Pfizer vaccine approved

[Skub]

It's Portimao that's my thoughts as you can imagine. Be great if the UK does well with vaccination, but sod all use to me if Portugal is a shit show along with south America as we won't be allowed to fly there

There may be an additional consideration,even if you are allowed within the regulations to fly to Portugal,will you wish to take the risk,if it's not 100% safe?

[irie]

Andrew Pollard, the head of the Oxford Vaccine Group and chief investigator into the trial of this vaccine, said that extending the gap between vaccines made biological sense. “Generally, a longer gap between vaccine doses leads to a better immune response, with the second dose causing a better boost. (With HPV vaccine for girls, for example, the gap is a year and gives better responses than a one month gap.) From the Oxford vaccine trials, there is 70% protection after the first dose up to the second dose, and the immune response was about three times greater after the second dose when the second dose was delayed, comparing second dose after four weeks versus second dose after 2-3 months,” he told The BMJ, referring to the MHRA’s summary of product characteristics.

Exactly.

The optimal gap between Covid-19 vaccine doses to provide maximum immunity can not be established during trials for the obvious reason that trials might have to continue for many months, if not years.

[Yorick]

It's Portimao that's my thoughts as you can imagine. Be great if the UK does well with vaccination, but sod all use to me if Portugal is a shit show along with south America as we won't be allowed to fly there

There may be an additional consideration,even if you are allowed within the regulations to fly to Portugal,will you wish to take the risk,if it's not 100% safe?

I'm not going if I don't feel safe. I've gotta spend 36 hours on a ferry.

[Wreckless Rat]

That really doesn't sound good.

Neither does extending the gap between doses, sounds like we are going out on a limb as a country. But you got to worry where we'll be if we rush out first jabs and mess it up. It's all well and good crowing about charts where we are well ahead of vaccinating people if we get it wrong and waste it. Better surely to stick to the tested manufacturers tests

It’s not like Boris has unilaterally made this decision a whim.

Andrew Pollard, the head of the Oxford Vaccine Group and chief investigator into the trial of this vaccine, said that extending the gap between vaccines made biological sense. “Generally, a longer gap between vaccine doses leads to a better immune response, with the second dose causing a better boost. (With HPV vaccine for girls, for example, the gap is a year and gives better responses than a one month gap.) From the Oxford vaccine trials, there is 70% protection after the first dose up to the second dose, and the immune response was about three times greater after the second dose when the second dose was delayed, comparing second dose after four weeks versus second dose after 2-3 months,” he told The BMJ, referring to the MHRA’s summary of product characteristics.11

“With the Pfizer vaccine, there are no published data comparing shorter and longer gaps between doses because all participants had the second dose at 3-4 weeks. However, the biology is straightforward and will be the same as with all vaccines . . . The immune system remembers the first dose and will respond whether the later dose is at three weeks or three months.”

In a statement the British Society for Immunology said, “Most immunologists would agree that delaying a second ‘booster’ dose of a protein antigen vaccine (such as the two approved covid-19 vaccines) by eight weeks would be unlikely to have a negative effect on the overall immune response post-boost. We also would not expect any specific safety issues to arise for the individual due to delaying the second dose, other than an increased potential risk of disease during the extended period due to lowered protection.”

I dont think he did and there is certainly science behind it. But my worry is we are the only country/science doing it, coupled with Israel saying the vaccine efficiency as far as they have found thus far is below the effectiveness claimed by Pfizer. Especially after 1 dose.

I've read some other countries are considering spacing out the vaccine but I think we are the only ones actually doing it currently. Thats my concern, when your the only one doing it that suggests there's a bit of a gamble to it

There’s a bit of a gamble with the entire vaccine program, despite being “safe” show me one other vaccine that has gone from concept to delivery in under a year. And while Pfizer want to piss and moan, they aren’t moaning about the super compressed testing regime, the removal of barriers to market, while making billions in profit from it all.

Most ( perhaps all) other vaccines this delay increases the immunity given, they also have no idea how long the vaccine lasts even given at the tested spacing, not banging the drum about that though are they?

[weeksy]

It's Portimao that's my thoughts as you can imagine. Be great if the UK does well with vaccination, but sod all use to me if Portugal is a shit show along with south America as we won't be allowed to fly there

There may be an additional consideration,even if you are allowed within the regulations to fly to Portugal,will you wish to take the risk,if it's not 100% safe?

