The end REALLY is in sight ???

Yes JE I was looking for a Union Jack emoji to wave but I couldn't find one .

A few people, not just me, have pointed out that there are companies and universities from all over the world who are working on variant-agnostic vaccines (I looked that up. That's what they're called. Isn't that wonderful?) But as soon as there is any suggestion that the UK is involved, suddenly we become world beaters. Its dispiriting and in my mind, misplaced. That's why I brought up the nationality of the creators of the first mRNA vaccine which truly is something amazing.

Have you lost the will to live Alegrias1??

Although I am definitely one of the Rule Britannia brigade I can see your point about scientists from other nations also being involved in the fantastic achievement.

However it is a fact that ANY display of patriotism is immediately dismissed sneeringly as something to be despised.

I honestly have no idea why , but it does seem to predominantly come from the Left leaning sectors.

Yes. Thank you.

Alegrias- don't worry. Some of us are getting your point. Britain is great but so is international collaboration!

Mother nature has a way of jumping ahead of man’s remedies.
TB was the major killer before antibiotics, then cancer was an unequivocal death sentence. Now we have superbugs resistant to antibiotics. Bacteria and viruses are evolving all the time in a fight for survival, so I don’t think we can put the flags out yet, but just be grateful to the wonderful scientists who work so hard to protect us.

Yep OK, I give up. Rule Britannia.

Great Britain leading the way in the scientific world towards eradicating covid.... making Britain 'Great' again!

Fennel

I admit I was gobsmacked but as you can imagine there's a communication problem . She has an app on her phone which translates romanian to english and vice versa but not suitable for a complicated religious discussion!
All I said was that we didn't take that view.
She later told us that in her country the Mafia have taken over the provision of the vaccine and most people can't afford it..

I think Romania is in the EU isn't it? I'd have thought the EU would have a policy on the availability of the vaccine, which doesn't include some kind of pay off for the local Mafia...

Is anybody reading my posts at all? ???

I agree*BlueSky*. I am proud to be British and am sad that it seems fashionable to bash Britain these days.

Sad that people will ignore international efforts just to try to big up Britain.

UK company Scancell, which specialises in developing cancer vaccines, and several other firms from Europe and the US are already working on variant proof jabs

Sad that being proud of being British (or whatever) is now a sin!

Well done British scientists for changing the world I am proud to be British.

jingoism • \JING-goh-iz-im\ • noun. : extreme chauvinism or nationalism marked especially by a belligerent foreign policy.

I don’t think the posters are being jingoistic - just patriotic!

That's marvellous news.

They're not world beating. They are no doubt very good, but why must everything be world beating? If you read the article you'll (all) see that this is a proposed way of developing a vaccine that might not require tweaking for any mutation. They're looking for funding if any of you have a few million stashed away that you might like to donate. Many other labs all over Europe and the world are researching the same thing.

The good news is that there is probably a way of developing a vaccine that doesn't need tweaking, not that it was the Brits what dun it

FWIW, I think the two Turkish/German scientists who developed the first mRNA vaccine will get the Nobel Prize, this year or next. That was original and world beating!

I am proud of being English!

and yes, I accept this is a world wide thing, but come on!

now I want to see it, any vaccine, made in Britain! manufacturing.. yes, spreading the thread... but I am proud of British scientist and all scientists!

Amazing work from our world beating scientists, we truly are a unique country, and can hold our own in the world. I feel this year is going to be a great one for all the right reasons. ?

Does it really matter who has come up with the vaccine?! As we have heard on the news over the last year there are scientists all over the world who have worked tirelessly to help produce such a vaccine, and with their hard work we have been provided with such vaccines such as Pfizer which have significantly helped to bring the covid rates down. Many of these scientists are working together and any new vaccines are most probably produced by investigating the current vaccines. Hence, vaccine producers have helped each other indirectly. However personally, I would hugely applaud the scientist who produced the first ever covid-19 vaccine as they took first time risks which no scientists had yet taken.

I don't care which vaccine I get, I will just be happy when I get one although I can't help thinking that there are others who are far more in need than I.
I can't see any problem with being proud of aspects of your home nation as long as you can do it without being derogatory about other nations whose populations seem to be far more proud of their own nation than we are.
I wanted to leave the EU in it's current state but I take no pleasure in any perceived failings. At the end of the the day, the EU is an "organisation" (or not depending on how you view them) but the people who live within it are equally important human beings.
Whoever manages to develop, manufacture and distribute a reliable vaccine against all strains will deserve high praise and if it is the UK, I'll be applauding their efforts. If it is another nation, I'll be doing the same.

Bluedaisy please go and get your vaccine. It will protect you. We had ours last week, it was the Pfizer one, and my 93 year old mother had hers, she got the AstraZenica one. None of us had any reaction at all, except a sore arm. It really doesn’t matter which vaccine you have, they both will protect.
jennil someone will go to your house and vaccinate you eventually. My mother was late having hers as she was in hospital when she was initially called, but eventually a paramedic went to her flat last week and vaccinated her. At the moment all those who have fallen through the cracks are being chased up, and in due course someone will arrive to vaccinate you.

Bluesky & MayBee70 thank you for the reassurance. I think I’m nervous because I’m doing too much thinking and I’m feeling really stressed unfortunately, makes everything loom larger.

Paperbackwriter

JenniferEccles

We lead in covid genomics, we are surging ahead of the lumbering EU with our fantastic vaccination rollout and now this latest wonderful news !

Great Britain indeed ?? !

Do we HAVE to make it about being 'British'? Can't we leave the pointless jingoism out of it?

Hope you're wearing a hard hat!

Really??! Can’t we all be proud for once in our brilliant scientists! There are always some on here that have to turn a positive happy post into one of vitriol and negativity Thank you Gagajo for this uplifting thread today.

I'm 79, disabled housebound and I am still waiting for the covid jab. Surgery have been giving me dates, 5 so far when nurse will come and still no-one has arrived.