Covid-19 #29: Gazing Into the Abyss, Again

[williamjm]

1 minute ago, HelenaExMachina said:

Can you actually choose which vaccine you get in the UK? I didn’t look into it because i didn’t care which i was getting, but when i booked my appointment i didn’t see anything to day which vaccine it would be, I only found out when I went to my appointment. Just curious

I haven't had the chance to find out myself yet but as far as I know people haven't had any choice in the matter so far, it's just been whatever has been scheduled for that day.

[HexMachina]

2 minutes ago, Which Tyler said:

Kinda.

If you're invited by your GP you get what they've got.

If you book through the NHS central system, you can choose your location, and see which vaccine each location has access to.

 

1 minute ago, williamjm said:

I haven't had the chance to find out myself yet but as far as I know people haven't had any choice in the matter so far, it's just been whatever has been scheduled for that day.

I see, thanks! 

I just chose my nearest centre but didn’t look into what they had access to first.

[Padraig]

3 minutes ago, HelenaExMachina said:

Can you actually choose which vaccine you get in the UK? I didn’t look into it because i didn’t care which i was getting, but when i booked my appointment i didn’t see anything to day which vaccine it would be, I only found out when I went to my appointment. Just curious

And just to be clear.  I don't think we'll have a choice in 2 or 3 months either (in Ireland).  But at a minimum, you'd need to have a big surplus of vaccine first.  Which is far from happening.

[Which Tyler]

13 minutes ago, HelenaExMachina said:

I see, thanks! 

I just chose my nearest centre but didn’t look into what they had access to first.

Essentially, it'll come down to storage issues for the mRNA options (and that we have simply more doses of AZ).

A high-street pharmacy or church etc is only going to have AZ, a major hospital is likely to be mRNA.

A GP practice is likely to be AZ unless recently built/refurbished, whilst a new site specifically set up for mass vaccination is likely to be AZ unless there's a lack of local options for mRNA, in which case they'll put the extra money into that location.

 

My GP practice locally was only built a couple of years ago, and was built with the required cold storage (or at least, was easily adapted to it) so what vaccine is offered depends on supply rather than storage - which varies day by day. As far as I know patients don't get a say in it, but then, patients never really do in prescriptions anyway (beyond "I tried that and got these side-effects, so I'd like to try something different)

[JoannaL]

Interesting interview (or report of an interview) with Thierry Breton who is in charge of the EU vaccination task force in the Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/08/almost-all-dutch-made-astrazeneca-doses-will-stay-in-eu-says-brussels

"The UK will be reliant on the EU to complete its vaccine rollout and a little recognition of that would not go amiss, the European commissioner leading Brussels’ vaccine taskforce has said"

"I won’t suggest to the prime minister that he says thank you – that’s not my role,” he said. “But maybe a little signal to the women and men now working night and day in 53 factories across Europe to help supply the UK would be welcome.”"

"Breton said the European commission and AstraZeneca had signed a “best efforts” contract relying on five factories, including two in the UK, “a few days” before Britain had signed its deal, which he said he had not seen.

“I’m told the British health minister has said the UK has an ‘exclusivity contract’,” he said. “But I cannot imagine the company took the legal risk of signing a ‘best efforts’ contract after signing an ‘exclusivity’ contract. That seems to me very dangerous legally. I cannot think it is the reality.”"

"Our objective is to meet our target, and to help our friends meet theirs. That is in everyone’s interest. Once again, I’m not asking for thanks. I’m just asking for people to say things as they are.”"

[Fragile Bird]

Hmm, as far as I can tell all US J&J vaccine has come from Europe, because that's the only approved plant so far, together with a fill and finish facility in the US. That's pretty rich, considering the US has forbidden exports. 

And I was just watching a press conference with PM Trudeau and a reporter asked if we had information about reported blood clots after the J&J vaccine. I have seen no such reports so I'm not sure what he was talking about. 

[Filippa Eilhart]

@Fragile Bird https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/09/eu-agency-examines-reports-of-blood-clots-with-jj-covid-vaccine

[JoannaL]

8 minutes ago, Fragile Bird said:

Hmm, as far as I can tell all US J&J vaccine has come from Europe, because that's the only approved plant so far, together with a fill and finish facility in the US. That's pretty rich, considering the US has forbidden exports. 

