New vaccine

[kalos]

31 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

I wouldn't want to see my medical records. In my case ignorance truly is bliss🙈

Avril

 

You remind me of the time I went to see my surgeon prior to an operation to sign 

the consent papers . He set off telling me what cuts he would be making into me 

I told him "Forget all that, all I want to know is where do I sign ? "

[yorkshirephil]

This is an interesting take on the EU vaccine dilemma. Who would pull the lever, I would.

 

There’s a classic ethical puzzle called the trolley problem: A tram is headed toward a junction. If it stays on course, it will kill five people tied to the track. By flipping a switch, a bystander can divert it to a spur line where it would claim only one victim. What to do about this dilemma?

Pragmatists might push the lever, reducing the toll, even if that turns them into active participants in another human being’s death. Moralists say it’s better to do nothing and remain innocent, even if that makes them observers to a larger disaster.

Europe has spent the past week  tying itself up in knots over a variation on the trolley problem. Is it acceptable to push ahead with the use of AstraZeneca's coronavirus shot despite a remote but unproven — and possibly unscientific  — chance of dangerous side effects? Or is it better to avoid any possibility of causing harm, even if that turns us into passive witnesses to the Covid deaths of many others who can’t get vaccinated?

 

The U.K. is leading the pragmatist camp, while the European Union spent the past week dithering before reluctantly pulling the switch.

The bloc’s drugs regulator on Thursday cleared the AstraZeneca vaccine for a second time. The new endorsement followed the suspension of shots over concerns about a possible link to blood clots, a tiny handful of them fatal. Many European countries reversed course and authorized the shot anew, though some maintained restrictions.

Health authorities in the U.K. and the EU alike have said there’s no evidence the vaccine caused the clots, and Astra says there’s a higher incidence in the general public than among the millions of people who’ve received shots. Yet the reports of possible side effects have exposed philosophical differences over vaccination between Britain and the Continent and heightened tensions over vaccine supply shortages.

The two tracks they’re on look like this: The U.K. has vaccinated around half of all adults, and its virus deaths have plunged to the lowest levels since October. The EU is lagging way behind on immunizations, and it’s bracing for a third wave of contagion

[P&O SUE]

On 3/6/2021 at 1:16 PM, Harry Peterson said:

Just out of curiosity, anyone else with an asthmatic family member unable to persuade their GP to include them within Group 6, despite clearly meeting the laid down criteria, which include a previous hospitalisation?

 

Seems to be a national problem, with some practices overriding the national guidelines with their own interpretation of what constitutes serious asthma.

My son has asthma and he hasn’t been called yet. He is only 30 though and I wouldn’t call it severe but he does qualify for a flu jab so I don’t know if he qualifies or not.

[yorkshirephil]

10 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

My son has asthma and he hasn’t been called yet. He is only 30 though and I wouldn’t call it severe but he does qualify for a flu jab so I don’t know if he qualifies or not.

I have asthma, albeit mild, originally that put me in group 6 until the goalposts were moved and I moved into my age group. Clearly covid attacking the respiratory system is not good for asthmatics but I could also see that a mild asthmatic was likely not as much at risk as people with other underlying health issues. However some surgeries have clearly not stuck to the government policy throughout the vaccination programme and caused unwanted confusion.

[Harry Peterson]

14 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

My son has asthma and he hasn’t been called yet. He is only 30 though and I wouldn’t call it severe but he does qualify for a flu jab so I don’t know if he qualifies or not.

Sue, this might help:

 

https://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/document-library/quality-improvement/covid-19/covid-19-vaccination-information-for-health-care-professionals/

 

Persons considered clinically at-risk

The PHE Green Book Chapter 14a (Table 3) lists the following Chronic Respiratory Disease clinical risk
groups aged 16 and over who should receive the COVID-19 Vaccine:

Individuals with a severe lung condition, including those with asthma that requires continuous or repeated use of systemic steroids or with previous exacerbations requiring hospital admission; and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) including chronic bronchitis and emphysema; bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, interstitial lung fibrosis, pneumoconiosis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

 

In my daughter's case, the Practice Manager was choosing to ignore this - essentially because she hadn't read the PHE Green Book.  It took a huge amount of 'persuasion' to get her very grudgingly to agree to OK the vaccination.

 

Harry

[P&O SUE]

17 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

I have asthma, albeit mild, originally that put me in group 6 until the goalposts were moved and I moved into my age group. Clearly covid attacking the respiratory system is not good for asthmatics but I could also see that a mild asthmatic was likely not as much at risk as people with other underlying health issues. However some surgeries have clearly not stuck to the government policy throughout the vaccination programme and caused unwanted confusion.

