Astrazeneca/Oxford vaccine approved

[Docca]

Tomorrow at 6.30pm

[weeksy]

Tomorrow at 6.30pm

Let's hope you don't explode like a water melon.

[Asian Boss]

Tomorrow at 6.30pm

Let's hope you don't explode like a water melon.

It's the Bell's Palsy and Gigantism I fear.

[Mr. Dazzle]

The "1/2+1" was administered by mistake. Aside from being rather uninspiring that this sort of error could happen at all in a clinical trial, the fact that they don't understand why the different results were obtained relative to the planned 1+1 doesn't give a whole lot of confidence. As stated it could simply be that the aberrant subject group were younger than the full trial group, who achieved a rather less impressive 60% immunity.

Now, not only does the govt plan to administer this as the preferred vaccine (It's cheaper and it's "British") but they plan to ignore the makers' requirements for dosing by spreading out the shots by many weeks, with absolutely no evidence whether this will maintain the already limited effectiveness of the vaccine. I wonder what happens when the virus encounters someone with partial resistance and the only strains of the virus that survive are the ones resistant to the vaccine-developed antibodies. All so Bozo can unlock a few weeks earlier. I'd love to be wrong on this, we'll see.

"Absolutely no evidence" and "ignore the makers requirements" is a bit strong, neither of those things is the case although there are elements of truth in both. Studies showed the Oxford vaccine is actually slightly more effective with larger gaps between doses, but the data is limited.

https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n18

The implication behind saying "It's cheaper and it's "British"" is also pretty off. There are millions of doses of the AZ vaccine already in the UK, the Pfizer one is in limited supply with no more available until March. So even if the AZ one was more expensive and more foreign they would still be giving out more of that.

[Yorick]

Let's leave politics out. Completely.

[Wreckless Rat]

Just about all vaccines the best protection is with longer period between 1st shot and the booster. The shorter period suited the fast track testing regime, but the science is actually in favour of a delayed second injection.

[cheb]

I know its difficult but can we try to keep the politics out of this

Sorry, it was meant to be lighthearted, hence Torries.

[irie]

The "1/2+1" was administered by mistake. Aside from being rather uninspiring that this sort of error could happen at all in a clinical trial, the fact that they don't understand why the different results were obtained relative to the planned 1+1 doesn't give a whole lot of confidence. As stated it could simply be that the aberrant subject group were younger than the full trial group, who achieved a rather less impressive 60% immunity.

Now, not only does the govt plan to administer this as the preferred vaccine (It's cheaper and it's "British") but they plan to ignore the makers' requirements for dosing by spreading out the shots by many weeks, with absolutely no evidence whether this will maintain the already limited effectiveness of the vaccine. I wonder what happens when the virus encounters someone with partial resistance and the only strains of the virus that survive are the ones resistant to the vaccine-developed antibodies. All so Bozo can unlock a few weeks earlier. I'd love to be wrong on this, we'll see.

No, the 1/2+1 dose was not "administered by mistake" - the truth is a rather more subtle and possibly serendipitous.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55308216

The Italian manufacturers used a different technique to Oxford to check the concentration of the vaccine - effectively how many viral particles are floating in each dose. When the Oxford scientists used their [own] method, it appeared that the Italian vaccine was double strength. What to do? Calls were made to the medical regulators. It was agreed that volunteers should be given a half measure of the vaccine, on the basis that it was likely to equate to something more like a regular dose. This was partly a safety issue - they preferred to give them too little rather than too much.

But after a week, the scientists became aware that something unusual was going on. The volunteers were getting none of the usual side-effects - such as sore arms or fever. About 1,300 volunteers had only received a half-dose of the vaccine, rather than a full one. The independent regulators said the trial should continue and that the half-dose group could remain in the study.

[cheb]

I know but we both know it starts with a quip then others take it too seriously and before you know it Ming Ming ping pong.

Neck duly wound in boss.

[slowsider]

Tomorrow at 6.30pm

Let's hope you don't explode like a water melon.

It's the Bell's Palsy and Gigantism I fear.

Swelling and twitching is often underrated

[irie]

Looks like the UK is doing well.

CORONAVIRUS VACCINATION TRACKER

Number of doses administered per 100 people in EU countries and the U.K.