Of course fella... of course. But that one is very much open to debate between myself and Mrs Weeksy at the moment. At this moment in time if it were next week, i'd say no. However, it's not till the 27th May so we'll be very much playing it by ear from the end of March when we have to pay the remainder of our money, or pull the plug and lose £600. In some ways, the government could make our life easier if they cancel flights etc as that would facilitate a refund on both our flights (which we can transfer to some other dates) and on our tracktime/holiday.

[Wreckless Rat]

Will be interesting once the uk is vaccinated - and France is still trying to bumble its way out of its current situation of doing fuck all, and having a population who don’t trust their Drs enough to take the vaccine, whether the UK will have the balls to return the favour and ban all French from the UK without a test + isolation etc. I do hope so.

It's Portimao that's my thoughts as you can imagine. Be great if the UK does well with vaccination, but sod all use to me if Portugal is a shit show along with south America as we won't be allowed to fly there

Forgive me for not knowing but why do you need to travel to either of those places?

[weeksy]

Will be interesting once the uk is vaccinated - and France is still trying to bumble its way out of its current situation of doing fuck all, and having a population who don’t trust their Drs enough to take the vaccine, whether the UK will have the balls to return the favour and ban all French from the UK without a test + isolation etc. I do hope so.

It's Portimao that's my thoughts as you can imagine. Be great if the UK does well with vaccination, but sod all use to me if Portugal is a shit show along with south America as we won't be allowed to fly there

Forgive me for not knowing but why do you need to travel to either of those places?

we have a holiday booked for the 27th May for a week. If we don't go but are 'allowed' to go we stand to lose about £1200. Which of course is a pain in the arse rather than life-changing. But it's booked and confirmed so sometime in the future we'll need to decide.
Currently Mrs Weeksy may go insane if it's cancelled as she doesn't have the same releases from the crazy world that i get from MTBing and this holiday/trip is kind of her lifeline in that context, so would be a damn shame for us to not go.

We're not going to South America, but that influences Portugal as that's where the infections of the South American strain are likely to come from.

[Wreckless Rat]

Ah right. Bugger.

[Skub]

we have a holiday booked for the 27th May for a week. If we don't go but are 'allowed' to go we stand to lose about £1200. Which of course is a pain in the arse rather than life-changing. But it's booked and confirmed so sometime in the future we'll need to decide.
Currently Mrs Weeksy may go insane if it's cancelled as she doesn't have the same releases from the crazy world that i get from MTBing and this holiday/trip is kind of her lifeline in that context, so would be a damn shame for us to not go.

We're not going to South America, but that influences Portugal as that's where the infections of the South American strain are likely to come from.

May is sufficiently far away to at least allow a bit of hope,none of us know what things will look like that far ahead.

I hope it works out for the trip and for us all.

[weeksy]

No biggy lads but thanks anyhow. We'll see.

[Wreckless Rat]

No biggy lads but thanks anyhow. We'll see.

Yeah but if it’s Mrs weeksys way of coping/relaxing is a bit shit for her, and thus you as well.

Fingers x’d for you both

[Alan PBTD]

Can certainly appreciate Mr's Weeksy's situation. Despite everything - stay safe / stay at home etc the mental stress is massively underappreciated. Am in a similar situation to Weeksy - I do get out and about with work and TD's but the missus being laid off and only 20 hrs / wk part time work now is hard. Had a massive boost with a trip to France for July but its even wearing me thin now with the constant round of work / home / work / home. And reminders of where u going/ do u really need to go to the shops again ? Ok they'll be hoops to jump thro to get to France but lets hope it's open.

The boys and girls in the HOG club are all on about going here / there this year - but I keep saying to them are you really going to be happy / safe mixing at a HOG rally with 500 / 1000 other people ? Bikefest Ireland for late May /June is supposed to be on - but I'd say they haven't got cock all chance. Like a lot of others.

I'd not be happy attending any sort of social gathering for most of the year - the only Harley riding we can do is in small groups 6 / 10 and then a night away here and there in mainland UK. Missus had Covid in March and my boy in December - being self employed I can't take the risk - let alone Long Covid after effects - which they both now have.

It will be better once the weather improves and we get a Lockdown lifting of some sort in Wales / England - but in the meantime just have to soldier on.

[irie]

Mrs irie had a cottage booked in Cornwall for a cycling holiday with 5 of her cycling buddies in late April / early May for which they were due to pay the remaining balance at the end of January. They cancelled last week to avoid losing their money because they think there's virtually no chance of it being allowed to happen, and neither do I for that matter.

We're due to go to Brittany for a couple of weeks at the end of June, but we bet that won't happen.