 

14 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Sue, this might help:

 

https://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/document-library/quality-improvement/covid-19/covid-19-vaccination-information-for-health-care-professionals/

 

Persons considered clinically at-risk

The PHE Green Book Chapter 14a (Table 3) lists the following Chronic Respiratory Disease clinical risk
groups aged 16 and over who should receive the COVID-19 Vaccine:

Individuals with a severe lung condition, including those with asthma that requires continuous or repeated use of systemic steroids or with previous exacerbations requiring hospital admission; and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) including chronic bronchitis and emphysema; bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, interstitial lung fibrosis, pneumoconiosis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

 

In my daughter's case, the Practice Manager was choosing to ignore this - essentially because she hadn't read the PHE Green Book.  It took a huge amount of 'persuasion' to get her very grudgingly to agree to OK the vaccination.

 

Harry

Thank you both, he uses a daily inhaler but other than that I don’t think he’s had any ‘episodes’ for years ( young men don’t tell their mum’s everything!) 

He’s slim and otherwise fit and was working in a supermarket without a day sick at the beginning of this. 

[davecttr]

2 hours ago, yorkshirephil said:

This is an interesting take on the EU vaccine dilemma. Who would pull the lever, I would.

 

There’s a classic ethical puzzle called the trolley problem: A tram is headed toward a junction. If it stays on course, it will kill five people tied to the track. By flipping a switch, a bystander can divert it to a spur line where it would claim only one victim. What to do about this dilemma?

Pragmatists might push the lever, reducing the toll, even if that turns them into active participants in another human being’s death. Moralists say it’s better to do nothing and remain innocent, even if that makes them observers to a larger disaster.

Europe has spent the past week  tying itself up in knots over a variation on the trolley problem. Is it acceptable to push ahead with the use of AstraZeneca's coronavirus shot despite a remote but unproven — and possibly unscientific  — chance of dangerous side effects? Or is it better to avoid any possibility of causing harm, even if that turns us into passive witnesses to the Covid deaths of many others who can’t get vaccinated?

 

The U.K. is leading the pragmatist camp, while the European Union spent the past week dithering before reluctantly pulling the switch.

The bloc’s drugs regulator on Thursday cleared the AstraZeneca vaccine for a second time. The new endorsement followed the suspension of shots over concerns about a possible link to blood clots, a tiny handful of them fatal. Many European countries reversed course and authorized the shot anew, though some maintained restrictions.

Health authorities in the U.K. and the EU alike have said there’s no evidence the vaccine caused the clots, and Astra says there’s a higher incidence in the general public than among the millions of people who’ve received shots. Yet the reports of possible side effects have exposed philosophical differences over vaccination between Britain and the Continent and heightened tensions over vaccine supply shortages.

The two tracks they’re on look like this: The U.K. has vaccinated around half of all adults, and its virus deaths have plunged to the lowest levels since October. The EU is lagging way behind on immunizations, and it’s bracing for a third wave of contagion

I now seems simple to me, get the vaccine and you might have a 1 in 1.7 million chance of getting a brain clot from the vaccine or don't get the vaccine and have a ???% chance of dying from Covid. Compare this with deaths on the roads and accidental deaths at home latest annual figures - road 1,879, home 6,000. As said in a cartoon, the only Covid clots seem to be the anti vaxxers.

[yorkshirephil]

[Splice the mainbrace]

Just back from having my first jab, very efficient operation. Was given vaccine card but didn't look at it until I got home, the card had the batch number and that it was AZ written on but my name was left blank so I filled it in myself.

[grapau27]

6 hours ago, Splice the mainbrace said:

Just back from having my first jab, very efficient operation. Was given vaccine card but didn't look at it until I got home, the card had the batch number and that it was AZ written on but my name was left blank so I filled it in myself.

We have just got home after Pauline's AZ jab and her card was the same.

I had the Pfizer jab 4 weeks ago at a different vaccine centre and my card had Pfizer and the batch number but my name wasn't filled in either.

[SeaJane]

OH and I both had the AZ vaccine. Our cards had our names on the top and the date and batch number that we had the jab. OH’s also has the date of his 2nd jab appointment.

[yorkshirephil]

I took my MIL for her second (Pfizer) jab yesterday morning. She says it is just a bit sore at the jab site but no other effects, which is how it was with her first jab.

[Angel57]

9 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

I took my MIL for her second (Pfizer) jab yesterday morning. She says it is just a bit sore at the jab site but no other effects, which is how it was with her first jab.

