Covid Vaccination

[smurfchops]

Will you have it or wait to see if there are any side effects?

[woofgang]

rowan so do I some years! Did you used to get it dismissed as "In your imagination"? The first year I had the adjuvanted one it was really bad but oddly now I get less reaction than I did from the under 65's one.

[theprof]

satprof, confusion still reigns over these vaccines, so let me fill in some of the gaps.

The Oxford vaccine is a viral vector vaccine. The UK has massive experience in developing this type of vaccine. It is 70.4% effective at stopping people getting Covid-19. Its efficacy is dose related. Half a dose plus a full dose 2-3 weeks later increases its efficacy to 90%. A full dose plus another full dose 2-3 weeks later has an efficacy of 70.4%. The dosage regimes have not been finalised as work needs to be done on technical matters involving the vaccine, so it's not simply a case of giving a half dose first and then a full dose a fortnight later. There are some indications that two half doses might work better. It's not straightforward for now and time will tell. On the bright side, early indications are that the Oxford vaccine prevents transmission as well as providing immunity. It remains the only vaccine for now that can do this. This immunity should lead to herd immunity in time. The vaccine currently costs £2.23 per shot and can be stored at 2-8 degrees C.

The Pfizer BioNTECH vaccine costs £29.47 for two jabs. Its based on mRNA and in a nutshell, tricks the body into making antibodies. It has been shown to be 90% effective and requires two jabs, three to four weeks apart. The storage temperature does represent a problem but there are ways around it. Pfizer have developed transportation containers that maintain the required temperature for days between countries. The freezers required only need to be installed in centres throughout the UK from which they dispatch the vaccine to regional centres where it can sit quite happily at normal fridge temperatures for a few days before the vaccines viability is destroyed. There a hundreds of these specialised freezers in research facilities and universities throughout the UK and production has been ramped up.

I've had the Oxford jab and suffered no ill effects apart from some soreness at the injection site overnight.

[Sqad]

the prof.
Is there any evidence that the Pfizer bioNTECH vaccine prevents transmission?

[theprof]

Major discussions are still continuing over the immunisation centres. There are serious issues over whether GP surgeries will be used for reasons of cost, opening hours, vaccine storage and the time that staff would need to dedicate to the job.

I have no doubt that given that medical charities such as the Red Cross have been roped in as well as retired medical staff etc, we'll succeed.

[Barsel]

How will we know when it's our turn to have it?
Will we get a letter, a text, an email?
Where will we have to go to get it?
The hospital, the GP's a designated centre?
smurfchops sorry for asking questions on your thread.

[Vagus]

Barsel, it has been said that we’ll probably be told by letter.
As to where, as theprof explains, all the logistics have yet to be worked out, so no one’s knows just yet.

[Vagus]

Oh, and thanks theprof, that’s a couple of great informative posts.

[Barsel]

Vagus I didn't see what theprof had put @13.21, must have been typing my questions. Must admit I didn't read theprofs post @ 13.10 as it looked a bit too technical for me. So I suppose the answers to my questions would be, we don't know yet.

[theprof]

Sqad, there's no certainty about it right now. Research is ongoing and it will need further trials that are sparse right now on this matter. If a vaccine does not reduce viral transmission, it leaves the unimmunised vulnerable. In turn, the fear is that person to person transmission will lead to the virus mutating.

[Sqad]

Thanks prof......that sinister word....mutation.

[Vagus]

theprof, is it possible you could explain, simply, how a vaccine can prevent transmission. I can grasp how it provides immunity but not how it prevents transmission.
Thank you.

[theprof]

Barsel, I have absolutely no idea of the answers to your four questions. It's a decision for our politicians and SAGE committee and sub-commitees to work out.

[Sqad]

Vagus.....lol......and to me.

[Bazile]

theprof

If you don't mind me asking .

Will you be having the vaccination yourself as soon as you get the opportunity ?

[Vagus]

Didn’t he say he’s had it?

[Vagus]

Nope, he didn’t...
must be thinking of someone else

[Sqad]

Vagus....yes he did and he has.

[Mamyalynne]

Yes @ 13.10

[jim360]

theprof: "I've had the Oxford jab and suffered no ill effects apart from some soreness at the injection site overnight."

So I'd assume he's had the Oxford jab, at least. I'd also assume that he hasn't had the Pfizer one yet.

Is there a call for having both jabs (or, at least, more than one vaccine against Covid from different providers)? I would assume probably not, but this is so far away from my area.

[Vagus]

Yay, thanks, thought I was going potty