Astrazeneca/Oxford vaccine approved

[cheb]

We'd know if the MPs had been offered the jab. There'd have been one who noisily refuse because it should go to someone more deserving. And it wouldn't be mere politicking on their part, not at all, they have their principles.

[Mussels]

Be keen to hear how many of our MPs have been vaccinated already.

Two bame MPs took part in vaccine trials to convince more bame people to do the same, nowadays are there any left that haven't had covid?

[Mr. Dazzle]

Brew Dog brewery have offered up their pubs as vaccine centres free of charge.

That actually makes quite a bit of sense! They're all located in areas with lots of people nearby and with good transport links. They've got massive fridges. They're big open plan buildings which can easily be set up with segregated areas once you take the chairs out..

[Yambo]

I understand that Turkey have been receiving supplies of the Chinese vaccine. No doubt it'll be cheap 'seconds' but it has probably been around since late 2019.

I've seen no programme for vaccinations and the general consensus for ex-pats is that we'll be at the bottom of the list regardless of age. Personally, I think it'll be available to buy for those on residency permits, same as flu jabs are.

I'll have one though regardless of the wait or if I have to pay. A friend got Covid while in the UK and came back here with it and he wasn't very well although he was hospitalised for about a week.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I was gonna say you could just fly back here, but the two doses make it a bit of a hassle

[Yambo]

I was gonna say you could just fly back here, but the two doses make it a bit of a hassle

I could do with a trip over to buy some things I either can't get here or cost nearly double what I'd pay in the UK. I wouldn't get a vaccination though because I'm not entitled to NHS treatment. I don't have a UK address where I'd be able to lie but then I wouldn't lie anyway. A couple of years ago I had an eye test in the UK and paid full price for it because I wasn't prepared to lie. Next year I'll be disenfranchised. They still demand I pay tax though.

It's life. I pay the state health insurance here, which with the current rate of exchange is really quite reasonable and thinking about it may get me on the list for the vaccine. The health system works very well. If I want to see a doctor I book an appointment for the specific doctor at the state hospital on line and turn up when they say - it'll be in a day or two of making the booking. I'll see a specialist straight away (if I know what the problem is). If I don't want to wait, I can go to one of the private hospitals, pay a nominal fee (about £10) and see their specialist if he/she has a slot available that day. That nominal fee will cover all follow up visits but not treatment - the cost of that will be reduced because of my insurance and free if I use the state hospital.

A friend had some gall stones about three weeks back. A couple of scans, advised to have the gall bladder removed, that was done within two days by keyhole surgery and it was found to be diseased. He was out the following day and sorted in a week during which he had two follow up consultations. In the UK he'd probably be waiting to be put on a waiting list.

[irie]

I'd imagine central Govt qualifies as essential/key workers?

And it makes sense to try a barely adequately tested new treatment on B Ark candidates first.

Please explain in detail exactly what additional testing you believe should be performed in order for you to feel able to accept that this vaccine has been "adequately tested"?

Thanks.

C'mon Sage Lout, not like you to be shy.

[slowsider]

And it makes sense to try a barely adequately tested new treatment on B Ark candidates first.

Please explain in detail exactly what additional testing you believe should be performed in order for you to feel able to accept that this vaccine has been "adequately tested"?

Thanks.

C'mon Sage Lout, not like you to be shy.

Barely: only just; almost not

Hth

[asmethurst99]

Just had an email from work - we have the oxford gear from Monday so deep joy .

[irie]

Mrs irie, an RGN, was thinking of volunteering to do Covid jabs but the thought of having to fill in all the forms including even Prevent anti-terrorism stuff is giving her second thoughts.

[Saga Lout]

I'd imagine central Govt qualifies as essential/key workers?

And it makes sense to try a barely adequately tested new treatment on B Ark candidates first.

Please explain in detail exactly what additional testing you believe should be performed in order for you to feel able to accept that this vaccine has been "adequately tested"?

Thanks.

Erm... Give it to all the B Ark candidates (politicians, lawyers, estate agents, people called irie etc) wait a while, see how many grow extra heads. That sort of thing.

[Saga Lout]

And it makes sense to try a barely adequately tested new treatment on B Ark candidates first.

Please explain in detail exactly what additional testing you believe should be performed in order for you to feel able to accept that this vaccine has been "adequately tested"?

Thanks.

C'mon Sage Lout, not like you to be shy.

Sorry for the delay, I didn't realise I had to monitor this thread to check for your questions. Some of us got other things to do.

Happy New Year.

[irie]

And it makes sense to try a barely adequately tested new treatment on B Ark candidates first.