United Kingdom = 6.96 (Jan 18, 2021)
Denmark = 3.06 (Jan 18, 2021)
Malta = 2.65 (Jan 17, 2021)
Lithuania = 2.22 (Jan 19, 2021)
Slovenia = 2.07 (Jan 18, 2021)
Spain = 2.07 (Jan 19, 2021)
Italy = 2 (Jan 19, 2021)
Ireland = 1.9 (Jan 17, 2021)
Austria = 1.67
Estonia =1.54
Germany = 1.46 (Jan 18, 2021)
Sweden = 1.45 (Jan 17, 2021)
Poland = 1.43 (Jan 19, 2021)
Romania = 1.4 (Jan 19, 2021)
Hungary = 1.38 (Jan 19, 2021)
Slovakia 1.38
Switzerland = 1.27 (Jan 19, 2021)
Cyprus = 1.17 (Jan 15, 2021)
Croatia = 1.12 (Jan 16, 2021)
Portugal = 1.04 (Jan 15, 2021)
Czechia = 1.01 (Jan 17, 2021)
Finland =1.01 (Jan 19, 2021)
Belgium = 0.97 (Jan 18, 2021)
Latvia = 0.93 (Jan 19, 2021)
Norway = 0.93 (Jan 18, 2021)
France = 0.9 (Jan 19, 2021)
Greece = 0.89 (Jan 19, 2021)
Luxembourg = 0.73 (Jan 18, 2021)
Russia = 0.69 (Jan 13, 2021)
Netherlands = 0.45 (Jan 17, 2021)
Bulgaria = 0.32 (Jan 19, 2021)
Serbia = 0.27 (Jan 14, 2021)

And this is one reason why.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/20 ... d-no-deal/

Britain got on the front foot with vaccines thanks to Brexit-inspired 'no deal' with the EU on jabs.

Last summer the UK and the European Union were locked in fierce negotiations, with both sides refusing to budge.

Behind the scenes, officials from both sides were searching for a landing zone for a potential deal.

Yet the key sticking point was not the level playing field, nor the future of the fishing industry: it was how best to secure vital Covid vaccines.

And unlike the Brexit negotiations, there was to be no last-minute breakthrough. In the second week of July, the UK walked away.

Officials involved in those talks now believe the UK’s ‘vaccine no deal’ with the EU was the “best decision we’ve made in the whole pandemic”.

[Supermofo]

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-rea ... y-12192751

News from Israel doesn't sound particularly positive in relation to the single jab. Early days of course but could be a major set back if it doesn't work as expected

[irie]

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-rea ... y-12192751

News from Israel doesn't sound particularly positive in relation to the single jab. Early days of course but could be a major set back if it doesn't work as expected

To me it seems inconclusive rather than positive or negative - the apparent gulf between large trial data and real life data makes me suspicious of drawing a conclusion either way.

[Saga Lout]

I had a call from my GP surgery: "Can we come and give you the Oxford vaccine today?"

They turned up about half an hour later and I've just had my first dose.

[irie]

The inevitable vaccine supply war kicks off. It's all a conspiracy by the dastardly Anglo-Saxons, I tell thee.

https://www.politico.eu/article/enraged ... -controls/

Enraged at AstraZeneca over shortfall, EU calls for vaccine export controls

The EU on Monday called for tight controls on coronavirus vaccine exports after top officials all but accused U.K.-based AstraZeneca of cutting supplies intended for EU countries in order to sell doses to other nations at higher prices.

With a tasty bit of fake news published by both Handelsblatt and Bild thrown in for good measure. Perhaps a dead cat manoeuvre ...

https://www.reuters.com/article/health- ... SL8N2K061O

German daily papers Handelsblatt and Bild said in separate reports on Monday the vaccine - co-developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University - had an efficacy of 8% or less than 10%, respectively, in those over 65 and the German government did not expect the European regulator to approve the product for that age group.

AstraZeneca on Monday described German media reports saying its COVID-19 vaccine was shown to have a very low efficacy in the elderly as “completely incorrect”

Oh.

[irie]

I suspect that the allegation that AZ diverted to the UK vaccines that were destined for the EU is an attempt to justify diverting to the EU Pfizer vaccines (manufactured in Belgium) destined for the UK.

[slowsider]

The inevitable vaccine supply war kicks off. It's all a conspiracy by the dastardly Anglo-Saxons,

Couple it with Boris crowing about being the first to roll out the programme...

[weeksy]

The inevitable vaccine supply war kicks off. It's all a conspiracy by the dastardly Anglo-Saxons,

Couple it with Boris crowing about being the first to roll out the programme...

Can't win can he. Everyone tells him he's doing a shit job. So he does a good one and people say he's crowing about it,

LOL.

[slowsider]

The inevitable vaccine supply war kicks off. It's all a conspiracy by the dastardly Anglo-Saxons,

Couple it with Boris crowing about being the first to roll out the programme...

Can't win can he. Everyone tells him he's doing a shit job. So he does a good one and people say he's crowing about it,

LOL.

He had fuck all to do with researching and producing the vaccine, but you'll give him credit for it LOL - his job should be leadership and that's been a shitshow.

[weeksy]

Couple it with Boris crowing about being the first to roll out the programme...

Can't win can he. Everyone tells him he's doing a shit job. So he does a good one and people say he's crowing about it,

LOL.

He had fuck all to do with researching and producing the vaccine, but you'll give him credit for it LOL - his job should be leadership and that's been a shitshow.

I give 'him' (them, whoever) credit for getting the supply in place, distribution in place etc. I'm not saying he sat there and broke down the chemical structure, where on earth did you make that up from ?