Covid vaccine

[[le...]]

They are going start giving people the vaccine from tomorrow so watch this space. They have said said unsure how long it will protect people for and still have take precautions for several months yet.

[[Mi...]]

Well.... here we go.

 

We'll be watching this unfold before our very eyes starting now in the UK and next week in the US. It's history in the making.

 

Dear lord I pray the vaccine works & is safe.

[[Mi...]]

Why doesn't benzo buddies have a main category for Benzo Withdrawal and Covid? You know like the other orange titled main sections ? It's a big deal, don't you think? Especially with the vaccine starting to become available. We need this.

[[Ma...]]

Has anyone had a view into the studies the different producers of vaccines did? As far as I can see now, there is a lack of information about woman at the age you want to give birth and pregnant women. I am a little bit concerned but in this short amount of time it is logical they cannot test everyone and everything. I am not a fan of RNA and vector vaccines, especially with RNA I have my difficulties about the long lasting effects of stimulating a body to produce something, I am afraid some people could react with autoimmune diseases. I have read a lot but it is not easy to get much information and that is exactly the situation in which I take at least one step back and I will wait until there is more information. If I had the choice I would take the old-school form of the vaccine, meaning dead parts of the virus injected:-)

Meanwhile I monitor what I can and hope for the best. So many challenges came with this virus...

[[le...]]

Think I'll probably not take it yet, just think being rushed through too quickly here, just really worried could make me worse which couldn't cope with, very sensitive to any supplements I've taken. They reckon only protects you 6 months so doubt be another round. I can understand people in high risk category wanting it, but I'm not just bit wary until more people had it. Don't know what RNA vaccine is, they do seem unsure whether it wil stop people who asymptomatic passing it on.

[[lo...]]

I am taking a cautious approach, I would like to see more safety data before I make a decision.  It will be some time before it is offered to me.  I am housebound mostly anyway, don't see very many people and the risk of getting COVID is therefore very low. 

[Guest [ba...]]

The death rate of COVID is 0.001 percent. It is no different from the regular flu. I will not be getting the vaccine.

 

This statement (above) is inaccurate.  The actual death rate is 1.88% in the US (286,000 deaths / 15.2M positives). 

[[Sh...]]

The death rate of COVID is 0.001 percent. It is no different from the regular flu. I will not be getting the vaccine.

 

That is just not true.  Take a look at these mortality rates.  Particularly note that some countries are as high as 6%.  The United States death rate is 1.9%  That is almost 200X what you have quoted.  And covid is very different from the regular flu.  Not getting the covid vaccine is your choice, but stop spreading misinformation to others trying to make an informed choice.

 

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality

[[Ch...]]

Thank you to those who corrected the inaccurate death rate of Covid. It’s important to dispel this sort of misinformation. 

 

I’ll be taking the vaccine when it’s  available. My daughter is a nurse who is regularly exposed to Covid so I hope she gets one soon.  I can isolate...she can’t.  She’s one of only a few on her unit who hasn’t contracted it yet.

 

 

[[Na...]]

The death rate of COVID is 0.001 percent. It is no different from the regular flu. I will not be getting the vaccine.

 

This statement (above) is inaccurate.  The actual death rate is 1.88% in the US (286,000 deaths / 15.2M positives).

 

This is the “case fatality rate” or CFR. It’s the percentage of people diagnosed with covid that end up dying. What we’d like to know is the “infection fatality rate” or IFR. But we aren’t sure how many asymptotic infected people are out there so we can only speculate. It would of course be lower.

 

Your number for CFR is correct and is significantly worse than the CFR for the flu. It’s actually come down since the start of the pandemic when it was about 2.5 - 3 as treatments and experience have improved.

 

Covid is worse that every flu except the 1918 flu pandemic. That one killed 675,000 people in a country one third the population of today.

 

 

[[on...]]

