Coronavirus

[Batch]

rollout starts next week, fairly limited (we are getting 800k doses, so 400k people) but it's a start.

reservations on the speed of this I can understand

[horlock07]

rollout starts next week, fairly limited (we are getting 800k doses, so 400k people) but it's a start.

reservations on the speed of this I can understand

Got enough on order to do c.1/3 of the population I see, not clear what the lead time on that will be though.

[Flashheart]

As usual, there's so many experts on FB and Twitter claiming it must have been rushed through. Because, of course, they know more than the people who have dedicated their lives to this stuff (and are probably rather a lot smarter). Thalidomide is now trending on Twitter as a result as a result.

The reality, and this comes not from me (not an expert), but from those people that do know:

The reason vaccines usually take longer to be approved is usually down to 2 things: Money, and the will to get it done. This time, money has been thrown at it meaning the research has been able to continue uninterrupted and with all the brains and other resources they need readily available. They have not been made to wait for more funding. There have also been many people willing to take part in the trials - without which it would take longer to perform the number of tests needed to get reliable results.

The research and testing into this have been just as rigorous as before. There have been no corners cut.

It is simply a matter of the research and testing being able to run without the stalling and interruptions that vaccines would usually experience. Like me making a meal in 30 minutes instead of 2 hours because I didn't have to pop out to get some ingredients. It's not that the meal was rushed - it's how long it was supposed to take.

[Matchworn Shirts]

It is similar to quotes I have seen from people who states they will wait for the AstraZenca/Oxford vaccine because anything 'British' is far superior to any 'American rubbish vaccine'

[Flashheart]

It is similar to quotes I have seen from people who states they will wait for the AstraZenca/Oxford vaccine because anything 'British' is far superior to any 'American rubbish vaccine'

Which shows how ignorant they are. The 'American rubbish' would have to pass British standards before being approved by British regulators.

[Matchworn Shirts]

& it was not developed in the USA

[Batch]

It is similar to quotes I have seen from people who states they will wait for the AstraZenca/Oxford vaccine because anything 'British' is far superior to any 'American rubbish vaccine'

I would say though that the AstraZeneca vaccine uses a more traditional vaccine approach that Pfizer.

I do get people's concerns. But I guess you need to weigh it up against the risk of Covid

[horlock07]

It is similar to quotes I have seen from people who states they will wait for the AstraZenca/Oxford vaccine because anything 'British' is far superior to any 'American rubbish vaccine'

TBF No.10 have been putting pressure on the manufacturers to include a Union Jack on the Oxford vaccine packaging (seriously)..

I would say though that the AstraZeneca vaccine uses a more traditional vaccine approach that Pfizer.

Thing is (and this is direct from a pharmacists mouth, not a fuckwit like me) the non-traditional bit is the mRNA elements, whilst it has not been used in a widespread vaccine yet, it has been under development for decades, its not been rushed at all, its just coincidence that now is the first time its to be used in anger so to speak.

[Panda Paws]

Just let the clowns opt out, restrict their public involvement in any crowd situation and let them live their sorry little lives under a stone.

[horlock07]

[Bogus Dave]

To be fair, the ‘boots on the ground’ part of the testing regime that we have in place now is genuinely one of the best in the world in terms of size, availability and speed of access

They overpromised, sure. And there are faults still in other parts of the system. But we’re testing more per capita than any other country in the world

[Bogus Dave]

The vaccine rollout will have military support too. They know a thing or two about logistics

[pauld]

As usual, there's so many experts on FB and Twitter claiming it must have been rushed through. Because, of course, they know more than the people who have dedicated their lives to this stuff (and are probably rather a lot smarter). Thalidomide is now trending on Twitter as a result as a result.

The reality, and this comes not from me (not an expert), but from those people that do know:

The reason vaccines usually take longer to be approved is usually down to 2 things: Money, and the will to get it done. This time, money has been thrown at it meaning the research has been able to continue uninterrupted and with all the brains and other resources they need readily available. They have not been made to wait for more funding. There have also been many people willing to take part in the trials - without which it would take longer to perform the number of tests needed to get reliable results.

The research and testing into this have been just as rigorous as before. There have been no corners cut.

It is simply a matter of the research and testing being able to run without the stalling and interruptions that vaccines would usually experience. Like me making a meal in 30 minutes instead of 2 hours because I didn't have to pop out to get some ingredients. It's not that the meal was rushed - it's how long it was supposed to take.

This was covered really well in the new Tim Harford series How to Vaccinate the World (think I've mentioned it before). It's an interesting listen and very good at answering a lot of the questions around the vaccines and vaccine development and application in general.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000py6x

[Shrivvy Road]

To be fair, the ‘boots on the ground’ part of the testing regime that we have in place now is genuinely one of the best in the world in terms of size, availability and speed of access

They overpromised, sure. And there are faults still in other parts of the system. But we’re testing more per capita than any other country in the world

Love to know how we are testing so many. I am working as booking in tests and waiting 20 minutes between calls

[pauld]

Nice to see Hancock using the good news about vaccine rollout to spread disinformation that this was done quicker because of Brexit*. The govt are rightly concerned about disinformation and outright lies discouraging take-up of the vaccine. So it might help if they could stop joining in.

*June Raine, head of the MHRA, which regulates the approval of the vaccine, said "We have been able to authorise the supply of this vaccine using provisions under European law, which exist until (Jan. 1). Our progress has been totally dependent on the availability of data in our rolling review and the rigorous assessment and independent advice we have received"
https://uk.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-britain-mhra/uks-covid-19-vaccine-approval-meets-international-standards-regulator-idUKS8N2I903B