Coronavirus (Covid19) Corner

[Tripps]

I agree that China needs sorting out

Good luck with that - whatever 'sorting out' means.

is he allowed to refer to “frogs and krauts”?

Yes I'd say - so long as they continue to call us 'les rosbifs'.

[PanBiker]

Johnny Foreigner covers a lot of bases without pointing the finger directly.

[Marilyn]

Why hasn’t UK exported any vaccine, as per their agreement?
( I mean...it isn’t looking good for you guys)...though I ask my question without judgement. Maybe Boris forgot to sign the despatch?

[Sue]

Only Boris can answer that Maz, but we have sent vaccines through the international dystem, that I forget its name, to poorer countries.

[Marilyn]

I believe these vaccines were those agreed to be reciprocated to the EU. ( the EU say they are yet to receive any from UK). Which is why they clamped down further distribution to the UK until EU countries are up to UK par with vaccinations.
I am wondering...if folk don’t get their second dose of vaccine, how is any of this going to work?

[Big Kev]

There are, apparently, more than enough vaccines in the UK to administer second doses, the delay will be first doses to the next eligible group. Current reports are for a slow down in 'first dose' appointments throughout April but we are still on target for all adults to have been offered one by July.

[Marilyn]

Common sense tells me to give second doses to those having had first doses, rather than give first doses beyond that supply.

[Marilyn]

doesn’t answer my question though about vaccine that was promised reciprocally to the EU....
Boris! Get your fountain pen out!

[Big Kev]

Unfortunately I only have access to the information provided by the media or whatever the government releases. Not sure why the EU need supplies of the AZ vaccine, that's manufactured in the UK, when the EU ordered their supplies from the US and their own plant in Belgium. The supply contract looks to be with AstraZeneca rather than the British government, I found this in a BBC News story

The EU has ordered 400 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

The company says supplies are coming mainly from the US and a site in Seneffe in Belgium. AstraZeneca is working with suppliers in 15 countries to make the vaccine.

A site in Leiden in the Netherlands is also expected to produce vaccines for both the EU and the UK.

AstraZeneca confirmed the UK had not received any vaccines or components from the EU - apart from one "tiny" batch from the Leiden plant.

The British government are contributing to the COVAX programme which is providing vaccines to 'poorer' countries.

[Marilyn]

Not what I read in our early hours, but I will go back and see if I can find what I read...on the BBC news...
Part of it were under the topic of “Covid...what is the problem with the EU rollout”
( mind you...that was updated in the past hour and comments have a way of disappearing!)
It gets hard to keep up!

[Tizer]

doesn’t answer my question though about vaccine that was promised reciprocally to the EU....
Boris! Get your fountain pen out!

Maz, perhaps you missed the news that the EU countries got cold feet over the AstaZeneca vaccine due to false information on safety being bandied about, so then they said they didn't want AZ vaccine. Now they do. A lot of the AZ vaccine is actually manufactured in the EU and they could have had it then but they dithered and dithered and therefore, not surprisingly, got left behind. In the meantime AZ had to stop temporarily some production while they brought new equipment online. AZ isn't only manufacturing for the UK and EU, they have vaccine factories around the world. So do the other vaccine companies.

The EU got itself low down on the priority list of AZ (and other vaccine producers) at the start of the pandemic by its dithering. This was especially the case because Oxford University and AZ were already working on a similar vaccine for the related MERS virus and they were able to switch over and be one of the first to produce a Covid-19 vaccine. As AZ was one of the first producers it meant the EU ended up ordering very late and being way down the list.

I'm not defending Boris or trying to boost the UK, just stating the facts.
Oh, and just one other fact about AZ that most people still don't realise - AZ/Oxford and Johnson & Johnson are making covid-19 vaccines on a not-for-profit basis whereas Pfizer/Biontech and Moderna are doing it to make a profit of billions of dollars. Guardian

[PanBiker]

I think it should also be mentioned that the AZ vaccine is manufactured and supplied on a not for profit basis.

The Pfizer and Moderna jabs I have read are about £20 a go and they are making billions in profits.