[Alan PBTD]

On a slightly more positive note been looking after a customer for the last few years - and full time since last March. She's on her own - manic depressive, ex drug addict and alcoholic - does on average 15 cans of Fosters a day. Really sad as she's an intelligent / privately educated woman ex forces and police - just fell in with a seriously wrong crowd. Multi lingual and we've had some quite interesting conversations when u take all the crap out. Takes more pills than a bulk bag of smarties.

Has been quite funny getting her stock of larger slabs ( usually 6 a trip ) when beer goes short. She reprimanded me severely when once I couldn't get Fosters as anything else she said she's be pissed...

Have a few situations when she's been rock bottom - and probably wouldn't see the dawn - so it was late night trips with Paramedics and Police. Bit stressful when she rings me usually 4 / 6 times a day sometimes she just wants to her someone on the end of the phone or just to ask What u up to ?

Usually take her some flowers from my garden and if we've been somewhere, post her a card. They take pride of palace in her flat - first time we did it she was crying - couldn't remember the last time she had some. Got her on Whats App now and we exchange pictures. We try to keep her mind busy - but it leads to more phone calls if I don't answer her on WA !

Last birthday she rang me up and sung Happy Birthday to me in Italian. I was in bits...

Please look after your neighbours - all they need is a little of your time. If they're elderly it's a unique experience especially when they talk about the ''Good Old Days'' or when they were young.

A bit of your time isn't much to ask...

[Mr. Dazzle]

I hope you're right, but I'd be willing to have a bet (£10 to a charity of choice?) that they don't ever get above 200,000 injections administered per day...

Latest figure 324,000 vaccinations in one day ..I know I don’t accept bets, but feel free to make a donation anyway ..

They passed 400k yesterday...

About 1500 shy of 600k/day now.

Even I didn't think they'd do this well!

[demographic]

Will be interesting once the uk is vaccinated - and France is still trying to bumble its way out of its current situation of doing fuck all, and having a population who don’t trust their Drs enough to take the vaccine, whether the UK will have the balls to return the favour and ban all French from the UK without a test + isolation etc. I do hope so.

It's Portimao that's my thoughts as you can imagine. Be great if the UK does well with vaccination, but sod all use to me if Portugal is a shit show along with south America as we won't be allowed to fly there

Dunno if you had a good look that Google recent cases map but there wasn't many countries that had more recent cases per capita than England.
Portugal and Gibraltar were though and by a considerable margin.
Worth keeping a close eye on it anyway.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Mrs irie had a cottage booked in Cornwall for a cycling holiday with 5 of her cycling buddies in late April / early May for which they were due to pay the remaining balance at the end of January. They cancelled last week to avoid losing their money because they think there's virtually no chance of it being allowed to happen, and neither do I for that matter.

We're due to go to Brittany for a couple of weeks at the end of June, but we bet that won't happen.

We've got a cottage in Devon booked for May/June, company we've booked it with will refund all our money if travel restrictions mean we can't go, cost a bloody fortune though.

[Wreckless Rat]

Will be interesting once the uk is vaccinated - and France is still trying to bumble its way out of its current situation of doing fuck all, and having a population who don’t trust their Drs enough to take the vaccine, whether the UK will have the balls to return the favour and ban all French from the UK without a test + isolation etc. I do hope so.

It's Portimao that's my thoughts as you can imagine. Be great if the UK does well with vaccination, but sod all use to me if Portugal is a shit show along with south America as we won't be allowed to fly there

Dunno if you had a good look that Google recent cases map but there wasn't many countries that had more recent cases per capita than England.
Portugal and Gibraltar were though and by a considerable margin.
Worth keeping a close eye on it anyway.

And also not many countries testing anywhere near the amount we are.

[irie]

Mrs irie had a cottage booked in Cornwall for a cycling holiday with 5 of her cycling buddies in late April / early May for which they were due to pay the remaining balance at the end of January. They cancelled last week to avoid losing their money because they think there's virtually no chance of it being allowed to happen, and neither do I for that matter.

We're due to go to Brittany for a couple of weeks at the end of June, but we bet that won't happen.

We've got a cottage in Devon booked for May/June, company we've booked it with will refund all our money if travel restrictions mean we can't go, cost a bloody fortune though.

Mrs irie's booking was through cottages.com which is part of a bigger group. That's what they say, worth looking at their terms and conditions, and Trustpilot reviews. After seeing the Trustpilot reviews she cancelled her card to ensure that her card wasn't later debited. Just saying.

[irie]

From from I've read Portugal currently has the highest infection rates in Europe and patients are being airlifted to Madeira, and moved to Austria.