COVID-19: Vaccine/antidote and testing procedures Megathread [Mod Warning - Post #1]

Russman · 16-11-2020 11:27AM

I think its simply down to "bad news sells" with some of those headlines tbh.

On a different note, is Moderna one of the companies that the EU have a deal with ? I don't recall seeing anything saying they were. Looking at the LLS segment with Luke O'Neil on Friday night he was saying their interim results could be due out today or tomorrow and he was keeping his fingers crossed for similar efficacy to Pfizer.

Stark · 16-11-2020 11:29AM

Russman wrote: »

On a different note, is Moderna one of the companies that the EU have a deal with ? I don't recall seeing anything saying they were. Looking at the LLS segment with Luke O'Neil on Friday night he was saying their interim results could be due out today or tomorrow and he was keeping his fingers crossed for similar efficacy to Pfizer.

Looks like it https://www.irishtimes.com/business/health-pharma/eu-concludes-talks-with-moderna-to-supply-covid-19-vaccine-1.4337659

stephenjmcd · 16-11-2020 11:31AM

Russman wrote: »

I think its simply down to "bad news sells" with some of those headlines tbh.

On a different note, is Moderna one of the companies that the EU have a deal with ? I don't recall seeing anything saying they were. Looking at the LLS segment with Luke O'Neil on Friday night he was saying their interim results could be due out today or tomorrow and he was keeping his fingers crossed for similar efficacy to Pfizer.

Much like the Pfizer deal that was signed last week, talks have concluded with EU and Moderna for 160m doses, initial 80m with 80m more to follow, contracts to be signed for an advance purchase agreement.

Gael23 · 16-11-2020 11:34AM

Is Moderna a 2 dose vaccine?

hmmm · 16-11-2020 11:34AM

marno21 wrote: »

It’s gone from:

There won’t be a vaccine
The vaccine will take ages
The vaccine won’t be efficacious
There are logistical challenges and we don’t know how long immunity will last

Tiresome.

Don't forget the minks, and the recent classic "immunity lasts for only 2 to 6 months"

I think there's always an urge to dampen down unrealistic expectations, but I agree that people need something to be optimistic about and it can't be all "well this could go wrong....". That's a media choice.

MerlinSouthDub · 16-11-2020 11:41AM

Gael23 wrote: »

Is Moderna a 2 dose vaccine?

Yes it is. The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is single dose. For AstraZeneca, I think they considered one dose for younger people, but not sure if they are actually testing this approach in the Phase 3 trials.

funnydoggy · 16-11-2020 11:45AM

hmmm wrote: »

Don't forget the minks, and the recent classic "immunity lasts for only 2 to 6 months"

I think there's always an urge to dampen down unrealistic expectations, but I agree that people need something to be optimistic about and it can't be all "well this could go wrong....". That's a media choice.

The media have been given a second wind since COVID reared its ugly head. People are hooked and media outlets are making moolah from it!

hmmm · 16-11-2020 11:55AM

funnydoggy wrote: »

The media have been given a second wind since COVID reared its ugly head. People are hooked and media outlets are making moolah from it!

I think the reason why Luke O'Neill is interviewed so frequently is because (aside from him being an expert) he has a generally optimistic tone. "Yes everything is a mess and it's tough, but it will end and here's how it might end."

It's difficult for experts to say good things will happen, because they know there's a load of hurdles still left and things can go wrong. The problem I think is the media pick up on the "what can go wrong" and amplify it to make it sound like the most likely scenario.

This impacts on vaccines and the likelihood people will take them. Ideally we need people to want to rush out and get vaccinated so we can end this sooner, if there is more hesitancy or a feeling that it doesn't matter this impacts on us all.

For a more optimistic view, Professor Devi Sridhar writing today:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/nov/16/vaccine-hope-fight-covid-tests-treatments

"In fact, while the next four months will be difficult, the promising vaccines, better testing and treatments and greater knowledge we now have about how to control this virus will make the situation far better by March."

leahyl · 16-11-2020 12:04PM

Thanks hmmm for your general optimism in this thread

ShineOn7 · 16-11-2020 12:15PM

Azatadine wrote: »

I wonder how some of those posters who regularly posted that a vaccine for a coronavirus would never be developed are getting on.....

Well, to be fair, it's not here yet and in us is it?

I'm cautiously optimistic about this and I'd take it now if I could

But anyone who thinks this hasn't got a few twists and turns left in it has lived a fairytale life

astrofool · 16-11-2020 12:25PM

Thierry12 wrote: »

Asking

Pretty sure they didn't have anyone with prior Covid in trial, but only guessing

I'm sure they'll have this in the data, and they'll give reasons why or why not people with prior covid were included, based on the science (the fact that a lot of people have unknowingly had COVID means it's essential that the vaccine is safe for those people), it is a bit weird to ask a question, and then attempt an answer at it assuming the negative, unless you somehow think that they didn't think of this and are trying to push an unsafe vaccine for some reason?

astrofool · 16-11-2020 12:28PM

hmmm wrote: »

I think the reason why Luke O'Neill is interviewed so frequently is because (aside from him being an expert) he has a generally optimistic tone. "Yes everything is a mess and it's tough, but it will end and here's how it might end."

