021 TA

[clo]

1 minute ago, AZjohn said:

I honestly don’t know how else they can test unless they use those who already been vaccinated? This whole pandemic thing has been so dynamic that once they found a couple vaccines that work to greatly reduce deaths, all the other details about the vaccines we will be leaning on the fly.

I've been thinking about this since I posted. I suppose they're still tracking the original trial testers. So this will be an ongoing.

[AZjohn]

1 minute ago, clo said:

I've been thinking about this since I posted. I suppose they're still tracking the original trial testers. So this will be an ongoing.

Yes, I remember the phase 3 folks had to agree to 2 years of testing (something like that), We of course have many millions that have been vaccinated now and hope some will be willing to be tested more for this question. I know I will volunteer for that or anything else I can do to help after my vaccines 🙂

[Daniel A]

7 hours ago, AZjohn said:

Yes, I remember the phase 3 folks had to agree to 2 years of testing (something like that), We of course have many millions that have been vaccinated now and hope some will be willing to be tested more for this question. I know I will volunteer for that or anything else I can do to help after my vaccines 🙂

I would suspect that they can get a ton of relevant data through diligent contact tracing of those testing positive.  If a person is fully vaccinated and doesn't get ill and doesn't pass along Covid after actual exposure and this starts to show time and again, I would think that would be significant data to rely on - especially if they no longer find transmissions from vaccinated persons to be occurring at all.

 

The answer as to the total benefit for the vaccines may lie in more complete contact tracing.

[njhorseman]

2 hours ago, Daniel A said:

I would suspect that they can get a ton of relevant data through diligent contact tracing of those testing positive.  If a person is fully vaccinated and doesn't get ill and doesn't pass along Covid after actual exposure and this starts to show time and again, I would think that would be significant data to rely on - especially if they no longer find transmissions from vaccinated persons to be occurring at all.

 

The answer as to the total benefit for the vaccines may lie in more complete contact tracing.

Contact tracing has been totally ineffective and virtually useless here in New Jersey, and I'm guessing that's true in many places. People refuse to cooperate with the contact tracers because they believe the government is invading their privacy and will be looking to punish them for violating COVID protocols.

[susiesan]

10 hours ago, AZjohn said:

I honestly don’t know how else they can test unless they use those who already been vaccinated? This whole pandemic thing has been so dynamic that once they found a couple vaccines that work to greatly reduce deaths, all the other details about the vaccines we will be leaning on the fly.

How are health officials going to get those who have been vaccinated to get tested? If I got a phone call or letter or email from someone purporting to know I had been vaccinated and to go get tested I would refuse. How do I know this is not a scammer. The only testing I will do is for travel purposes. I went a whole year without getting tested, had to do it to return home from Costa Rica 2 weeks ago. I will get tested in May so I can go to Namibia and then in Namibia to return home. But that's it. This testing is expensive, inconvenient, and I won't do it for no reason.

[Ride-The-Waves]

20 hours ago, Daniel A said:

 

 

 

Your second dose of Pfizer or Moderna is a booster shot.  The original first dosage may end up being the annual booster.

 

No, it's not.  The two-shot prophylaxis covers the initial efficacy of 95 percent.  Both Pfizer and Moderna, and I expect the others, are working on boosters to provide better protection against the variants which are now proliferating the UK, South Africa, Brazil and other places.

 

We have received both doses of the Pfizer and will continue to practice good PPE, social distancing and washing/sanitizing procedures until informed otherwise while waiting for a booster, likely to be annual and maybe even semi-annual.  COVID-19 is not likely to be "under control" for many years.  The basic coronavirus was first detected in 1965!  

[AZjohn]

2 minutes ago, susiesan said:

This testing is expensive, inconvenient, and I won't do it for no reason.

I think the reason would be to help others....

Where did you come up with you would have to pay for the testing??

