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Here is one of the things I have mentioned a few times, how was the dose spacing decided? Was it the rush to get it out or was this based on something?
This is new tech, yet one minute it is DNA altering and the next comparing to previous vaccines. Both the two comments are based on the same facts aren't they?
There seem to be no definitive answer to how long resistance to Covid 19 exists after having covid 19. So we are in a whole new exciting time.
The number of shots the gov bought was not enough. No way round it, more showboating by the UK GOV, up there with sticking the union flag on the russian/oxford developed old style vaccine. We were told we are leading the way by buying x number of vaccines with no timescale nor how the vaccine would get round border controls, especially as the vaccine needs to be kept in quite strict transport environment. Your comment of we bought enough makes no sense, without all the facts that go with it. This is the continuation of loved one will die mentality. Am amazed the NHS was allowed to give the vacine and not hived off to a tory company. Actually is that because if anything goes wrong the NHS will be blamed....
Your short changed comment also grates, why shouldn't we all have the same chance? Puts a true value judgement on life. Once again that fuck disgusting tory 'loved ones will die' mantra.
Not even going there on the final comment, having seen people that are healthier, younger and stronger than us die. Maybe the comment is being taken wrongly and not the way you intended it.
lynx-
read this - it's useful - https://twitter.com/DoctorChrisVT/status/1346104040804016130
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I'm just wondering, but has one of your relatives been given one dose of a vaccine? I'm in the same boat.
It would probably be worth reflecting on the fact that there are over 7 billion people on earth and as of yesterday, 68 million vaccine doses had been administered worldwide. That means anyone who has had a vaccine dose is in first 1% of the global population to do so. Pretty cool to be so lucky.
Edit - reflecting on my comment, you can also argue they pretty unlucky to be Governed by this bunch of morons, but it's not looking that much rosier elsewhere in Europe. I would quite like to be a Kiwi though.
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I think most of your comments were answered in the articles and comments above?
The number of shots the government has bought is not enough?
Its been reported that they have ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford Vaccine and 40 million of the pfizer vaccine. Enough to cover 2 doses for the whole population.Fact is, there is not currently 160 million vials of vaccine waiting on a shelf somewhere waiting to be purchased.
How quickly it can be manufactured and distributed is a different problem, made more difficult because every country wants it.
Example: 15 billion doses needed for 2 doses for the whole world.
Biggest vaccine producer (Serum Institute) makes 1.5 billion vaccines in a year. (of all types)
Has agreements to produce vaccines for 92 countries. As they are based in India, there will be priority demand for home country use.Even if they tried to double the manufacture, they still need other elements of the supply chain, basics such as hundreds of millions of glass vials, to accelerate the distribution.
Many things could get in the way to slow distribution, such as the Belgian viral vectors factory being blamed for lower slow down in manufacture for Astra Zeneca.
Also Pfizer has hit manufacturing delays, which is pretty unsurprising, given that this is the biggest order of any vaccine in history...
hoefla
Scrabble
Acliff
This is the point that the previous comments have been trying to make.
The recommendations from the manufacturers are based on the testing they did. The testing they did was constrained by the need to get the vaccine out ASAP.
The expectation is that if there wasn't such a rush to get the vaccine out they would have had more time to their testing and their recommendations would then be to have a longer gap between the doses.
But the manufacturer cannot make that claim without being able to back it up with testing. What the virologists are saying is that, in general, longer gaps between vaccines usually make them more effective in the long term, so that it isn't much of a gamble to extend the doses.
From the BMJ report:-
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What do the manufacturers say?
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.”
The European Medicines Agency has said that the gap between the first and second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine should not exceed 42 days. “Any change to this would require a variation to the marketing authorisation as well as more clinical data to support such a change, otherwise it would be considered as ‘off-label use,’” the agency said.
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People are taking "There is no data to demonstrate that protection after the first dose is sustained after 21 days." to mean "Protection is not sustained after 21 days." but it obviously doesn't mean that.
If I study a cat for 21 days and then say "There is no data to demonstrate that the cat stays alive after 21 days." does not mean the cat drops dead soon after 21 days, it just means I've no idea what happens after 21 days. Obviously the cat doesn't live forever, but I can't use this info to make a guess at how long cats live, it could be 3 months, 3 years, 30 years. If I want to do that then I need a study that is much longer than 21 days, but we couldn't wait longer for a longer vaccine trial, otherwise more people would be dying. (This is what they are going to be doing with the vaccine programme now, they will be studying the cases with the extended programme.)
Also, if a year ago people had said that a vaccine would have been available with 70% efficacy and we'd be getting ~2 million doses of it a week people would have been over the moon about it and amazed at the turnaround and scientific effort. However, throw in the chance that 92% (or whatever) is possible and now people focus on that higher number and feel they're being short changed.
The simple fact is that the JCVI believe that spacing out the dosing will save more lives as it allows some level of immunity to be conferred on more people rather than giving half those people a greater level of immunity.
If supply wasn't a problem they'd follow the manufacturers recommendation although there would still be a chance that this is not the path to greatest protection.
The UK has ordered enough vaccines, more than enough, the limit is due to the suppliers. They can't make it quick enough, especially as the suppliers will have contracts with hundreds of different countries. The Government can't magically force them to make more or make it quicker.
I would hope, also, that the Government is considering giving some of the vaccines they have purchased to other countries. If they have bought 360mm doses, and they only need ~130mm doses for the current population (and ~1mm doses per year ongoing) then a huge chunk of those extra doses should be going to other countries as a form of international aid. And yes, as a fit healthy person in their 40s with no underlying health conditions I'd be happy to wait even longer so that more vulnerable or aged people in other countries get a vaccine before me.