Not sure where to post this, but thought I would share the link to the FDA website which contains the FDA and Pfizer's review materials for the FDA Advisory Committee Meeting scheduled for Thursday Dec 10th:

 

https://www.fda.gov/advisory-committees/advisory-committee-calendar/vaccines-and-related-biological-products-advisory-committee-december-10-2020-meeting-announcement#event-information

 

If you scroll down the page there are pdf's of the Sponsor's (Pfizer) and FDA's review of the data, and if you are so inclined can see for yourself the demographics, efficacy and safety data.  It is all very transparent.  You can also tune in to the actual virtual meeting on Thursday to hear the expert panel discussion. 

 

Happy reading and I hope this helps some buddies make their decision on whether or not to participate in this historic mass vaccination effort!  Good Luck!

 

Thank you so much for posting this.  I'm not sure if this thread will or should become a "me too" or "not me" poll, but I am a retired RN who is a senior with other factors that put me at risk.  I also know that there is the need for most of us in America to step up and be vaccinated for the well being of ALL of our citizens at large.  I hope those of you who need to decide will not let the misleading information that is created and circulated on social media, influence your decision in a negative way.  For me, my faith is in science and the doctors and healthcare workers and researchers, not politicians with their own agendas.  So, I'm in line, proud to do so, for me, for you, for all and our future.  I love the comments from the people in the UK, from "no problem with the Jab", to "I look forward to seeing my grandchildren", to having a "spot of tea".  Why do they all seem to be so kind, saying how lucky they are to "have it".  I look forward and hopeful to seeing the day we can get back to the old\new normal.  Maybe a spot of tea, prior to seeing a Broadway Play!

[[La...]]

Here's an informative and useful article from CTV (Canada) regarding the vaccine, including the experience of a nurse who took part in the trials. It's well worth reading, as it explains important facts that can help us make a decision about the vaccine.

 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines-have-expected-side-effects-but-experts-say-they-re-no-cause-for-concern-1.5222927 

 

The title is "COVID-19 vaccines have expected side-effects, but experts say they're no cause for concern".

(Here's the first part of the article. Check the link above for the full article.)

 

TORONTO -- As the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines approaches, one question many have is: ‘What will I feel like after I take a vaccine?’

 

Luckily, there are thousands of people who already know firsthand what side-effects can be expected from these vaccines: those who have already participated in clinical trials.

 

The first Canadians may receive a COVID-19 vaccine by next week, with 249,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech shot expected by the end of this year.

 

The vaccine is safe, and any side-effects that appeared in trials were temporary.

 

But vaccine study volunteers like nurse Kristen Choi say people preparing for COVID-19 vaccinations need to know what side-effects could happen -- not to scare them away, but to let them know of what to expect when they do get the vaccine, and reassure them that it’s going to be alright.

 

She wrote about taking part in a Pfizer trial in the summer, in a JAMA article published this week called “A Nursing Researcher’s Experience in a COVID-19 Vaccine Trial.”

 

 

[Guest [ba...]]

Hello,

Maybe you can explain to us how the vaccine works.

What I have read is that it does not protect against the virus, nor does it stop you from being a carrier.

I'm just wondering, what exactly does it do?

Also, if you are vaccinated, with a vaccine that protects, what does it matter if others are not?

Different opinions are not misinformation. Many doctors have different opinions but they are silenced and worse.

I just signed a petition for the House of Commons against mandatory vaccines.

I have the right to my opinions, and I am anything but misinformed.

 

I'll do my best to address your issues before you leave us...

 

Which vaccine do you want info on?  All of this info is readily available on-line.  I'm happy to point you to good references.  Generally, vaccines cause the body to produce antibodies to some subunit (epitope) of the virus that is exposed and immunogenic.  When the body sees that epitope a subsequent time, it produces a robust response that knocks down the infection much faster and much stronger than if the body was responding for the first time.  I'm not advancing anything new.  This is super basic immunology.  Yes, most shots include additional 'adjuvants' to promote a robust immunological response.  That's often what makes a person feel uncomfortable for a day or two, but it also significantly boosts the immunological response.  And yes, some people may be allergic to the ingredients in some of the vaccines.  Again - the companies are very transparent about what potential allergens might be in their vaccines.

