re: job security. Can certainly happen. I remember we went big on osteoarthritis research, built up a world-class team of specialist biologists then corporate got cold feet at the potential cost of a clinical trial for OA and canned the research. The chemists can just make different molecules (even if they have to learn about the biology of the new area) but the specialist biologists had to find new jobs.
Totally agree, the Pfizer wasnāt tested on extended gaps between the first and second, the Oxford/AZ has. With the Pfizer in shorter supply and more difficult to administer it makes sense to get through the supply as quickly as possible and concentrate on the more plentiful Oxford vaccine of which we have 100 million doses on order.
I know a couple, man 90 and woman 88 had their initial jab before Christmasā¦they will be mightily pissed if they have their follow up jabs cancelled.
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Yeah, sheās a biologist as a speciality 
Do it by Zoom?
Why donāt we have a virtual sit-in?
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join us later with your herd immunity and mask.
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I notice that there are two stages to vaccination.
I still fear the two step poison. Sorry, but Iāve just seen too many spy movies.
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Just say you have an important business meeting with Bojo for a PPE meeting. You will be whisked back in a nanosecond.
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Because no-one in the real world will give a fuck.
e.g. the following WONāT HAPPEN.
Ooh. Thereās Cobs with a sharp tweet.
Right thatās it. Dismantle the establishment.
It makes no sense. It may also cause much confusion when GPs etc decide to ignore the inept government advice and continue their schedule but people hear otherwise via media that they shouldnāt go. This may waste doses.
I was super angry about this all but this is getting too much now.
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Seemingly people with more knowledge than Hancock et al have concerns. Weird that.
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Ooh did I miss your comedy genius there?
Genuinely confused. Ffs
The four joint medical chiefs donāt have the same concerns
There appears to be a pattern here with LAās ignoring Williamson too.
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They appear to disagree with the people who actually developed the vaccine then.
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A friend of mineās father had his first jab before Christmas, heās in his 80s, he said the difference it made to him was amazing, he had started getting a bit depressed after shielding for so long. He said his father was like a new man, having the vaccine really gave him a lift. They had a message from the surgery today cancelling his booster jab appointment, itās absolutely knocked him for six. Itās just so cruel, no thought or understanding at all of the effects these stupid incompetent decisions have on people. I doubt if it even comes into their thinking, they simply donāt care.
I am starting to sense the build up of a lot of anger out there, another record total of new cases reported today, just short of 1,000 deaths, with the trend hurtling upwards. People are starting to move from being a bit pissed off with all the blatant incompetence, lies and nest feathering by the chosen few at the expense of everyone else, to genuine anger. And this can only increase as the daily stats carry on rising, with a so called leadership missing in action, calls from hospital medical staff pleading for proper actions to be taken by the politicians to stop the inevitable chaos that will happen in our hospitals if they donāt, have been ignored for days. Like rabbits in the headlights, almost sleepwalking us to disaster as the deaths and new cases rise. Shameful.
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The issue seems to be a strategic shift based on the new approval of the Oxford AZ vaccine
when we just had the Pfizer oneā¦ strategy is give as quickly as possible to those most vulnerable and caring for them. There are limitations due to the -70C storage etc so limited distribution
Now we have the Oxford option, clinically it makes sense to vaccinate as many folks as possible with single dose as this will substantially reduce the numbers admitted to hospital
The question is why canāt both happen simultaneously?
I dont know the logistics of this, but the key question is whether those having had a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine will retain some immunity after 42 days or not.
Typically the consensus would be yes, if looking at other vaccines, indeed in some cases the gap being longer will improve the immunity, but there is no clinical data in on this for the Pfizer vaccine, so it comes with some risk, but its not a totally stupid strategy to use all resources to max out on the inoculations.
The communication and transparency of risk vs benefit has been bollocksed up by a Government that has no clue, but I think we are probably better off reducing risk of infecting the vulnerable by immunising the masses if that makes sense. Not an easy decision but I can see some logic in it
We do need to consider the mental health / psychologic impact of all this, I agree, but there is some sense in using as much resource as available to vaccinate as many as possible asap now we have the Oxford/AZ vaccine approved. A single does of this reduces hospitalisations to by and anticipated 100%, which will free up space and save livesā¦ as well as reducing risk of infecting other vulnerable folksā¦ Ideally we do both, but I have no knowledge of how this works logistically as mentioned above
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Its not that it wont be as effective, just that they have no data on it. Given the speed with which this was needed, this is not uncommon, but its how this is communicated that is ridiculous
The chief medical officers are political appointments i think, appointed by the government of the day. I think Whitty, and Vallance as chief scientific officer were Johnson appointments, with considerable input from Dominic Cummings no doubt. I would imagine that boat rocking wouldnāt feature prominently on their CVs. Plus of course, there are knighthoods and peerages at stake.
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