The Vaccine Thread

[Mellotron]

Wanted to keep this well away from the Good News Thread.

We are now approaching the final straight for potential approval of 4 initial vaccines - Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca/Oxford, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Current noises are that there is a 50/50 chance of some high priority members of the public being vaccinated this side of New Year.

I'm curious as to people's views on what take up will be like, and whether you would take one if;

A> It has been approved by the MHRA, FDA etc and passed all appropriate and relevant safety protocols - side effects likely to be either non-existent or incredibly rare.
B> The Government have been advised that it will be of use re: lowering infection/death rates for someone such as you to be vaccinated.
C> It is free, and easily available - i.e. can book appt at your local surgery and be in and out within 20 minutes.

Can we TRY not to derail the thread with conspiracy theories or politics? Appreciate that's a big ask for NSC.

 

[rippleman]

Of course! Be crazy not to under the conditions you have outlined.

Be interesting to see who is classified as a "high priority member of the public". Doctors, nurses, careworkers - absolutely. Politicians should be at the back of the queue.

 

[zefarelly]

Of course! Be crazy not to under the conditions you have outlined.

Be interesting to see who is classified as a "high priority member of the public". Doctors, nurses, careworkers - absolutely. Politicians should be at the back of the queue.

politicians shouldn't be allowed in the queue. they should be a trialists, whilst living in cold dark damp squalid conditions being fed by food banks.

Just to make sure it works properly.

 

[B-right-on]

No. Too rushed imo. I'm not happy shoving something into my body that has not been fully tested over time for side effects.

Cure could be worse than the problem for all we know. It's just not had enough testing.

That's without going into the flu vaccines we've had since the 1940s and they've not eradicated flu. As opposed to MMR which basically has been.

 

[Chicken Run]

politicians shouldn't be allowed in the queue. they should be a trialists, whilst living in cold dark damp squalid conditions being fed by food banks.

Just to make sure it works properly.

Oh you’ve been round to the home of the Rt Hon Member for Kemptown & Peacehaven then Z? [emoji23]

 

[A1X]

Absolutely would, it's a no brainer as far as I'm concerned.

 

[beorhthelm]

No. Too rushed imo. I'm not happy shoving something into my body that has not been fully tested over time for side effects.

nope, they're going though exactly the same testing protocol as normal. the speed is because they cutting out the administration crap, resources diverted to these vaccines, turn around and uptake of trial are quicker. some of them will have actually gone through more trial patients than any other approved drug (as had to expand trials due to low virus spread in summer).

 

[highflyer]

Obviously Yes.

And I think we need to be careful with the framing of the process as 'rushed'

More accurate to say these vaccines have been extraordinarily well funded. Which simply means ithey have gone through all the same processes and checks as any other vaccince, just quicker, because they can afford to be quicker.

In general vaccines are proven to be significantly safer than the majority of drugs used in treatments And way way safer than getting a serious disease. Nothing is 100% but, given the disease won;t go away by itself, vaccines are by far the safest course to take from here.

 

[Chief Wiggum]

My good friend is the head pharmacist of a large NHS health authority. I asked if he would have a Covid vaccine and what his thoughts were. His reply:

'To be really honest no I wouldn't take the vaccine if I had the choice today. I know all regulatory requirements have been followed, but in the R&D world it normally takes years for full trials to take place. It is these that are being rushed, so we do not yet know the long term affects on people. May affect younger generation in the future. Also consider the financial advantages with the number of companies trying to rush one through if one of the first to deliver At the mo so many variations of the vaccine and all different from storage to dilutions and which are best for different cohorts of patients, from young, old to vulnerable - we just do not know. Even more worrying healthcae workers could be practically forced to have it. Also the virus just needs to mutate slightly and a previous vaccine may not protect you'

Only that person's opinion though. My take is if it makes you feel 'safe' from a virus that, if you're healthy, has over a 99% survival rate then crack on and we can all get back to.living our lives normally again.

 

[Albion Dan]

nope, they're going though exactly the same testing protocol as normal. the speed is because they cutting out the administration crap, resources diverted to these vaccines, turn around and uptake of trial are quicker. some of them will have actually gone through more trial patients than any other approved drug (as had to expand trials due to low virus spread in summer).

A process that takes years reduced to months because of cutting some admin? Where is the evidence this will have gone through more trial patients? How will the trial have measured the long term effects? This is just spin to make people feel better imo.

My good friend is the head pharmacist of a large NHS health authority. I asked if he would have a Covid vaccine and what his thoughts were. His reply:

'To be really honest no I wouldn't take the vaccine if I had the choice today. I know all regulatory requirements have been followed, but in the R&D world it normally takes years for full trials to take place. It is these that are being rushed, so we do not yet know the long term affects on people. May affect younger generation in the future. Also consider the financial advantages with the number of companies trying to rush one through if one of the first to deliver At the mo so many variations of the vaccine and all different from storage to dilutions and which are best for different cohorts of patients, from young, old to vulnerable - we just do not know. Even more worrying healthcae workers could be practically forced to have it. Also the virus just needs to mutate slightly and a previous vaccine may not protect you'

Only that person's opinion though. My take is if it makes you feel 'safe' from a virus that, if you're healthy, has over a 99% survival rate then crack on and we can all get back to.living our lives normally again.

