Fragile Bird Posted February 24, 2021 Author Share Posted February 24, 2021 The FDA has released the report from J&J that they will use in their consideration of their vaccine on Friday. Expect the vaccine to be approved on the weekend. Interestingly, J&J did not come across B.1.1.7 during their trial, nor the P variant from Brazil, only the SA variant. They had 5 cases of ‘non-serious’ hives develop the week after those people received the vaccine, and 1 severe but not anaphylactic reaction two days after the person received their dose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fragile Bird Posted February 24, 2021 Author Share Posted February 24, 2021 Israel is #1 again - this time, in Covid vaccine shaming. Not as badly as I first thought, the names aren't published...yet. Quote Israel's parliament passed a law Wednesday allowing the government to share the identities of people not vaccinated against the coronavirus with other authorities, raising privacy concerns for those opting out of inoculation. The measure, which passed with 30 votes for and 13 against, gives local governments, the director general of the education ministry and some in the welfare ministry the right to receive the names, addresses and phone numbers of unvaccinated citizens. The objective of the measure -- valid for three months or until the COVID-19 pandemic is declared over -- is "to enable these bodies to encourage people to vaccinate by personally addressing them", a parliament statement said. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/israel-adopts-law-allowing-names-of-unvaccinated-to-be-shared-1.5322224 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Padraig Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 4 hours ago, JoannaL said: Problem: the first EU vaccine on the market was Biontech and it is a very small company. there is hope that with Curevac and later with Sanofi there will be more purely EU vaccines on the market. That is a fair take. The manufacturers of the first vaccines didn't favour the EU. I could wonder why Biontech got involved with Pfizer rather than a German/EU company but this probably comes back Big Big Pharma's disinterest in vaccines. Pfizer being the biggest exception and it got involved very quickly with Biontech. By coincidence, an Irish newspaper had a big article about Curevac today. Very interesting. 5 hours ago, ljkeane said: Sanofi were trying to make their own vaccine until recently. It's only an option now because they've decided it isn't going to work in the time frame needed. That's true but I think they are still months away from producing any vaccine for anyone, while they knew they weren't going to have their candidate available for a few months now. I don't want to be too harsh on them though. These sort of deals are probably very complicated (i'm certainly not an expert). And it is great that they (and Bayer as Joanna mentioned) are helping other manufacturers now. I just get a sense that there was a huge focus on developing more supply over the last couple of months. When that happens, its unsurprising that the big manufacturers like Sanofi and Bayer are asked to get more involved. 5 hours ago, ljkeane said: I think the mRNA vaccines were the first of their kind in any sense so there there was probably a bit more concern that it wouldn't work at all. Exactly. That's why AZ seemed to hold more promise initially. 5 hours ago, Fragile Bird said: As far as I know, AZ has plants manufacturing vaccine in many places all over the world. Japan will get 90 M doses from a plant in Japan, True. But I think India and S Korea are contracted to provide COVAX with doses (rather than AZ's other factories). And good news on J&J! I have one new concern though. Suddenly cases have started to go up again! Some countries are still declining (Ireland, Spain, Portugal, UK) from high bases but a 2 out of every 3 country in Europe is now seeing increasing numbers. Germany is only up a few percent but when you see all its neighbours starting to grow as well, I was a bit shocked. Poland is suddenly up around 30%! Even countries that have done very well up to now (i.e. most of Scandinavia) are now up. I'm not sure is this the UK variant taking over. Ireland had that wave back in late December. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/03/01/why-does-the-pandemic-seem-to-be-hitting-some-countries-harder-than-others Quote Why Does the Pandemic Seem to Be Hitting Some Countries Harder Than Others? While the virus has ravaged rich nations, reported death rates in poorer ones remain relatively low. What probing this epidemiological mystery can tell us about global health. By Siddhartha Mukherjee There are so many puzzles about this, which the article explains. Naturally, the conclusion is, so far, there's many speculations, but at this stage of the experience nobody knows. One of the most interesting speculations, complete with the scientific information as to why this might be possible -- emphasis on might be -- is there are so many other virii and bacteria causing illness that have been circulating among some populations for so very long, that many in the population have a so-called cross-immunity, that there is an aspect or aspects in the covid-19 virus, that are recognized by the system from the 'endemic' threats, that trigger antibodies against this one -- plus all the ventilation of living conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clueless Northman Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 57 minutes ago, Padraig said: Suddenly cases have started to go up again! Some countries are still declining (Ireland, Spain, Portugal, UK) from high bases but a 2 out of every 3 country in Europe is now seeing increasing numbers. Germany is only up a few percent but when you see all its neighbours starting to grow as well, I was a bit shocked. Poland is suddenly up around 30%! Even countries that have done very well up to now (i.e. most of Scandinavia) are now up. I'm not sure is this the UK variant taking over. Ireland had that wave back in late December. UK (mostly) variant is taking over the continent, that's a fact. The real unknown is what will happen when it will be 80% of all new cases, will it still grow exponentially or will current measures limit its spread nearly as much as