Please explain in detail exactly what additional testing you believe should be performed in order for you to feel able to accept that this vaccine has been "adequately tested"?

Thanks.

Erm... Give it to all the B Ark candidates (politicians, lawyers, estate agents, people called irie etc) wait a while, see how many grow extra heads. That sort of thing.

So all that testing on tens of thousands of people and the collection and processing of statistics can be done away with and we can instead go with

Giving it to all the B Ark candidates (politicians, lawyers, estate agents, people called irie etc) wait a while, see how many grow extra heads. That sort of thing.

What could possibly go wrong?

[weeksy]

I should have kept the soap box smile

You've only just got up have a coffee, kiss the wife, chill out for a day

[irie]

I should have kept the soap box smile

You've only just got up have a coffee, kiss the wife, chill out for a day

With a four year old grand daughter staying overnight we might have been up for "some time"

Happy and Prosperous New Year, weeksy

[Saga Lout]

So all that testing on tens of thousands of people and the collection and processing of statistics can be done away with...

What could possibly go wrong?

Makes you wonder why they usually test new medicines for several years before they're approved. It's almost as if they're checking for long term side effects. What a silly idea.

[weeksy]

So all that testing on tens of thousands of people and the collection and processing of statistics can be done away with...

What could possibly go wrong?

Makes you wonder why they usually test new medicines for several years before they're approved. It's almost as if they're checking for long term side effects. What a silly idea.

But that wasn't really viable in this instance was it ? I think you're being a little difficult just for the sake of argument.

A lot of the delay is people taking weeks and months to authorise things, funding, sign-off, etc. Not just the length of time for testing. Obviously all of the signing off was done instantly in this instance.

Does that mean it was rushed, possibly.... Does that mean it was a good idea or a bad one, who knows yet.... but it's worth the risk IMO.

[Noggin]

So all that testing on tens of thousands of people and the collection and processing of statistics can be done away with...

What could possibly go wrong?

Makes you wonder why they usually test new medicines for several years before they're approved. It's almost as if they're checking for long term side effects. What a silly idea.

But that wasn't really viable in this instance was it ? I think you're being a little difficult just for the sake of argument.

A lot of the delay is people taking weeks and months to authorise things, funding, sign-off, etc. Not just the length of time for testing. Obviously all of the signing off was done instantly in this instance.

Does that mean it was rushed, possibly.... Does that mean it was a good idea or a bad one, who knows yet.... but it's worth the risk IMO.

Wasn't the Oxford one a vaccine that was already being worked on for Covid type viruses? So it wouldn't have taken as long to process as it was already part way through the process before being 'aimed' at Covid 19 in particular?

[Horse]

So all that testing on tens of thousands of people and the collection and processing of statistics can be done away with...

What could possibly go wrong?

Makes you wonder why they usually test new medicines for several years before they're approved. It's almost as if they're checking for long term side effects. What a silly idea.

There already side effects known, at a similar rate to other vaccines.

If you're really keen to know , there's plenty of information on how the usual timescale was substantially compressed.

[irie]

So all that testing on tens of thousands of people and the collection and processing of statistics can be done away with...

What could possibly go wrong?

Makes you wonder why they usually test new medicines for several years before they're approved. It's almost as if they're checking for long term side effects. What a silly idea.

But that wasn't really viable in this instance was it ? I think you're being a little difficult just for the sake of argument.

A lot of the delay is people taking weeks and months to authorise things, funding, sign-off, etc. Not just the length of time for testing. Obviously all of the signing off was done instantly in this instance.

Does that mean it was rushed, possibly.... Does that mean it was a good idea or a bad one, who knows yet.... but it's worth the risk IMO.

As already said in the Pfizer thread.

The government that tells us they didn't cut any corners to get the Pfizer vaccine approved. Except they did away with some of the "red tape" or, in other words, they relaxed some of the regulations which in other circumstances they would argue are there to protect us. I.e. they cut some corners.

"The head of the MHRA, Dr June Raine, said that - despite the speed of approval - no corners have been cut."
Which is pretty much from the horses mouth, as they are the regulators. Which interpretation are you referring to?

Agree that no corners have been cut. The regulatory timescale was compressed by instead of waiting for one trial to complete before starting the next one, the next trial was allowed to start before the previous trial had completed. Allowing trials to overlap thus shortened the regulatory process but carried the risk that any trial stage might fail thus wasting overlapping work done on following trials.

The EU and the US regulators are apparently 'miffed' that they never thought of this way of accelerating the regulatory process.