The vaccine

[Pamplemousse]

PM, whenever I read alarmist reports from those that take delight in frightening the public, I go back to Dr Campbell. He's a calm and reassuring voice amongst all the trash out there. He can't control who comments on his videos sadly.

Well, he can - he can turn comments off.

[Pamplemousse]

Speaking of vaccines, it appears the Moderna vaccine (mRNA) has just been approved for UK use.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55586410

[ankietyjoe]

So why the lockdowns then?

I think it's safe to assume he meant in terms of the vaccine, not overall. We need the vaccine AND behavioral changes AND better self care AND to get through Winter, etc.

[Pamplemousse]

https://twitter.com/ConorGogarty/sta...46851364368392

Sobering reading...

[Gary A]

So why the lockdowns then?

Well, at this point the vast majority of the population don’t have any protection at all, whether from transmission or symptomatic disease. The mortality rate doesn’t change, but that 1% means a lot more deaths than there would be if 95% of the population had protection from symptomatic infection.

There’s been around 80,000 deaths in the UK, think how far that number falls if 95% of those people were protected from developing symptoms, let alone developing them bad enough to actually die.

The biggest problem with this virus is how transmissible it is, but that problem is nowhere near as big when contracting the virus doesn’t make you remotely unwell. Of course, a vaccine that directly reduces transmission would be great, but right now the most important thing is keeping as many people as we can out of the hospital and, to be blunt, the mortuary.

[Pamplemousse]

Well, at this point the vast majority of the population don’t have any protection at all, whether from transmission or symptomatic disease. The mortality rate doesn’t change, but that 1% means a lot more deaths than there would be if 95% of the population had protection from symptomatic infection.

A casual glance at Worldometers suggests mortality closer to 3% but I get your point nonetheless; my major concern is that once people get jabbed they'll want to party like it's 1999 again and that'll still end up proving fatal to many people. I also wonder what efficacy there will be with having the doses so widely spaced; something that hasn't been tested.

[fishman65]

I also wonder what efficacy there will be with having the doses so widely spaced; something that hasn't been tested.

From what I've read PM I don't think the spacing will affect the vaccine's ability to do its job. And in Dr Campbell's vid about post infection immunity in healthcare workers, those HCWs who contracted covid back in the spring, 128 people, none (a big fat zero) have caught it this time round. So that's immunity for at least 6 months.

[Lencoboy]

So what?

Nobody ever said the vaccine would be 100% effective, and infection has been shown to be more likely with higher viral load. Unfortunate, but a nurse is almost certainly in the highest risk group for infection.

This is non-news, it is an inevitability.

The good news is that the infection is now far less likely to kill her because she HAS had the vaccination.


The constant sharing of 'uh-oh' stories really is quite tiresome.

And it's only just one person so far, so not yet worth making a song and dancing over it IMO.!

[pulisa]

Let's face it..The vultures will be hovering over "The Already Vaccinated" to salivate over confirmed Covid cases....

I feel sorry for poor old Margaret Keenan..Every future cough will be seized upon by her carers with trepidation. She won't be allowed to have an off day for the rest of her life!

[pulisa]

Good to know that BoJo's dad has just had his second dose of the vaccine....He did tend to be a bit forgetful re his mask.