Compared to the view of someone who actually knows what they're talking about.

 

[A1X]

Perhaps the solution is to say that people who don't wish to have the vaccine can refuse it, but they are the ones who are shielded going forward and have to effectively continue lockdown? That way it keeps them safe while also allowing them to not have the vaccine.

 

[The Wizard]

If I was in the vulnerable group, I would. I’d be desperate to get out of the hell the vulnerable are living, re: Shielders & those who have been cooped up for 6 months+

In my personal situation, I don’t want a vaccine and wouldn’t take one, which is fine as I won’t be offered one due to my age group and no underlying health issues.

 

[highflyer]

A process that takes years reduced to months because of cutting admin? This is just spin to make people feel better imo.





The view of someone who actually knows what they're talking about.

As I said above - I will take the well documented views (backed by peer reviewed data) of serious scientists involved in medical research and vaccine development over 'someone on the internet telling us what their mate said'.

What is the alternative to using a vaccine?

1. Lot's more people get the disease which is dangerous and has proven long term affects that we still don't understand

2. Those that get it are teated with drugs that are proven to have more risks attached than any vaccine ever will.

It is strange we don't hear so much about possible risks and concerns about 'putting things in your body' when it is drugs we take once we are ill, rather than vaccines we take to stop ourselves (and others) getting ill.

Vaccines are proven to be the second most successful public health intervention globally in terms of reducing suffering and death. The only thing more important is provision of clean water. I have lived in countries where vaccines are not widely available and I have seen children die needlessly as a result. To be anti-vax is a first world luxury akin to (and often linked with) a belief in homeopathy.

 

[beorhthelm]

A process that takes years reduced to months because of cutting admin? This is just spin to make people feel better imo.

The view of someone who actually knows what they're talking about.

i work in the industry, my company has been involved. process of trials doesnt necessarily take years, it takes years to get to trials. you recognise the difference? funding, competing for clinical teams, scheduling get in the way. where normally recruitment for first phase 3 might take a month or two, they completed that in a week back in March. another point is 3 or 4 were ready for phase 3 trials, having completed earlier phases and put on shelf because there wasnt financial incentive to develop further.

 

[Bozza]

Can we TRY not to derail the thread with conspiracy theories or politics? Appreciate that's a big ask for NSC.

No, it's not a big ask.

Whilst well-considered and presented concerns about Covid-19 vaccines are welcome to the debate, out-and-out anti-vaxxing sentiment is not. Vaccines have saved, and continue to save, a huge number of lives each and every year.

I'm sure there are all kinds of weird corners of the internet where anti-vaxxers gather to enjoy their collective superiority over those that take vaccines, so I'll politely ask people to save their anti-vaxxing opinions for those.

 

[studio150]

Another issue not mentioned in the OP, is what will the legal recourse be should there be a significant and harmful side effect. I seem to recall reading sometime ago that the Drug companies were going to be exempt from the usual compensation requirements.

If that is the case then I think it would be prudent to not take the vaccine for some months after it's release to to see how safe it is.

 

[n1 gull]

I'd take it. I'm so fecking over this whole thing I'll do virtually anything to get back to normal

 

[GT49er]

Yes, I'd have the vaccine in a heartbeat - and so should all those selfish people that think as they're healthy and it won't affect them much they won't have the vaccine themselves and it's fine to go around spreading the disease to more vulnerable people than themselves (see also party goers, rave attenders non mask wearers who don't keep their distance, etc.)

 

[Bold Seagull]

A process that takes years reduced to months because of cutting some admin? Where is the evidence this will have gone through more trial patients? How will the trial have measured the long term effects? This is just spin to make people feel better imo.

Compared to the view of someone who actually knows what they're talking about.

What is going to be more dangerous to you generally do you think, the Covid-19 virus or a vaccine?

I'll take my chances with a vaccine over the virus if that is a choice I have.

 

[Chicken Run]

Wanted to keep this well away from the Good News Thread.

We are now approaching the final straight for potential approval of 4 initial vaccines - Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca/Oxford, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. Current noises are that there is a 50/50 chance of some high priority members of the public being vaccinated this side of New Year.

I'm curious as to people's views on what take up will be like, and whether you would take one if;

A> It has been approved by the MHRA, FDA etc and passed all appropriate and relevant safety protocols - side effects likely to be either non-existent or incredibly rare.
B> The Government have been advised that it will be of use re: lowering infection/death rates for someone such as you to be vaccinated.
C> It is free, and easily available - i.e. can book appt at your local surgery and be in and out within 20 minutes.

Can we TRY not to derail the thread with conspiracy theories or politics? Appreciate that's a big ask for NSC.

All three, would take it unconditionally!

Some of the UK’s greatest minds have been involved in this, I trust them.