And I was just watching a press conference with PM Trudeau and a reporter asked if we had information about reported blood clots after the J&J vaccine. I have seen no such reports so I'm not sure what he was talking about. 

Yes, its European J & J....

There were some report today that the EMA is also investigating blood clots of  J&J vaccine. I found that peculiar, because it must be US cases (we have not started vaccinating with J&J yet) and I have not seen that the FDA is investigating anything. It was about 4 cases and 1 death. (only German soures)

 

Ah Filippa had a source....

[Fragile Bird]

After I read that paper linked by IheartTesla, where it said that children had events from the measles vaccine at a rate of 1 in 40,000, I have started viewing statements from pharmaceutical firms of “there are no clear links between our vaccine and blood clots” with a fair amount of suspicion.

I suspect they look at reports of blood clots with rising fear and an attitude of “oh fuck, not another one”.

[Mudguard]

All the adenovirus based vaccines, which include the AZ, J&J, Sputnik, and CanSinoBIO vaccines, need to be scrutinized for the blood clotting disorders, until the precise mechanism is determined.  If it turns out that the adenovirus is the cause, then there's not much that can be done to mitigate the risk in any of these vaccines.  If it turns out that the cause is from some other additive in the vaccine, like an adjuvant that is used to enhance the immune response, then it's possible that the additive can be removed, and it's possible that some of the other adenovirus vaccines will not have the same problem.  That said, I wouldn't be surprised if all the adenovirus vaccines have the same problem.

[Fragile Bird]

I’m so mad right now I could spit. It has just been announced that someone working at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre vaccine clinic where I got my vaccine has tested positive for Covid-19. All they’ve said is that they were wearing all the proper PPE and everyone who attended had PPE on so the risk is very low. But they haven’t even said what hours that person worked that day. They’ve just told people to ‘monitor themselves for signs of Covid-19.’

A little more detail would be helpful, guys.

[Zorral]

I'm so sorry to hear this, 'Bird.  Sheesh.

Partner got his second Pfizer dose on Wednesday, mid-afternoon.  Other than the usual post-jab soreness of arm, common from any shot, he experienced nothing out of the ordinary. 

I received my second Moderna dose just now, late afternoon.  The center where I got mine is far better organized, and faster and more efficient than the Walgreens pharmacies where so many here we know have been getting their vaccinations.

Walgreens never sent appointment confirmation or notifications. It forgot to return Partner's vaccination schedule card. It never sent confirmation that the vaccination had indeed taken place, with which vaccine and the lot number. All these happened with where I got mine.  The official notification of have received the doses was in my email box before I ever got home.

Between arrival and getting signed in, it couldn't have been more than 10 minutes, then the 15 minutes sitting in case of reaction.  As I'd arrived early, I was out of there before my 'actual' appointment time! Then a fretful, indecisive April Shower followed me all the way back home while Friday night weekend rush hour traffic headed for bridges and tunnel-- about a mile, so quite walkable, but I was more than grateful there wasn't a downpour.  Hadn't brought  a'brolly, as rain wasn't supposed to happen today, but tomorrow.

Now, I wait and see what if anything happens.  Bottle of Tylenol here by computer screen.  

I'm still trying to process that this has really happened, after the incredibly frustrating, difficult and prolonged attempts and process to get appointments, we've both gotten our two shots, and in two more weeks we can meet a friend outside, at our old watering hole, and have a drink.  OTOH, I'm not sure either of us knows how to communicate in a purely social f2f situation any longer.  The only other person with whom we've had such interaction throughout all this is our pod partner.  It's a loooooooooooong time of only talking to other people almost entirely via zoom or fone, and most of all, via typed words, and those were usually more 'formal' situations, such as conference, panel, teaching, whatever.

P.S. Stupid North Dakota senate passes anti-mask mandate.  Gonna hang with Texas and Florida, u betcha!

 

[Zorral]

Just now, reading this, I feel luckier than ever in how things are being handled in the spot where I got my vaccinations.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/04/09/vaccine-distribution-delays/

However, the article is not that easy to follow, as it seems to be two articles in one, and how the two parts are connected isn't clear.