That’s great Phil. I have three friends who are nearly 80 who also had their second Pfizer jabs yesterday and none of them have had side effects either this time or for the first one. I’m 18 years younger and was really tired after first vaccine and also the flu jab. Seems quite random as to how our bodies react.....

[Snow Hill]

My future daughter-in-law had her second Pfizer vaccination on Friday, she is a Care Worker with Dementia patients, I asked my son how she was feeling yesterday, he said she ached all over and had bouts of shivering, she was expecting it as others she worked with had same after second dose. 

[yorkshirephil]

25 minutes ago, Angel57 said:

That’s great Phil. I have three friends who are nearly 80 who also had their second Pfizer jabs yesterday and none of them have had side effects either this time or for the first one. I’m 18 years younger and was really tired after first vaccine and also the flu jab. Seems quite random as to how our bodies react.....

The Pfizer jab doesn't seem to be causing as many side effects as the AZ jab. It is quite random, but then again so are people😁. I am surprised that with 530 million jabs given world wide that there haven't been more side effects especially with the mRNA jabs of Pfizer and Moderna.

[jeanlyon]

My husband has his second one tomorrow.  Mine should be in a couple of weeks.  Interested to learn on the BBC News this evening that only 25% of 50-55 year olds have come forward to be vaccinated.  They are being urged to apply before appointments stop tomorrow.  Over 60s there is a 95% take up!

[Angel57]

6 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

My husband has his second one tomorrow.  Mine should be in a couple of weeks.  Interested to learn on the BBC News this evening that only 25% of 50-55 year olds have come forward to be vaccinated.  They are being urged to apply before appointments stop tomorrow.  Over 60s there is a 95% take up!

Great news Jean.
Is it 12 weeks since his first jab or a bit shorter than that as it only seems a few weeks ago you were telling us he had his 1st appointment. 

[jeanlyon]

Err, only a fraction shorter.  He had his 1st jab on Jan 13th.

[Angel57]

7 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Err, only a fraction shorter.  He had his 1st jab on Jan 13th.

How time flies when life is such fun in lockdown......!

[cruisenewbie1976]

4 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

My husband has his second one tomorrow.  Mine should be in a couple of weeks.  Interested to learn on the BBC News this evening that only 25% of 50-55 year olds have come forward to be vaccinated.  They are being urged to apply before appointments stop tomorrow.  Over 60s there is a 95% take up!

Currently 60.5% of people aged 50 - 55 have had one dose in England. Think the BBC must be using old info. 

 

 

[davecttr]

8 hours ago, cruisenewbie1976 said:

Currently 60.5% of people aged 50 - 55 have had one dose in England. Think the BBC must be using old info. 

 

 

Nice one , where did you find the table?

[Splice the mainbrace]

I think that the 50 to 54 age group % uptake will increase a lot over the next 2 weeks to the 15 April target. In our area I only got my first jab last week and I'm in the 55 to 59 age group, so the lower age group will be a week or so behind. Here if you except the text invitation (which arrived some days after the letter) the appointment is days later but going online from the letter the wait is 2 to 2.5 weeks.

[cruisenewbie1976]

1 hour ago, davecttr said:

Nice one , where did you find the table?

 

[Beckett]

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

 

Since my 'time out' from work I haven't had much to report on the vaccine situation but I'm back at work now and will be working at the vaccine hub over Easter weekend. In my absence the hub had visits from both Boris and Prince Charles. My colleagues all reported how impressively well-informed Prince Charles was, and how he spent a lot of time with each of the volunteers. It wasn't reported and was therefore a much more relaxed and private visit. A nice boost to the workers which was much appreciated.

 

There was one disappointing week when the adverse publicity around the AZ and blood clots made its mark. Clinics had to be cancelled and condensed into one smaller session which was also not fully booked. Fortunately the AZ vaccine is quite temperate and could be moved to other sites so no wastage.

 

This coming weekend we are back to Pfizer and will be giving second vaccines to the patients whose 12 week recall is due. We are half-full already but unfortunately this weekend covers at least two religious festivals so we are still expecting some spare appointments. 

 

Have a great day everyone. Enjoy the sunshine. Be safe. Jane.x

[kalos]

11 minutes ago, Beckett said:

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

 

Since my 'time out' from work I haven't had much to report on the vaccine situation but I'm back at work now and will be working at the vaccine hub over Easter weekend.

This coming weekend we are back to Pfizer and will be giving second vaccines to the patients whose 12 week recall is due. We are half-full already but unfortunately this weekend covers at least two religious festivals so we are still expecting some spare appointments. 

 

Have a great day everyone. Enjoy the sunshine. Be safe. Jane.x

Thank you and keep safe