Never mind, it really doesn't matter

[susiesan]

I had to pay $111 each for testing in Costa Rica. I will be paying $60 each for testing in Namibia. I am going to have to pay for the test to go to Namibia, don't know how much yet as it has to be a PCR test.

Maybe testing is free in CA but it is not in Kansas City, not for testing to travel. My doctors office doesn't do it either. My husband is going back to work part time in a local hospital that he retired from. Getting tested is not a condition of employment. Testing is not being done much here anymore. A test was not required to get vaccinated.

[Daniel A]

21 hours ago, Daniel A said:

Your second dose of Pfizer or Moderna is a booster shot.  The original first dosage may end up being the annual booster.

 

17 minutes ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

No, it's not.  The two-shot prophylaxis covers the initial efficacy of 95 percent.  Both Pfizer and Moderna, and I expect the others, are working on boosters to provide better protection against the variants which are now proliferating the UK, South Africa, Brazil and other places.

According to UC Davis, the second dose is a booster shot.  UC Davis' FAQ's state:  "Both Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna advised against delaying the second dose if at all possible. However, like with other vaccines, the second COVID-19 vaccination is a booster shot. This increases your level of protection by further teaching your body what the virus looks like, so it can respond quickly. As with other vaccinations, there’s no indication that a delay in receiving the booster shot reduces effectiveness. The timing of the second shot is not strictly critical. The CDC advises that you can receive the second COVID-19 vaccine up to 42 days (or 6 weeks) after the first dose."

 

For more, see:  About the COVID-19 vaccine and your health | Coronavirus | UC Davis Health

 

 

 

[pinotlover]

The discussion on contact tracing is interesting and telling. The Swiss completed a huge project and contact tracing study on their Covid cases and published an interesting report. 
 

One of the funniest remarks out of it came from the fact that the Swiss study only showed a little over 1% of the cases coming from asymptomatic carriers. When asked about this, versus what other countries reported ( US for example), the Swiss reply was “ poor contact tracing on the others part”. 
 

 The Swiss Study provides the greatest insight of how the virus is spread and important data. One of the facts published was that 60% of their cases came from a mere 10% of the infected carriers. These 10% were identified as “ superspreaders “. The US, for example, refuses to identify people as super spreaders, only events. Here identifying people as super spreaders was deemed blaming the victims.

 

I don’t know how we’d ever get cooperation here to participate in good contact tracing. Part of our problem.

[ORV]

56 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

 

According to UC Davis, the second dose is a booster shot.  UC Davis' FAQ's state:  "Both Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna advised against delaying the second dose if at all possible. However, like with other vaccines, the second COVID-19 vaccination is a booster shot. This increases your level of protection by further teaching your body what the virus looks like, so it can respond quickly. As with other vaccinations, there’s no indication that a delay in receiving the booster shot reduces effectiveness. The timing of the second shot is not strictly critical. The CDC advises that you can receive the second COVID-19 vaccine up to 42 days (or 6 weeks) after the first dose."

 

For more, see:  About the COVID-19 vaccine and your health | Coronavirus | UC Davis Health

 

 

 

Perhaps that's the terminology used but I'm pretty sure that it's the same exact formulation as the first shot. Someone that knows for sure can correct me if I'm wrong, just not you. 

[TrulyBlonde]

38 minutes ago, ORV said:

Perhaps that's the terminology used but I'm pretty sure that it's the same exact formulation as the first shot. Someone that knows for sure can correct me if I'm wrong, just not you. 

Actually, I was just reading about this today. I had the Pfizer yesterday (1st dose) and read that both doses are the exact same. They opened up a new age group where I live and was lucky to get it. 70 plus is complete so we did all of the school teachers, staff, bus drivers etc. I just made the new age group with a few doses available for us. :))

[Ride-The-Waves]

2 hours ago, ORV said:

Perhaps that's the terminology used but I'm pretty sure that it's the same exact formulation as the first shot. Someone that knows for sure can correct me if I'm wrong, just not you. 