 

Being immunized (resistant) isn't the same as being immune, but I'm sure you're aware of the difference.  Immunity is obviously ideal, but unrealistic.  The advantage to being resistant (immunized) versus not is a much reduced infection.  That means fewer symptoms, less virus replication, a shorter infection, way less transmission.

 

What does it matter if others are not immunized?  Depends on how many don't get immunized.  If 1% of the population, then control is likely.  If 50% of the population, then control is unlikely.  I imagine a knowledgeable epidemiologist could give a more accurate cut-off.  The more, the better from an epidiomelogical point of view.

 

I agree - different opinions is not misinformation.  Misinformation is misinformation.  If you have an opinion, state it as such.  If you have a fact to share, you should be able to reference it.  Simple rules to live by.  Avoids misconceptions.

 

I'm glad you're informed.  Many are not.

[[to...]]

The death rate of COVID is 0.001 percent. It is no different from the regular flu. I will not be getting the vaccine.

 

This statement (above) is inaccurate.  The actual death rate is 1.88% in the US (286,000 deaths / 15.2M positives).

 

This is the “case fatality rate” or CFR. It’s the percentage of people diagnosed with covid that end up dying. What we’d like to know is the “infection fatality rate” or IFR. But we aren’t sure how many asymptotic infected people are out there so we can only speculate. It would of course be lower.

 

Your number for CFR is correct and is significantly worse than the CFR for the flu. It’s actually come down since the start of the pandemic when it was about 2.5 - 3 as treatments and experience have improved.

 

Covid is worse that every flu except the 1918 flu pandemic. That one killed 675,000 people in a country one third the population of today.

 

In 1918, it wasn't the actual flu that killed everyone.  It was a bacterial infection that spread among the ill as a consequence of the squalor of WWI.  The flu itself was relatively harmless. 

[[De...]]

In 1918, it wasn't the actual flu that killed everyone.  It was a bacterial infection that spread among the ill as a consequence of the squalor of WWI.  The flu itself was relatively harmless.

 

I'm not an epidemiologist, but this statement hits me as completely inaccurate.  It was widely reported that the 1918 flu hit young people particularly hard presumably due to the fact they had fewer antibodies to a similar strain of the flu, and therefore some older adults actually fared better mortality wise.  That flu hit the lungs very hard and people died from the lack of oxygen, as we had no supportive care measures as we do today.  I'm sure bacterial secondary infections were also a problem.  No flu is harmless to those who succumb to it.

[[Ch...]]

Re tooktoolong’s virus vs bacteria post (just following up on a report from a non-posting member), bacterial infections were a complication according to this CDC article.  I don’t have time to keep researching but I’d invite anyone else to post factual links if interested.  This is one of those chicken-or-the-egg discussions I don’t care to get into, but have at it if you do. 

 

 

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-commemoration/1918-pandemic-history.htm

 

History of 1918 Flu Pandemic

 

The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. Although there is not universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide during 1918-1919.  In the United States, it was first identified in military personnel in spring 1918.

 

It is estimated that about 500 million people or one-third of the world’s population became infected with this virus. The number of deaths was estimated to be at least 50 million worldwide with about 675,000 occurring in the United States. Mortality was high in people younger than 5 years old, 20-40 years old, and 65 years and older. The high mortality in healthy people, including those in the 20-40 year age group, was a unique feature of this pandemic.

 

While the 1918 H1N1 virus has been synthesized and evaluated, the properties that made it so devastating are not well understood. With no vaccine to protect against influenza infection and no antibiotics to treat secondary bacterial infections that can be associated with influenza infections, control efforts worldwide were limited to non-pharmaceutical interventions such as isolation, quarantine, good personal hygiene, use of disinfectants, and limitations of public gatherings, which were applied unevenly.

[[Pa...]]

There is a dedicated thread in General Health and Wellbeing for Covid-19 related subjects located here: Covid-19 Posts

 

All Covid-19 threads found on the forum will be moved to this thread so please use it as it is intended for discussion continuity.