[Tizer]

Ian, I'd just written that as an addition to my post - then delayed while watching an RN Lynx helicopter landing nearby - then posted and found you'd beaten me to it! I'll go back now and a link to the information in a Guardian article.
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While listening once again to the Tory right wingers whining about lockdown and demanding vaccination passports, for holidays or pubs, this thought passed through my mind. Do they lack the brain cells to understand that vaccines are not perfect, not 100% effective in terms of the number of people protected? We see estimates ranging from about 70% to 90% of those vaccinated being protected. If all our adults were vaccinated, then even at 90% success rate the remaining 10% would represent about 4.5 million adults going around in the UK or able to travel abroad with a vaccine passport that was technically meaningless! The virus would love it!

[plaques]

Visit to Colne library yesterday, Doors closed, Librarian sees me opens outer door. I place book in returns box, librarian checks if any more have come through. Nothing, Good bye, door closes. Meanwhile outside its a nice sunny day people are sat enjoying a bit of sun shine. Quick observation, 3 people with masks on sat alone well away from anyone else. 2 groups, of four people mainly elderly, sat next to each other exchanging pleasantries, no masks.
This may be an indication that in a relaxed atmosphere people are putting the rules to one side and it makes you think of what would happen when restrictions are eased again in April.

[Stanley]

"it makes you think of what would happen when restrictions are eased again in April."
I think the figures coming out of Scotland where schools went back earlier are giving us a clue Ken, they are rising.
As for the EU and vaccines.... The bottom line is that they vacillated and then ordered late on a more flexible contract than the UK. Then when they realised things were going wrong they panicked and we had things like Macron saying that the AZ brand was dangerous, then the blood clot scare and even now the EU has a large quantity of the AZ vaccine sat doing nothing. Even the EU agrees it is a contractual dispute with AZ and not political.
I am not in the least bit worried about any of this because when the production in Europe recovers from the slow down caused by increasing capacity all this will fade away. One thing is certain, jumping to conclusions on partial information and allotting blame is counter productive.

[Sue]

"it makes you think of what would happen when restrictions are eased again in April."
I think the figures coming out of Scotland where schools went back earlier are giving us a clue Ken, they are rising.
As for the EU and vaccines.... The bottom line is that they vacillated and then ordered late on a more flexible contract than the UK. Then when they realised things were going wrong they panicked and we had things like Macron saying that the AZ brand was dangerous, then the blood clot scare and even now the EU has a large quantity of the AZ vaccine sat doing nothing. Even the EU agrees it is a contractual dispute with AZ and not political.
I am not in the least bit worried about any of this because when the production in Europe recovers from the slow down caused by increasing capacity all this will fade away. One thing is certain, jumping to conclusions on partial information and allotting blame is counter productive.

I agree totally. As Bob says, our government does b not determine where the orders go , the company that took the order does. On e again this has been made political when in fact it is partly commercial . As I recall Boris had placed orders before we even left France. I remember thinking it was strange to oder something that didn’t exist yet

[Stanley]

"I remember thinking it was strange to order something that didn’t exist yet"
No doubt on the advice of the scientists and as it turned out a brilliant move.

[Tizer]

It's not unusual in commerce, Sue. If Bob wanted a special part made for his railway he'd have to place an order in advance.

[Gloria]

Had 2nd jab

[PanBiker]

8th May for us Gloria.

[Sue]

"I remember thinking it was strange to order something that didn’t exist yet"
No doubt on the advice of the scientists and as it turned out a brilliant move.

Yes it certainly was , got in with the orders straightaway and it has paid off

[Sue]

8th May for us Gloria.

Two more weeks for us

[Stanley]

I will get word about second jab. Nothing yet and not worried, It will happen and I have a lot of protection after the first.

[Sue]

I will get word about second jab. Nothing yet and not worried, It will happen and I have a lot of protection after the first.

Yes I am assuming two weeks based on the info the vaccination centre told me when I phoned last week as we don’t have a date. I was told all of April is put on one side for the second doses, and I will get an appointment imminently

[Big Kev]

Because we used the vaccination centre in Burnley we had to book the appointment, for the second jab, when we booked the first. May 22nd for us, 5 minutes apart but I'm sure they'll let us in together as they did for the first one.
I did notice that Barnoldswick Medical Centre are now offering a limited number of 'first' jabs and appear to have a surplus, their Facebook page has been asking any over 50s who haven't yet had a first jab to call a 'hot line' to make a short notice appointment.