General Chat

According to at least one of todays papers just one GP surgery will be nominated in each area to give the vaccine.

That could involve driving (or taking numerous buses) some distance to get it. :-|

Not sure whether this is fact or fiction, but one medico in Oz is saying to be wary of the vaccine, particularly for children.

According to this person no one knows the possible adverse effect on children as no person under the age of eighteen has taken part in the clinical trials.

Also, no one is sure of any possible long term effects of the vaccine.

I am not anti-vaccine, and in fact had my first flu jab this year, nor am I a conspiracy theorist; I'm just relaying what has been stated. I can't vouch for veracity of the statement

I hope it's sour grapes because he/she was not at the forefront, Allan. :-0

The reason - all of our medics and emergency services are first in line to receive it, followed by the over-80s then the over-75s - so I am up there. Surely they would not risk the lives of medics and emergency service personnel ...... and me? :-S

As the vaccine has to be stored at under 80 degs and is kept in very large phials, it will mean all hands on deck once a phial is opened.

Not sour grapes, JoyLouise, just a note of caution.

I am also in the more mature category who would receive the vaccine, but I most certainly will not be the first in the queue.

On this occasion I will be happy to let herd immunity take over ;-)

According to reports here, the vaccine is not intended for use on children.

I think I'll just stay in until the flu season is over and beyond. It doesn't bother me at all.

Once they have organized and vaccinated down to my level and all is progressing well, apart from any odd allergic reaction, I shall have it when my turn comes around. If it's good enough for doctors and nurses, care home staff and residents, it's good enough for me.

Never look a gift horse in the mouth! I am prepared to take a risk as long as I am not first in line and can gauge previous reactions and, anyway, I think it will be months before they get around to my age group - as Rollo wrote, the logistics of storage, transport etc are going to have to be put in place first.

This will be a time when armed service medics and logistics teams will be called in to help, I believe. If not, they ought to be, in my opinion.

Rollo, You state: "The cyrogenics storage and transport equipment required to establish a cold chain of -70C / 80C is simply not available in the UK"

Have you not heard of Dry Ice?

"Dry ice is solid. It sublimates or changes states from a solid to a gas at temperatures of -78 degrees Celsius under normal atmospheric pressure of 1 atm. Because of its low temperature at normal atmospheric pressure, it is useful as a coolant."

What I find strange is that the statement and information was released without any data. It would be good to know the age profile and health of Pfizer's 'guinea pigs' as well as other information from the trials,

Also, because I am suspicious by nature, it is interesting to see how share prices have rocketed in certain areas as speculators climb on board.

However, apparently, the Oxford trials ought to be over by next summer - or are expected to be - and I hope they eill be released with more information than we've had this week.

RTR, so you're going back on your initial 'statement' ?

As for your following 'statement' "Dry ice is not suitable for this kind of application and is not used for it", May I draw your attention to this article:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-54889084

Here's the relevant paragraph:
"Pfizer has developed a special transport box the size of a suitcase, packed with dry ice and installed with GPS trackers, which can keep up to 5,000 doses of the vaccine at the right temperature for 10 days, as long as it remains unopened. The boxes are also reusable".

Joy Louise

It was said that the data was not yet available but would be shortly. The Oxford vaccine trials are due to be published next week along with the data.

If the BBC is correct, Nicola Sturgeon has ordered 20 outsize fridges to be placed in "strategic locations" around the country, in preparation. She also said that the logistics were difficult, even worse than the flu vaccine, because we apparently need two doses, three weeks apart.

If OH and I are offered it, we will definitely accept.

Nitrogen freezers are necessary, as you said, Rollo. (Used my ask a bro card) :-D

RTR - It was the BBC .
It pays to actually read the article - or even take note of the 'bbc' element of the address before passing comment. :-\

Edit: You also failed to mention which article on the Pfizer page you gave a link to, that you gleaned your information from.
That would be handy, considering your failure to read the BBC article - maybe others' would like to read your 'superior' source.

I heard some boffin say a while ago that you shouldn't have the vaccination if you've had the virus in case of a possible adverse reaction. I'm nervous of this because I had the virus last March and had a positive antibody test. I haven't heard anyone mention it since, though.

Annie

Until the data is released there is no informed advice.

Many people don't know if they've had it, and can't get an antibody test :-(

My eldest had another test today. Her illness/meds can create similar symptoms to Covid.
Like you, Kuros, I believe I had it very early on.

I've had liquid nitrogen treatment at our surgery, so it can't be that difficult to store it, although perhaps not in the quantities needed by the vaccine.

It's going to be at least spring next year, and possibly later before you even have to think about it!!!! It will take at least that long to produce the doses required

Here in Canada, over 70s will be in the first cohort to receive a vaccine when ready, followed by health care workers, then essential workers.

There are still the results of tens of thousands more subjects to be tallied ........... I have heard more than the 30,000 or 40,000 reported this week.

Vaccine scientists here say that it is not unusual to get 90% effective in the early results, but that the %age more commonly drops, often dramatically, as the later results are tallied.

Plus we have absolutely no idea how long the vaccine will be effective ............ 1 month, 2 months, a year? ........... and no idea of side effects.

There have been some reports that quite a few of the volunteers in the trial have reports severe headaches and other symptoms during the days after vaccination.

A little off topic but this year we didn't receive notification for our usual winter flu jab. On ringing the surgery was told they had run out of vaccine and didn't know if they would receive any more. Asked if they had any idea where one could get a jab and was told try local chemist. Had to wait three weeks but we both went last Saturday.

If the surgery cannot even organise normal jabs what hope is there for a more complicated system of allocation.

Jacqueline my mum has been waiting a month to get her flu jab at boots chemist. She was told on Monday, they do not have any flu vaccines and she should come back in a month as they don't know when they will get more in!

I personally will not if offered take the vaccine. I'm concerned 5 years down the line what the side effects could do. Its so new not enough will be known about the side effects for several years yet.
Some years ago, I was pressured into having the flu jab and 10 days afterwards, I ended up in hospital with pneumonia.

I'm not anti vaccine but in this case and the flu jab, I have chosen not to have it.

Florence in the hebrides

Edit; Re flu, I have only ever had it once in the 80's