Exactly what I was told by the fire chief EMT administering my second Pfizer.  

[hawkesbaynz]

The second shot of the Pfizer shot is exactly the same.... although more lethagy, fatigue and general feeling rough after the second shot.

 

I would like to hope we will be welcoming the thread starter in Southampton in October. The UK will have vaccinated 15 million people today which is approximately 25% of the population. Everyone over 18 years hopefully will have been vaccinated by July...tho watch this space.  The virus has been rife in the UK thus those infected should have some immunity for up to 6 months post infection too.

 

Elements of Boris Johnsons party are pushing for almost total opening up of the county by April. Hopefully it will be directed by science though. UK needs to get back to normaility as the virus and Brexit will have almost ruined it.

 

Can only dream of flying to Costa Rica for a holiday. Cannot even visit my mother 50 miles away. 

 

Looking at a Riviera Cruise out of Miami. Do posters think that will happen?

[Daniel A]

I want to make clear what I was saying about a booster shot.  I was responding to a post that said there is currently no booster shot out there.  I was stating that your second dose is a booster shot for the first shot.  I never said it was a different shot, it is the same shot but functions as a booster to the first shot.  In that post, I even indicated that the original dose may end up also being the annual booster.  I never said the second shot was any different from the first.  Some people misunderstood what I was saying and then misrepresented my statements.  I hope this clears up the matter.

[Croooser]

2 hours ago, hawkesbaynz said:

The second shot of the Pfizer shot is exactly the same.... although more lethagy, fatigue and general feeling rough after the second shot.

 

I would like to hope we will be welcoming the thread starter in Southampton in October. The UK will have vaccinated 15 million people today which is approximately 25% of the population. Everyone over 18 years hopefully will have been vaccinated by July...tho watch this space.  The virus has been rife in the UK thus those infected should have some immunity for up to 6 months post infection too.

 

Elements of Boris Johnsons party are pushing for almost total opening up of the county by April. Hopefully it will be directed by science though. UK needs to get back to normaility as the virus and Brexit will have almost ruined it.

 

Can only dream of flying to Costa Rica for a holiday. Cannot even visit my mother 50 miles away. 

 

Looking at a Riviera Cruise out of Miami. Do posters think that will happen?

Thanks for posting this info. IMHO, in the USA we have a self absorbed view of the world. So, the fact that the UK is at a >25% rate gets little or no media play over here. Yesterday's data indicates another 1,700,000 doses administered in the UK!

 

On a wing and a prayer, we also have a TA out of Southampton booked in November. Still need a minor miracle sequence of events for it to happen but this info breathes some life into our hopes.

 

Would love to provide a wee bit of help to the UK economic recovery with a couple of days of getting our London "fix".

 

Sorry, no insight on Oceania out of Miami next winter season but I'd guess that there is a decent chance with continued progress between now and then. Fingers crossed for you. 

Edited February 14, 2021 by Croooser

[hawkesbaynz]

Thanks @Croooser You have had plenty to absorb yourself with these last few months...

 

I hope to see you cruising out of Southampton next November. We can see the funnels sail by at 5pm from an upstairs window although a ten minute walk will allow a great view of Southampton Water.

[azdrydock]

Did some google research and both shots are identical however the second shot is not considered a booster. Generally a booster is to restore protection to the original levels and in this case it would be the level  two weeks after the second shot. There are currently studies exploring using a vaccine different from the original as a future booster shot.

 

I heard that there are current problems traveling through LHR to other EU destinations, For example if you have to book a trip that requires separate tickets from the US to LHR and then from LHR to your final destination you are subject to UK testing and quarantine rules and then again the rules at the final destination. I also heard some TA's are recommending going through Belfast even though it might require additional flights. Any truth to this?

 

[pinotlover]

Yes. For those that try to book cheap flights through LHR with non Alliance commuter airlines, things are now more complicated. Staying on Star Alliance, oneworld, etc will save one hassles, even if a bit more expensive.