with the previous type. I tend to assume that when people are mostly locked down, the transmissibility of the virus can't change much - the reproduction rate varies greatly when it is not hindered. What I'm also wondering with the plateau or going up across Europe is if it's just a temporary artefact due to weather (for instance) or lockdown fatigue, if it's the new variants that will considerably increase new cases, or if it's something else. Spanish Flu had a 1st peak, a huge 2nd wave, and a quite big 3rd wave, way lower than 2nd but still bigger than the 1st one. I'm curious to see if the pattern will mostly be repeated. That said, a 3rd wave would actually start later than the 2020 1st wave, so even in this case, I can't see it be as bad or worse than March-April 2020, spring will slow it down eventually. So far I still assume it's more statistical noise, but we'll know if it's damn serious or just a small increase (like happened for Christmas in some areas) in a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zorral Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 We are seeing this pandemic, just as we view the vaccine development, so purely through AmerEuro lenses. https://www.vox.com/22285256/covid-19-vaccine-predictions From V0X interview:"The scientist who’s been right about Covid-19 vaccines predicts what’s next Hilda Bastian on the most important pandemic vaccine in the pipeline and why we’re on track for annual booster shots". Quote Julia Belluz Where do you see that playing out now — the discounting of non-Western or lower-income countries and overestimating the wealthier, Western ones? Hilda Bastian It’s happening with vaccines, especially thinking it’s all about the vaccines of a few big EuroAmerican multinationals galloping to the world’s rescue. One of the most fascinating stories is Cuba. I mean, there’s this really interesting juxtaposition between Cuba and Canada, ironically. In Canada [where the vaccine rollout has been slow] there’s a debate about why did they let their capacity to produce vaccines dwindle away to next to nothing. Cuba had the exact opposite. Cuba had to become self-sufficient at pretty well everything, and that included producing drugs and producing medical teams. Cuba now exports a lot of medical care to poorer countries. The first two of their vaccines are looking really quite good. The first one’s just about to start its big phase 3 trial, and they’ve got three others coming up behind. They’re going to have a massive amount more vaccine than they need. They’re not going to have any trouble vaccinating their population with home-grown vaccines in 2021. That just does not look remotely like it’s going to be a problem, and, then, they’re just going to be exporting masses and masses of vaccine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VigoTheCarpathian Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 Second dose of the Moderna vaccine this morning - feeling a little achey and spacey, may be going to call in to work tomorrow. Then, an early shift at the mass vaccination site on Friday. This weekend marks the one year anniversary our system admitted our first COVID patient - and this weekend, we're likely closing our dedicated COVID unit for thr firat time im a year, for lack of census. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Padraig Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 3 hours ago, Zorral said: We are seeing this pandemic, just as we view the vaccine development, so purely through AmerEuro lenses. https://www.vox.com/22285256/covid-19-vaccine-predictions That is a very good article. Very open minded about non-Western vaccines but skeptical of the Russian one. Not impressed with AstraZeneca, happier with J&J but flagging Novavax as incoming in a good way. And this was worth saying... Quote Very rarely do you see people from one of the rich countries expressing concern that their country may be fully vaccinated within a few months. I’m not utopian and that idealistic about it. It was never 100 percent going to happen that way [that the high priority groups in rich and poor countries got vaccinated at the same levels at the same time, per WHO advice], but I hoped at least for something roughly close, and I’m really quite shocked how comfortable people are with what’s happening. Edited to add: And J&J did make vaccines previously. Thought I read differently before. The article below is very long but if you want to get into the deep end on vaccines (ignore the financial stuff at the beginning). Even talks about combining the COVID vaccine with the flu vaccine. https://seekingalpha.com/article/4408574-12-reasons-novavax-beats-pfizer-for-titles-of-best-covid-vaccine-and-best-covid-vaccine-stock Moderna is to begin live trials on a modified vaccine to take on the South African variant. That was fast. 5 hours ago, Clueless Northman said: UK (mostly) variant is taking over the continent, that's a fact. The real unknown is what will happen when it will be 80% of all new cases, will it still grow exponentially or will current measures limit its spread nearly as much as with the previous type. I tend to assume that when people are mostly locked down, the transmissibility of the virus can't change much - the reproduction rate varies greatly when it is not hindered. I was wondering is it now hitting those 80% levels in much more countries? I think Ireland hit 80% in mid January. Anyhow, I am hoping it was just a weird week. Just strange to see so many countries go from green to red. I know a few countries did start easing restrictions over the last few weeks but I'm not sure is that related since i'm not keeping that close an eye on restrictions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fragile Bird Posted February 25, 2021 Author Share Posted February 25, 2021 Wait - CNN has breaking news that the FDA says the J&J vaccine meets the requirements for emergency use. But the meeting is on Friday? Or has it not been approved, just signaling that it will be approved? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Which Tyler Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 Finally had my first jab yesterday; after spending most of January fighting the point that healthcare =/= NHS worker; and most of February fighting to be allowed the vaccine locally rather than cycling an hour in the snow and then waiting in a car park (I failed, and waited for the weather to improve). When I got there, I had one last fight on my hands as being self-employed, I couldn't provide evidence of employment. Ultimately, I got the Pfizer dose though with a bit of a laugh about medical handwriting (I had to translate mine so that he knew what I'd written; before comparing mine to his, and admitting there was no real difference). Needle phobia kicked in big time; but I managed not to cry or faint - though the latter was a close thing when getting up off the bed. Side effects are tough to tell; being phobic, I'd expect a strong nocebo, (I'm typically a "strong responder" to the flu jab). Left arm is very sore from mid-forearm to neck, and across right shoulder. I'm knackered, but I'm insomniac anyway - though I did get about 8-9 hours sleep last night, which probably says something. I've got a headache kicking in - but again, sleep disturbance is a known trigger for my migraines anyway - so tough to tell. Temperature and O2 sat are normal. Of course, I couldn't lie on my left, and the cat had to decide that my left shoulder was the only place for her to sleep last night! Bloody cats! Wife says she was trying to protect me - I think she was just indulging in a little light torture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoannaL Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 8 hours ago, Padraig said: I was wondering is it now hitting those 80% levels in much more countries? I think Ireland hit 80% in mid January. Anyhow, I am hoping it was just a weird week. Just strange to see so many countries go from green to red. I know a few countries did start easing restrictions over the last few weeks but I'm not sure is that related since i'm not keeping that close an eye on restrictions. In Germany the UK variant is doubling its precentage of infections every two weeks. In the moment its 30%. So we are bracing for the 3. wave which is starting exactly NOW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotting sea cow Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 12 hours ago, Zorral said: We are seeing this pandemic, just as we view the vaccine development, so purely through AmerEuro lenses. Thanks for the articles! Both very informative. Well, to be honest, this pandemic seems to be affecting the AmerEuro countries particularly hard. A first world problem if you like it. The reason is most likely age distribution. With over 50% of the deaths over 85 years olds and 75% over 75yo, it easier to see that countries with younger population (due to lower life expectancy and youth bulges) aren't going to be affected that hard. Other reasons may play a role. In fact, even in many countries in LA (where COVID has hit hard), the population has moved to other issues and real world problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filippa Eilhart Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 9 hours ago, Padraig said: I was wondering is it now hitting those 80% levels in much more countries? I think Ireland hit 80% in mid January. Anyhow, I am hoping it was just a weird week. Just strange to see so many countries go from green to red. I know a few countries did start easing restrictions over the last few weeks but I'm not sure is that related since i'm not keeping that close an eye on restrictions. In Luxembourg the UK variant was at 40% 2 weeks ago, this week it’s almost 60%. The SA variant seems stable at 5% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Padraig Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 1 hour ago, Filippa Eilhart said: In Luxembourg the UK variant was at 40% 2 weeks ago, this week it’s almost 60%. The SA variant seems stable at 5% Huh. I suppose that's good on the SA variant. If one of them has to win out, might as well be UK one. But yes, it may mean that places like Germany and Luxembourg could be under temporary pressure. It would be a good time for seasonality to prove it is a thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotting sea cow Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 19 hours ago, Fragile Bird said: Israel is #1 again - this time, in Covid vaccine shaming. Not as badly as I first thought, the names aren't published...yet. I think western politicians are slowly loosing their minds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilbur Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 I see the Chinese authorities have swept up some American State Department employees with their probes: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-56196977 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DireWolfSpirit Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 @Zorral that's great going for Cuba! Glad to hear that for them and also great for whomever they export their surplus to, like Venezuela or maybe Hatians, Dominican's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fragile Bird Posted February 25, 2021 Author Share Posted February 25, 2021 Lol, that article was good but it is amazing how many people want to take a kick at Canada. She may be right on a lot of stuff, but I guess she didn’t know we have have two vaccines in phase 3 and several more in development at a couple of hospitals and universities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Chatywin et al. Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 6 minutes ago, Fragile Bird said: Lol, that article was good but it is amazing how many people want to take a kick at Canada. She may be right on a lot of stuff, but I guess she didn’t know we have have two vaccines in phase 3 and several more in development at a couple of hospitals and universities. The last time you were this consistently defensive of Canada is when we pointed out in the NBA thread that the 2019 Toronto Raptors are fake champions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fragile Bird Posted February 25, 2021 Author Share Posted February 25, 2021 4 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said: The last time you were this consistently defensive of Canada is when we pointed out in the NBA thread that the 2019 Toronto Raptors are fake champions. So you’re saying you’re being jerks again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.