Good news for a change.

[steve_holmes_11]

Indeed.

It's too easy to be against things, and too easy to take (or assume) polarising view points.

I'm massively pro vaccines. But I'm also very aware that version 1.0 of anything isn't often the best.

There's an interesting engineers' viewpoint (somewhat outdated as manufacturing technology has now improved so much) that version 2 is usually the best.
After #2 the tendency is to crank up the production rate, and seek economies "You didn't really need that radio...".

Of course there are exceptions:
Music - the "difficult" second album - through I would argue that many bands second albums are among their greatest.
Tanks - at some point they'll figure out how to fit a bigger gun.

[DaveH]

Indeed.

It's too easy to be against things, and too easy to take (or assume) polarising view points.

I'm massively pro vaccines. But I'm also very aware that version 1.0 of anything isn't often the best.

Very much how I feel about it. The safety data that has been released on the trials is encouraging so far, but until we get the feedback from the initial rollout we don't have the sheer numbers that will confirm that the covid vaccines are safe across all groups.

[John Cook]

I would love to believe this John. But what is stopping UK buyers buying it from abroad (eg BUPA, Private Clinics, Big Business), where there is no free medical system? The pharmaceutical companies are not particularly known for their ethical behavior.  Do we really think they will turn down a fast buck?

The cost of a single vaccine dose in  India is possibly going to be as low as £4.50 to a more likely £27.  Given as the suggestion that it is likely to take in excess of a year to vaccinate the whole of the UK  and the fact that corruption in India and similar countries is rife. I would be very surprised if you cannot get an injection at a private clinic in the UK in the next few months well in advance of when you would be called unless you are on the 1st list to be vaccinated..  

Well, I'm not quite as cynical as you perhaps, and take the statement by the producers and the government at face value until they turn out to be false.  Pfizer said it has no plans to supply the jab to the private sector for the foreseeable future and AstraZeneca said it is committed to broad and equitable access at no profit during the pandemic, and that agreements prioritise the supply to all governments and multilateral organisations.  The UK Government has insisted there will be no queue-jumping for a Covid-19 vaccine and "every single person in the UK" will be offered one for free on the NHS before any private providers will even have a product to sell.  Ultimately it will be like the flu jab I'm sure and become a routine part of preparing for winter.  Those who want it will either get it via the NHS (which is not free, contrary to popular belief - we pay for it through general taxation) or they will pay for it. 

[John Cook]

This disease  in a large number of cases is a particularly nasty disease to get, with potential long term life changing effects. I It has caused some 50,000+ people in this country to die in a very unpleasant way.  

Those not vaccinated will have the potential to infect those where the vaccine did not take, those who are at the end of the effective period the vaccination works for. (which we have no idea how long this is ) . Or others who were not given the vaccine.

Being young fit and healthy is no guarantee you won't die, or pass it on to someone who almost certainly will.

Getting everybody vaccinated is the only way to try and get rid of the disease or at least ensure that most people survive it .

The cost of vaccinating everybody (around £3.5 Billion) is about 10% of what the furlough scheme cost. Plus the impact on jobs, industry etc.

That is a pretty succinct summary, I'd say.

[steve_holmes_11]

Hats off to the first two recipients: Margaret Keenan and William Shakespaeare (Fact!)


Not so much to the flood of antivaxers who are flooding twitter with their dubious speculation.

[Techno II]

Stealing the most awful puns, that I've already seen..
If Margaret was the very first person to have the vaccine....She could be classed as 1-A, as far as the rollout was concerned.

Will Shakespeare could be 2-B.....or  not 2-B?

Don't have a go at me.....or you'll  be bard....I didn't make those up.

Cheers - Phil😁

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

WE just got mass testing set up, you willk b e upset to hear that I'm negative ! 

[John Cook]

Stealing the most awful puns, that I've already seen..

All's Well That Ends Well.

[Orcs]

All's Well That Ends Well.

As you like it!

[Ray Rivers]

Very much how I feel about it. The safety data that has been released on the trials is encouraging so far, but until we get the feedback from the initial rollout we don't have the sheer numbers that will confirm that the covid vaccines are safe across all groups.

You see, this is where I have some misgivings.

The Pfizer and Moderna "vaccines" are not normal vaccines. They are in fact the first vaccines which use mRNA (messenger RNA) to be approved.

Problems which may occur, such as autoimmune reactions, will not be known for at least a couple years, as there has been no long term testing. In the short term women who are pregnant will not receive the vaccine (no testing) and children 12 and under either. So there has been a lot of short cuts made here to get this vaccine on the street.

The use of mRNA against other diseases such as cancer are still in the testing stages.

So one could actually say... this is one big experiment.

For more information: University of Cambridge https://www.phgfoundation.org/briefing/rna-vaccines

[GrumpyOldMan]

Stealing the most awful puns, that I've already seen..

"Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Corona's day.' "

[Raider4]

Just feeling glad that I'm not Russian.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

"Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Corona's day.' "

What from a beer bottle ?