The vaccine rollout

[armaghniac]

BBC News - Coronavirus: EU anger over reduced Pfizer vaccine deliveries
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55666399

I think this is a bit of a stunt. Pfizer said that vaccines would be delayed for 3 weeks, various countries jumped up and down and so they said OK then they'll only be delayed for one week, which was probably all they needed.

[LeoMc]

Pfizer has also said the vaccine is useless if second jab is not administered within 21 days but UK is going to ignore that advice. So let's say you admininister 1 million vaccines and jab 2 to that million comes 2 months later. Is that 1 million vaccinated or zero? Those percentages all seem to be based on jab 1.

Where did they say that?
They have said a single dose is 51% effective. They have also said they do not have data on different spacing as the trial wasonly performed with 3 week intervals.
3 weeks is a standard gap as the likelihood of patients returning after a longer duration drops off.

I've have seen this statement from Pfizer and BioNTech - https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n18

In a joint statement Pfizer and BioNTech said, "The safety and efficacy of the vaccine has not been evaluated on different dosing schedules as the majority of trial participants received the second dose within the window specified in the study design . . . There is no data to demonstrate that protection after the first dose is sustained after 21 days."

Not quite what you have said then?

What should I have said? Pfizer and BioNTech say there's no data to prove it's effective if the 2nd jab is administered after 21 days - then if the British government are going to ignore and take up to 3 months, then that strikes me as useless unless experts are wrong and Boris and co get lucky. It strikes me as similar to when he decided to shake hands to the people in hospital to show Covid was nothing to worry about.

They have no data as they did not test other spacing not because it doesn't work. It could be more effective 3 months apart. They don't know. They are not afraid to display their lack of knowledge.

[armaghniac]

There are reports of a US study that suggests the vaccine, or indeed protection from having had the dose, should last 3-5 years.
That would be OK and in 3 years for round 2 they have have a seriously good vaccine.

[bennydorano]

There are reports of a US study that suggests the vaccine, or indeed protection from having had the dose, should last 3-5 years.
That would be OK and in 3 years for round 2 they have have a seriously good vaccine.

That would be great news

[balladmaker]

Is anyone optimistic about a return to any sort of normality sometime this year e.g. restaurants and pubs reopening, crowds at sporting events, theatres, concerts, reduced social distancing etc?

I was more optimistic in December than I am now given the rate of the vaccine rollout.  To me, it should be a 24x7 effort until everyone has it, but supplies seem to be preventing any sort of mass nationwide roll out.

[Milltown Row2]

Is anyone optimistic about a return to any sort of normality sometime this year e.g. restaurants and pubs reopening, crowds at sporting events, theatres, concerts, reduced social distancing etc?

I was more optimistic in December than I am now given the rate of the vaccine rollout.  To me, it should be a 24x7 effort until everyone has it, but supplies seem to be preventing any sort of mass nationwide roll out.

Is it supplies or the lack of people distributing it?

[Angelo]

There are reports of a US study that suggests the vaccine, or indeed protection from having had the dose, should last 3-5 years.
That would be OK and in 3 years for round 2 they have have a seriously good vaccine.

Ah great another science report with the words "could", "might" and "may". Really clarifies everything.

[BennyCake]

Is anyone optimistic about a return to any sort of normality sometime this year e.g. restaurants and pubs reopening, crowds at sporting events, theatres, concerts, reduced social distancing etc?

I was more optimistic in December than I am now given the rate of the vaccine rollout.  To me, it should be a 24x7 effort until everyone has it, but supplies seem to be preventing any sort of mass nationwide roll out.

All of 2021 will be similar to 2020. Maybe a couple of weeks here and there for cafes/pubs opening up with distancing/shields etc, only to be closed again.

[imtommygunn]

Is anyone optimistic about a return to any sort of normality sometime this year e.g. restaurants and pubs reopening, crowds at sporting events, theatres, concerts, reduced social distancing etc?

I was more optimistic in December than I am now given the rate of the vaccine rollout.  To me, it should be a 24x7 effort until everyone has it, but supplies seem to be preventing any sort of mass nationwide roll out.

I honestly don't know how pubs go back to how they were. Restaurants I could see late in the year.

A lot depends on success of vaccine I guess but even if the logistics of distribution get sorted then it would probably take some time to get confidence back etc.

I would be hoping restaurants get opened before then mind all be it slightly restricted.

[Milltown Row2]

Is anyone optimistic about a return to any sort of normality sometime this year e.g. restaurants and pubs reopening, crowds at sporting events, theatres, concerts, reduced social distancing etc?