[marieps]

9 hours ago, hawkesbaynz said:

The second shot of the Pfizer shot is exactly the same.... although more lethagy, fatigue and general feeling rough after the second shot.

 

I would like to hope we will be welcoming the thread starter in Southampton in October. The UK will have vaccinated 15 million people today which is approximately 25% of the population. Everyone over 18 years hopefully will have been vaccinated by July...tho watch this space.  The virus has been rife in the UK thus those infected should have some immunity for up to 6 months post infection too.

 

Elements of Boris Johnsons party are pushing for almost total opening up of the county by April. Hopefully it will be directed by science though. UK needs to get back to normaility as the virus and Brexit will have almost ruined it.

 

Can only dream of flying to Costa Rica for a holiday. Cannot even visit my mother 50 miles away. 

 

Looking at a Riviera Cruise out of Miami. Do posters think that will happen?

I certainly hope to receive your welcome!  BTW, we are on Riviera 2/7/22.  If that's the voyage you're looking at...hope to welcome YOU!!

[marieps]

42 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

Yes. For those that try to book cheap flights through LHR with non Alliance commuter airlines, things are now more complicated. Staying on Star Alliance, oneworld, etc will save one hassles, even if a bit more expensive.

We booked our one-way on Delta and was quite surprised at how reasonable the price was.  Delta is offering free changes for tickets purchased before March...so we went ahead.  As we live in ATL it'll be easy to use up the credits on DAL should there be a need to cancel.  Let's hope not!

Edited February 14, 2021 by marieps

[azdrydock]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Yes. For those that try to book cheap flights through LHR with non Alliance commuter airlines, things are now more complicated. Staying on Star Alliance, oneworld, etc will save one hassles, even if a bit more expensive.

Problem is you may only have single carrier (OneWorld) with nonstop service to  (LHR)  and have to go to a city in Europe only served by a Star carrier. It might take up to two additional legs and many more hours to stay on affiliated airlines. More expensive then a single ticket route but a lot less time.

[azdrydock]

52 minutes ago, azdrydock said:

Problem is you may only have single carrier (OneWorld) with nonstop service to  (LHR)  and have to go to a city in Europe only served by a Star carrier. It might take up to two additional legs and many more hours to stay on affiliated airlines. More expensive then the single ticket route but a lot less time with a quick change  at LHR

 

[hamrag]

21 hours ago, Daniel A said:

I want to make clear what I was saying about a booster shot.  I was responding to a post that said there is currently no booster shot out there.  I was stating that your second dose is a booster shot for the first shot.  I never said it was a different shot, it is the same shot but functions as a booster to the first shot.  In that post, I even indicated that the original dose may end up also being the annual booster.  I never said the second shot was any different from the first.  Some people misunderstood what I was saying and then misrepresented my statements.  I hope this clears up the matter.

 

Your explanation indicates that you yourself do not understand what you are saying! 😉

[Daniel A]

1 hour ago, hamrag said:

 

Your explanation indicates that you yourself do not understand what you are saying! 😉

Then that places you squarely in the group of people who cannot grasp what I am saying.  A 'booster' is not descriptive of a formulation, rather 'booster' refers to the function a vaccination shot.  Many 'boosters' for various diseases are the very same shot that was originally given.  They are referred to as 'boosters' because they boost a person's immune response back up to the desired level.  Yes, some boosters are 'tweaked' versions of the original dose but many others are the exact same formulation of the original dose.

 

According to Medicinenet.com, the definition of a booster shot is as follows:

 

"Medical Definition of Booster shot

Medical Author: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

 

Booster shot: An additional dose of a vaccine needed periodically to 'boost' the immune system. For example, a booster shot of the tetanus and diphtheria (Td) vaccine is recommended for adults every 10 years."

See:  Definition of Booster shot (medicinenet.com)

 

I hope this helps you to grasp what I have said.  If it doesn't, then I cannot help you.