Vaccine

JVT has just said he would encourage his 78 year old mum to have it!

I have a friend just starting a new hospital job, and her contract says that she must have vaccinations deemed necessary by the Trust.

I will have a covid vaccine if/when one becomes available to my age group.

However, I would like to see high-risk working-age people moved up the priority list.
The preliminary list only has this group in 6th position.

Covid has already had a huge impact on their (and their families') lives.
It is not just the impact it has had on their own ability to work safely, or to look for a new job if necessary, but also the constant fear that working partners or children going to school/nursery will bring the virus into the home.

Surely they should be much higher up the list?

I'm in my 80s and although thankful that we're so high up the list, I do think the young working people doing useful medical work should be at the front of the queue.
All the same, I shall accept one if its offered, even if there are side effects - after all I haven't got all that long to suffer them.

MamaCaz and ExD I agree with you both. I think that medical staff should all have the vaccine first, not just care home staff, and then workers and people aged 45 - 65. These are the people who are keeping society going. Older people are very well able to shield themselves by staying at home more. And if their families are vaccinated they won’t be taking it to granny when they visit.

The order people will get the vaccine in is surely determined by their risk of death or serious long term effects if they don’t get it. I don’t think as onlookers it’s right to speculate whose life is worth the most and suggest re-ranking the order that’s been determined by scientists and doctors. Most of us would like ourselves or people we know who aren’t at the head of the queue to get it sooner, but we aren’t in charge, nor should we be.

I will have it when I am notified.

I’m not in any rush either, for reasons posted on the other thread.

However, I would like to see high-risk working-age people moved up the priority list.
I agree, MamaCaz
We need to get society and the economy moving again.

I'll stay away if needs be.

Where are teachers or any school staff on the list please?

Interim priority list for vaccinations. They say it may change depending on the specific characteristics of the vaccine or vaccines which are eventually approved.

Daisymae

Apparently side effects could be a similar to a severe hangover, headaches, aches in limbs. I wonder how the elderly who are to be be first in line will cope?

I don’t think we’ve got the data as to how common these side effects were and interestingly, how many in the placebo group experienced them ( which is very common in RCTs and is actually related to the effect of being in a trial)

Daisymae

Apparently side effects could be a similar to a severe hangover, headaches, aches in limbs. I wonder how the elderly who are to be be first in line will cope?

According to Vaccines.gov.: Most people don’t have any serious side effects from vaccines. The most common side effects — like soreness where the shot was given — are usually mild and go away quickly on their own.

The symptoms you quote are general to all vaccines. I'm pretty sure elderly will cope.

At 70+ Yes, I'd have the vaccine.

Casdon

The order people will get the vaccine in is surely determined by their risk of death or serious long term effects if they don’t get it. I don’t think as onlookers it’s right to speculate whose life is worth the most and suggest re-ranking the order that’s been determined by scientists and doctors. Most of us would like ourselves or people we know who aren’t at the head of the queue to get it sooner, but we aren’t in charge, nor should we be.

Good pist - the other point to add is that the highest risk groups are more likely to be hospitalised and therefore use up NHS resources so giving them the vaccine first not only saves their lives but potentially the lives of younger people who will be able to access the NHS more easily

Post even ?

Pist.
That's how you feel once you've had it.

...I would like to see high risk and working age people moved up the list...

and

We need to get society and the economy moving again.

Both comments, spot on.

Where are teachers or any school staff on the list please?

Again, spot on.
If younger people of working age were vaccinated, including school staff, fewer people would transmit the virus. Therefore fewer people would end up in hospital, and fewer would die. Vaccinating older people, who can shield themselves at home, will be less effective at halting transmission.

I agree that younger, economically active (or potentially so) people should get it before those of us who are able to keep ourselves away from crowded places and are fortunate enough to have a pension coming in. I'm in the 65-70 group.

When offered it, though I will accept it.

Yes indeed, teachers and lecturers should count as key workers, along with the other people we realised we couldn't do without during lockdown - shop workers, refuse collectors, and sewage workers for example.

Not spot on, missing the point. If the vulnerable aren’t vaccinated first many of them will die. The virus spreads quickly, and hits hardest in care settings and hospitals where the most vulnerable are. Vaccinating staff in those settings and looking after vulnerable people at home is already on the priority list. The majority of the population who need and want vaccinations will get them over a short timescale when they become available - I don’t think it’s okay to sacrifice thousands of vulnerable people’s lives for the sake of two or three months of ongoing difficulties for everybody else.

I m not anti vaccine and I m not at all bothered about any side effects I am however cautious with these rushed vaccines and possible long term effects especially if it tampers with the immune system
I think there is much much more to it than good/ bad, accept/ refuse there’s a whole big dialogue that needs to be had before getting over enthusiastic
There are a lot of conflicting stories am I right that we have bought into 6 different vaccines some are saying jabs will start before Christmas some by Easter As I believe it the American vaccine still has some stages to go before it’s even ready I read where it will be too expensive for poorer countries, that it will take massive organisation that we can’t manage etc etc I just think in our euphoria at the news we are running away with ourselves

Well I'm taking it when my turn comes around which won't be for a while but I'll be grateful anyway.
Funny how scientists didn't used to be cool but now they're cooler than rock stars! Loved JVT's band leader suit at the last briefing.

There will be better COVID vaccines than this one in the future. Maybe this one will give me a headache for a couple of days. Maybe Group A should get it before Group B. Pfizer will make a lot of money, Astrazeneca will make a lot of money. Maybe its 90% effective, maybe its not. I've just seen a post saying we might not get enough because of Brexit.

Its all just detail. Because you know what, I'm just really b****y happy that there is a vaccine for this virus. It proves that you can vaccinate against it, that science will find a way out of the pandemic. They've created a vaccine for a virus we didn't even know about 12 months ago, and its going through all the same safety protocols, because people have pulled together to solve the greatest problem of our generation. If you want to nit-pick and find problems, on you go. I'm going to celebrate.

( Casdon, great posts BTW, I agree with you 100%. The JCVI don't make this stuff up on the spur of the moment)

i would happily act as one of the 'canaries in the coalmine' which Elegran mentioned in the other thread. I'm over 80 too.
And agree about teachers also being priorities.
I've been reading an interesting article about the possibility of the vaccine being made compulsory, especially prior to travelling abroad. Whether it would be legally possible etc. even if it was a practical possibility.
Evidently some vaccines are compulsory before entering certain countries. eg yellow fever.
So many implications.

I don’t think it’s okay to sacrifice thousands of vulnerable people’s lives for the sake of two or three months of ongoing difficulties for everybody else.
Maybe not if 2 or 3 months could be guaranteed, but, like everything else in this pandemic, supplies will be limited to begin with and nothing happens fast enough.
3 or 4 months in the life of my 62 year old husband's productive working years is indeed a long time on top of the last 9 months. He has a number of people nationwide relying on him to get things moving again. In category 8, and working in an educational capacity, he could potentially be a spreader and a victim of the virus.
Vaccinating older people, who can shield themselves at home, will be less effective at halting transmission.