Covid Vaccine

It's particularly frustrating because masks are so inexpensive and non-invasive.  If they just did the little things, like encouraging masks and social distancing, discouraging large gatherings, etc., we could mostly go about normal life.  We don't need to go to big events as part of everyday life.  It would allow the economy to run more smoothly, relieve pressure on the NHS because there'd be less chances of surging case numbers, and with less virus circulating vulnerable people would have less risk when they go out.

I just don't understand why some people won't do the easy thing to make everybody's life better.

(Mind you, I can't wear a mask... but that's why I protect myself and others by not going out in public!)

^ All of this!

IMO, mask-wearing isn't about fear or oppression.  It's about love.  You wear a mask because you love and care for other people around you.  You wear a mask, not necessarily because you need it, but because vulnerable people around you need to you wear it for them to be safe and protected as well.  In a way, I liken it to car lights.  Having the lights on won't necessarily have an impact on your driving as an individual, but when everyone has them on when the visibility is low, everyone enjoys the benefits and protection of being more visible to each other.  It doesn't mean that there won't be any accidents, but the chance of an accident occurring is significantly reduced because everyone is employing safety measures.

And in regards to mask-wearing being some huge science/medical conspiracy... yeah, everyone went to school for years and years and years, getting advanced degrees in science and medicine, just to manufacture a nefarious situation to make you put a little piece of cloth/paper over your face.  Bwahaha!  They had no idea!

Haha, this isn't the first time I've heard of the two words being confused for each other!

Remember - someone with necrophilia sleeps WITH the dead, someone with narcolepsy sleeps LIKE the dead!

(and I joke about this as a person with narcolepsy!)

  Does that mean your husband has Narcoleptophilia?

(and I joke about this as a person with narcolepsy!)

  Does that mean your husband has Narcoleptophilia?

Now that is a word!  Nice one, Jimbo.   

  Does that mean your husband has Narcoleptophilia?

Haha, most probably! 

To touch on this I am beyond livid with the leadership in this country. Why remove mask requirements? They are cheap, people already have them, people have been used to wearing them, they are effective. But they say 'we trust people to wear them in crowded settings' why remove the requirement then? Why make it a choice? If you expect people to wear them in these scenarios force them to. And, what's worse, when (not if) the requirement comes back you're going to get people resisting it. But the ship has sailed. It's too late. You've given people the freedom to not have their faces covered. Pointless and completely ignorant. It's criminal negligence.

Regarding vaccines. I agree with jfkimberly about the stress of deciding. My wife was pregnant and nobody could give her any solid advice about vaccinations during pregnancy. You could say because there just wasn't any research to go off. But nobody could guide her. Doctors, midwives, obstetricians. She decided not to get them as she was working strictly from home. I think people are scared about being sued also.

What may help your judgement are vaccine side effects are also possible effects from getting covid. My mother got covid and immediately got blood clots (oxford side effect). You also need to gauge whether the risk of long covid is worth it too, something that is highly unlikely with the vaccine vs getting the disease. It's all so difficult.

I saw in the US they're going to start giving out 4th shots!!   

I saw in the US they're going to start giving out 4th shots!!   

Portion sizes are always bigger in the US 

Just heard today that Novavax have finally submitted their data to the MHRA for approval in the UK.  They have also submitted their data to the WHO. My wife and I are already booked up to receive a Pfizer jab in November, having had AstraZeneca followed by Novavax.  I hope it does get approved because it is extremely effective and is stored and transported at room temperatures so will be of great use to poorer countries with far-flung communities who have limited ability to keep drugs frozen or refrigerated.

It will be a big help for the world, if they can manufacture enough!

It will be a big help for the world, if they can manufacture enough!

That is certainly a big challenge but I think their targets are realistic, partnering and licencing their vaccine with various companies including India's Serum Institute who are looking to manufacture 1 billion doses of Novavax per year.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2021/07/07/can-novavax-rise-to-the-manufacturing-challenge/?sh=770a5b91932c

While Novavax has its own production facilities in the Czech Republic and Sweden, it will largely count on partnerships with contract manufacturing organizations around the world to produce a bulk of its vaccines and the antigens and adjuvants that go into them. Novavax expects its total vaccine capacity to stand at about 100 million doses per month by the end of Q3 2021, scaling this up to approximately 150 million doses per month by the end of Q4. Of this, about one billion annualized doses will be manufactured by India’s Serum Institute, the world’s largest vaccine producer by volume. Other licensed manufacturers of the shot include Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical and South Korea’s SK bioscience. However, these production targets might be somewhat optimistic. Novavax has faced challenges in sourcing sufficient quantities of raw materials – such as filters and sterile plastic bags used to grow vaccine cells – which has resulted in delays in the ramp-up of production capacity. Partners such as Serum have also pushed back timelines, due to the unavailability of some materials, while also facing production capacity constraints.

Portion sizes are always bigger in the US 

Just heard today that Novavax have finally submitted their data to the MHRA for approval in the UK.  They have also submitted their data to the WHO. My wife and I are already booked up to receive a Pfizer jab in November, having had AstraZeneca followed by Novavax.  I hope it does get approved because it is extremely effective and is stored and transported at room temperatures so will be of great use to poorer countries with far-flung communities who have limited ability to keep drugs frozen or refrigerated.

I've been rooting for Novavax since I first read about it in the early days of the vaccine race.  I don't know why this one has taken so much longer than the others.  But when/if it does get approved, it seemed like the most efficacy for the least amount of handling hassle, and I think it was a more affordable one, too (compared to Moderna and Pfizer).

Be keen to see how long the effectiveness lasts

It looks like we may have a choice of Pfizer or Moderna for the booster.

Does anyone know the data on which is better after two doses of AZ?

Ooh, interesting you're getting a choice.  I had no choice on first shots (AZ), nor booster (Pfizer).

Looks like a preliminary study found that Pfizer after AZ is 67% effective and Moderna is 79%. But that's early and not assessed across a wide population.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666776221002350?via%3Dihub#!

Either way, I think getting an MRNA after AZ will boost the T-cells, which apparently is helpful for long term immunity. 

Ooh, interesting you're getting a choice.  I had no choice on first shots (AZ), nor booster (Pfizer).

Looks like a preliminary study found that Pfizer after AZ is 67% effective and Moderna is 79%. But that's early and not assessed across a wide population.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666776221002350?via%3Dihub#!

Either way, I think getting an MRNA after AZ will boost the T-cells, which apparently is helpful for long term immunity.

Thanks. 

I'm not 100% on whether there will be a choice or if it's a case that it'll be one or the other but want to be prepared,  just in case.
We had no choice initially and would have gratefully taken either but I reckon that if there is a choice, I'd like to be armed with some stats first!

I found this which discusses Pfizer after AZ and after Pfizer but doesn't mention Moderna. Interestingly, their figures are more optimistic but you know what they say about statistics! 

https://www.bmj.com/content/375/bmj.n2814

My memory is not my most reliable feature, but I think I have read that Moderna is (slightly) slower to decline in protection over time.  I would love to give you a link, but I've looked at so much stuff.  Every search sends up visited links, so it's hard to find the needle I'm looking for.  Anyway, I don't know how that translates to its effectiveness over time when used as a booster, but maybe it's something to consider?