I was more optimistic in December than I am now given the rate of the vaccine rollout.  To me, it should be a 24x7 effort until everyone has it, but supplies seem to be preventing any sort of mass nationwide roll out.

I honestly don't know how pubs go back to how they were. Restaurants I could see late in the year.

A lot depends on success of vaccine I guess but even if the logistics of distribution get sorted then it would probably take some time to get confidence back etc.

I would be hoping restaurants get opened before then mind all be it slightly restricted.

If the pubs aren't going to open properly then it'll be another miserable year, if we go down the route of a vaccine passport surely then we can at the very least start removing restrictions?

Those vaccinated now, are they registered has having received the jab? A data base wouldn't be that difficult to produce

[Tubberman]

There are reports of a US study that suggests the vaccine, or indeed protection from having had the dose, should last 3-5 years.
That would be OK and in 3 years for round 2 they have have a seriously good vaccine.

I would have thought if all the population gets vaccinated then the virus dies out?
It's up to first world countries to assist poorer countries to ensure they're populations also get vaccinated

[bennydorano]

Is anyone optimistic about a return to any sort of normality sometime this year e.g. restaurants and pubs reopening, crowds at sporting events, theatres, concerts, reduced social distancing etc?

I was more optimistic in December than I am now given the rate of the vaccine rollout.  To me, it should be a 24x7 effort until everyone has it, but supplies seem to be preventing any sort of mass nationwide roll out.

I honestly don't know how pubs go back to how they were. Restaurants I could see late in the year.

A lot depends on success of vaccine I guess but even if the logistics of distribution get sorted then it would probably take some time to get confidence back etc.

I would be hoping restaurants get opened before then mind all be it slightly restricted.

If the pubs aren't going to open properly then it'll be another miserable year, if we go down the route of a vaccine passport surely then we can at the very least start removing restrictions?

Those vaccinated now, are they registered has having received the jab? A data base wouldn't be that difficult to produce

Vaccine passports are coming, the sooner the better. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/eu-leaders-draw-up-coronavirus-vaccine-passports-to-restart-foreign-travel-2kgtsd503

[BennyCake]

Is anyone optimistic about a return to any sort of normality sometime this year e.g. restaurants and pubs reopening, crowds at sporting events, theatres, concerts, reduced social distancing etc?

I was more optimistic in December than I am now given the rate of the vaccine rollout.  To me, it should be a 24x7 effort until everyone has it, but supplies seem to be preventing any sort of mass nationwide roll out.

I honestly don't know how pubs go back to how they were. Restaurants I could see late in the year.

A lot depends on success of vaccine I guess but even if the logistics of distribution get sorted then it would probably take some time to get confidence back etc.

I would be hoping restaurants get opened before then mind all be it slightly restricted.

If the pubs aren't going to open properly then it'll be another miserable year, if we go down the route of a vaccine passport surely then we can at the very least start removing restrictions?

Those vaccinated now, are they registered has having received the jab? A data base wouldn't be that difficult to produce

Vaccine passports are coming, the sooner the better. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/eu-leaders-draw-up-coronavirus-vaccine-passports-to-restart-foreign-travel-2kgtsd503

They were drawn up before the virus even appeared.

[Milltown Row2]

That's good news, the bars can facilitate the non vaccinated in the outside space

[Ty4Sam]

Is anyone optimistic about a return to any sort of normality sometime this year e.g. restaurants and pubs reopening, crowds at sporting events, theatres, concerts, reduced social distancing etc?

I was more optimistic in December than I am now given the rate of the vaccine rollout.  To me, it should be a 24x7 effort until everyone has it, but supplies seem to be preventing any sort of mass nationwide roll out.

All of 2021 will be similar to 2020. Maybe a couple of weeks here and there for cafes/pubs opening up with distancing/shields etc, only to be closed again.

I think you could be right here, the fact that the vaccine doesn't stop people carrying or spreading Covid will see restrictions continue I think. Testing, tracing, isolating, masks and social distancing could be here for a while I think, obviously if there are less people in hospitals the restrictions may not have to be as severe but I think they will continue to some degree. We then also have the potential large number of people who will refuse the vaccine getting sick and potentially needing hospital treatment. I'll be watching with interest to see how countries deal with the new variants from other countries, they seem to be worried about these new variants. It's all a guessing game at this point, I thought the vaccine would be the end game in all this, I'm not so sure now.