First subject is that some states are not only not using all the vaccine allocated to them based on population, they aren't even ordering it. Why?

Second subject is that the current surge is mainly in some states, not all of them, states such as New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida and Michigan.  So why can't the federal government release more vaccine supply to these states? The reasons given are in murky language I have trouble following, as though trying to not answer the question.  Or that the answer is what they don't want to say, which is the demand, despite surge, isn't large enough, and thus, why aren't we sending that vaccine to other places that want and need it?  Or that -- there aren't enough vaccinators available to administer in a timely manner the vaccine that is allotted the states.  Maybe all of these? I'm not sure.

In the meantime NYC's mayor, after riding on some very large, stomach lurching gizmo as part of re-opening Coney Island, boasted of the number of vaccinations delivered here in the City just yesterday, some astounding number past 150,000.

But I'm looking at the re-opening of Coney Island and the steady state of new infections and hospitalizations and their rising numbers.  Maybe the mayor and governor want to put NY in company with ND, TX and FL and MS.

[Padraig]

5 hours ago, Mudguard said:

That said, I wouldn't be surprised if all the adenovirus vaccines have the same problem.

Lovely.  Hopefully we'll be lucky this time!  4 cases isn't a lot but of course, its still very early.

I see the EU is talking about ordering 900m Pfizer/Biontech vaccines (with an option for double that) to cover 2022 and 2023.  Given the population (450m), somebody did some easy Maths.  But it shows where people's thinking is going regarding future requirements (unsurprisingly).

[S John]

2 hours ago, Chataya de Fleury said:

That risk is so incredibly low as to be negligible. 

It’s the same risk you take going grocery shopping, except you actually got told there was a covid case instead of being blissfully oblivious.

Yea I know for a fact I came into contact with one person with Covid back in October. My cousin, and we hugged - don’t know how we all got out of that one unscathed.

But that is something I think about now and then when I’m in public. someone in here probably has Covid. And I wonder just how many times over the last year that has actually been true. Dozens, probably.

[S John]

6 minutes ago, Chataya de Fleury said:

Yup; I’ve come into “close contact” in at least two work meetings and have quarantined and PCR tested negative 5-7 days after exposure Key is that I was wearing a mask and the covid-positive peeps weren’t, so one would assume that one would be even safer had they been wearing a mask.

In my case neither one of us were wearing mask. No one was. I was having scotch with him. It was literally the only social thing with others outside my immediate family we did all year - and someone had Covid. Everyone got tested after 5 days but nobody else came up positive for it out of about 12 people. Best guess is my cousin (who never developed any symptoms and only got tested because a coworker of his tested positive) got it from an exposure only the previous day and wasn’t shedding enough virus at that point.

[Fragile Bird]

The problem is right now what’s around is the UK variant, and it spreads so much easier. We’re seeing a crazy increase in cases. Here we’ve gone from 2000 cases a day to 3000 to 4200 in less than two weeks.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

50 minutes ago, S John said:

Yea I know for a fact I came into contact with one person with Covid back in October. My cousin, and we hugged - don’t know how we all got out of that one unscathed.

But that is something I think about now and then when I’m in public. someone in here probably has Covid. And I wonder just how many times over the last year that has actually been true. Dozens, probably.

Hugged? That's cute. Imagine my joy when finding out my then fuck buddy needed to quarantine because she had hung out a few times with her BFF who tested positive. She texted me that after spending the night at my place. Ugh. Dating is still going to be so weird for the foreseeable future. 

[Fragile Bird]

10 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Hugged? That's cute. Imagine my joy when finding out my then fuck buddy needed to quarantine because she had hung out a few times with her BFF who tested positive. She texted me that after spending the night at my place. Ugh. Dating is still going to be so weird for the foreseeable future. 

For crying out loud, Ty, please, women are not “fuck buddies”. Please.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

1 minute ago, Fragile Bird said:

For crying out loud, Ty, please, women are not “fuck buddies”. Please.

Must be a generational thing. She referred to me as her fuck buddy as well. It's not gender specific.