Oxford Vaccine approved

BTW I'm not the only one asking questions about efficacy in over 55s. A number of scientists are asking the same and have been told there will be no further data until Jan/Feb.

I still don't doubt the safety, but I wish they'd be more transparent because this just fuels conspiracy theories.

humptydumpty

griwstuff I just posted this link for you

www.research.ox.ac.uk/Area/coronavirus-research/vaccine

I know. I've read it and it doesn't give the information I was interested in.

humptydumpty

growstuff (and others) can I refer you to

www.research.ox.ac.uk/Area/coronavirus-research/vaccine

for the latest info on the Oxford/AZ vaccine.

Thank you, but that site doesn't give the details of efficacy in various subgroups. Even when going to the "Lancet", the latest details are from 8 December, which are a bit woolly. It was that data which was initially rejected and the reason why the FDA has requested more trials before approval.

I still can't find any confirmation of efficacy amongst older people.

My grandsons girlfriend had a text asking if she would be willing to train. She’s doing child psychology.

They wanted her to work 2 days a week for 8 hrs. Not sure what she has decided to do.

griwstuff I just posted this link for you

www.research.ox.ac.uk/Area/coronavirus-research/vaccine

Whitewavemark2

Dr Julia Grace Patterson
@JujuliaGrace
·

: I’ve just found out that one region in the UK has paused all vaccinations for a week, because they cannot find the staff ?. This is because the government have not adequately supported NHS staff- the vaccine programme is a huge, largely unsupported effort.

I keep getting ads for people to train to be vaccinators (no previous experience needed) on my Twitter feed. I must admit that doesn't inspire much confidence.

I think the idea of giving the vaccine to as many people as possible, before giving the second dose, is that, once you have had the first dose, if you do get covid, you will only have it mildly enough to not need not hospitalisation. Thus avoiding the hospitals being overwhelmed, as is beginning to be happening at the moment.

That's why I was hoping you could give me a link.

Casdon

Growstuff I use the Public Health Wales website a lot, I read the BMJ and The Lancet articles to understand what information GPs are getting, and a few of the scientific journals aimed at pharmacists. I don’t understand the articles aimed at the research community. It’s not possible to get everything from one site I don’t think, as the articles tend to be written specifically for their own audiences, but it’s usually possible to find a reputable source for the information you want.

Well, I read a lot too and I haven't been able to find confirmation of the information you've given about the efficacy of the Oxford vaccine - and I have looked.

Dr Julia Grace Patterson
@JujuliaGrace
·

: I’ve just found out that one region in the UK has paused all vaccinations for a week, because they cannot find the staff ?. This is because the government have not adequately supported NHS staff- the vaccine programme is a huge, largely unsupported effort.

growstuff (and others) can I refer you to

www.research.ox.ac.uk/Area/coronavirus-research/vaccine

for the latest info on the Oxford/AZ vaccine.

I hope we have this one ASAP.

Growstuff I use the Public Health Wales website a lot, I read the BMJ and The Lancet articles to understand what information GPs are getting, and a few of the scientific journals aimed at pharmacists. I don’t understand the articles aimed at the research community. It’s not possible to get everything from one site I don’t think, as the articles tend to be written specifically for their own audiences, but it’s usually possible to find a reputable source for the information you want.

Good news!
It's the Oxford vaccine I prefer to have.
It's not the be all and end all. There's a lot more for the scientists to find out yet but at least this is a start at controlling the virus.
Get ready to roll your sleeves up. I hope you all get that phone call very soon.

I think its great news and cant wait for DH to get his and me in due course.

Question. Spook writer, Mimi, Genty. If you become ill and are diagnosed as having Covid, will you refute the diagnosis and tell the doctors you know better ? And will you refuse treatment ?

Have also been trying to find evidence of the virus being spread from person to person via coughing/spluttering/breathing over each other. Of course we have all been told that is true, probably all of our lives. Just because you believe it, doesn't make it true though.
the jab is being created for something that hasn't been proven.

Mimi you are just the kind of person to volunteer to help our hard-pressed NHS staff as you are unlikely to catch any infectious or contagious diseases because you believe they are not spread that way and that COVID doesn't exist anyway.

People that are anti vaccine may be able to use the monoclonal antibodies that Astra Zeneca are currently trialing. They work in a similar way to the ones passed on from mothers to their new born babies to protect them. But I suppose they won’t agree with that, either. Good job that so many of us are prepared to be vaccinated to protect others isn’t it.

It is nonsense to suggest that "the virus has not been isolated in its purest form" when all the details of its genetic composition are known.

Indeed. How else would they have carried out genome sequencing?
And test people to confirm they have it?
If the new coronavirus’s sequence is found in a sample (usually taken from the nose or mouth) it will confirm the likelihood that a patient’s symptoms are those of COVID-19.

It does mutate (and has) of course.
Virus genomes constantly alter (mutate), changing a few letters at a time as they divide and spread by infecting more people. These changes can be exploited to track the spread of the virus by sequencing, recording and analysing genomes.

For that matter, what are all those pictures of spikey little balls, if they're not viruses?
They're actually pretty Christmas tree baubles.

Before anyone says "You can't be serious", no I was not being serious.

it is incorrect to say that the virus that causes Covid-19 has not been isolated.
Covid-19 has been isolated many times. It does not need to adhere to Koch’s postulates as it is a virus, and Koch’s rules have been widely disregarded now. Covid-19 PCR tests are generally very accurate
fullfact.org/health/Covid-isolated-virus/

Researchers from China released the genetic sequence of the nCoV on January 10th this year.

www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/01/china-releases-genetic-data-new-coronavirus-now-deadly

It is nonsense to suggest that "the virus has not been isolated in its purest form" when all the details of its genetic composition are known.

I'm new to Gransnet, but admit that I have been reading the forums for a while.
I agree that ranting on with negative posts is not helpful for many at the moment, and bursting their balloon of hope is cruel. By all means choose not to have the vaccine, that's your decision. My decision to skip your posts and not read them.
It is marvellous news and I know how much work has been going on behind the scenes to get the vaccination sites up and running, vaccinators trained, and vaccines in the right place at the right time.
We have every right to feel the hope and freedom that the roll out will bring us. Some more pain to come unfortunately, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Feel free to give a negative response as I will just scroll on by!
Can't keep an optimist down for long you know.

I'm realistic enough to know that the vaccine isn't going to solve much for some time yet and possibly won't live up to expectations - but it's certainly progress and I'll be there with my sleeve rolled up when it's my turn. Maybe it will be sooner than I think if enough people relinquish their place in the queue.

Mimi22 What did you mean when you wrote "'virus' has never been isolated in it's purest form"?

The reason I'm a bit baffled is that I have a friend who has spent many years of his life researching the sticky stuff which covers the "spikes" on a virus (not coronavirus but similar) and has had much of his work published.

If the virus has never been isolated, I'm wondering what he's spent his working life doing. I can't claim to understand enough about science to understand what he does, but I have been in research labs and they have very powerful microscopes, which can isolate miniscule particles. For that matter, what are all those pictures of spikey little balls, if they're not viruses?

I am proud of Sweden where I live,even though I am ex-pat, the two countries have done a wonderful job,many thanks to all the volunters, scientists and all involved, wihout you we might not have been looking into a better 2021.