Good example was the "if it has 50% efficacy, it could be approved" which meant every media outlet, and doom sayer was immediately on proclaiming that any vaccine would only be 50% effective, and doing all sorts of calculations about how we're all doomed.

Now that a vaccine is well above that figure, they'll jump on the next bit of speculation and try and do the same thing.

Hmmzis · 16-11-2020 12:47PM

astrofool wrote: »

I'm sure they'll have this in the data, and they'll give reasons why or why not people with prior covid were included, based on the science (the fact that a lot of people have unknowingly had COVID means it's essential that the vaccine is safe for those people), it is a bit weird to ask a question, and then attempt an answer at it assuming the negative, unless you somehow think that they didn't think of this and are trying to push an unsafe vaccine for some reason?

That was covered by phase 1/2 studies in most candidates:

Moderna:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa2022483

AZ/Oxford:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31604-4/fulltext

BNT/Pfizer (even though they tried to exclude convalescents, they seem to have got a few anyway):
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.17.20176651v1.full.pdf

J&J/Jansen:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.23.20199604v1.full.pdf+html

Novavax:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2026920

The vaccines in all cases act like booster shots, which is to be expected.

Thierry12 · 16-11-2020 12:56PM

astrofool wrote: »

I'm sure they'll have this in the data, and they'll give reasons why or why not people with prior covid were included, based on the science (the fact that a lot of people have unknowingly had COVID means it's essential that the vaccine is safe for those people), it is a bit weird to ask a question, and then attempt an answer at it assuming the negative, unless you somehow think that they didn't think of this and are trying to push an unsafe vaccine for some reason?

Yeah i'm sure it will be in the data as well

I don't find it weird, don't know why you think that.

Asking a question, doubting or inferring isnt anti vax

Posters here need to accept

We've got no data at all from a Pfizer just it works

Until then we can ask stuff

Loafing Oaf · 16-11-2020 01:05PM

More good news:)

The biotech company Moderna, Inc., said Monday that its experimental vaccine was 94.5% effective in preventing disease, according to an analysis of its clinical trial.

El Weirdo · 16-11-2020 01:05PM

Moderna Covid vaccine candidate almost 95% effective, trials show

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/16/moderna-covid-vaccine-candidate-almost-95-effective-trials-show

More good news.

Mark1916 · 16-11-2020 01:05PM

https://trib.al/GsPpXuS

BREAKING: Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine found to be 94.5% effective in large test with few adverse side effects

ACitizenErased · 16-11-2020 01:06PM

That's brilliant from Moderna, wow

Loafing Oaf · 16-11-2020 01:07PM

El Weirdo wrote: »

Moderna Covid vaccine candidate almost 95% effective, trials show

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/16/moderna-covid-vaccine-candidate-almost-95-effective-trials-show

More good news.

Mark1916 wrote: »

https://trib.al/GsPpXuS

BREAKING: Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine found to be 94.5% effective in large test with few adverse side effects

Ha, johnny come latelies:P

funnydoggy · 16-11-2020 01:08PM

Amazing.

Looks like the mRNA tech is A1

hmmm · 16-11-2020 01:09PM

And good news about storage too.

"The vaccines also differ in their storage requirements. Moderna says its vaccine can be safely stored in freezers at about 25 degrees Fahrenheit (-4 degrees Celsius), a temperature easily reached by a home refrigerator freezer. Pfizer's vaccine required storage in specialized ultracold freezers capable of cooling below -94 degrees Fahrenheit (-70 degrees Celsius). Moderna also says its vaccine will remain potent for up to 30 days at normal refrigerated temperatures, which should ease distribution."

stephenjmcd · 16-11-2020 01:09PM

Excellent news from Moderna, also with mRna being successful in 2 vaccines it really does pave the way for the technology to be used in even more ground breaking treatments

marno21 · 16-11-2020 01:15PM

95 cases of infection observed in the 30,000 trial participants. 90 were in the placebo and 5 were in the mRNA-1273 group. 11 cases of severe Covid-19 were all in the placebo group.

Excellent news. I had questioned this outfit given their operation vs others but this is an excellent result.

Fingers crossed we hear from Oxford/AZ soon too and possibly have 3 vaccines for Christmas.

Hmmzis · 16-11-2020 01:18PM

With the same allocation from the EU stockpile that would give Ireland a total of 4.6 million doses, that's enough to vaccinate nearly half the population. If AZ/Oxford come through as well, then we would have enough doses to vaccinate every single human being in the country.

funnydoggy · 16-11-2020 01:19PM

Hmmzis wrote: »

With the same allocation from the EU stockpile that would give Ireland a total of 4.6 million doses, that's enough to vaccinate nearly half the population. If AZ/Oxford come through as well, then we would have enough doses to vaccinate every single human being in the country.

ShineOn7 · 16-11-2020 01:21PM

Great news about Moderna

Interesting to note that when you check their share price over the last 5 days, they've been doing amazing. But when you look at Pfizer's, they had a one day bump and have been dropping sharply since

Looks like the market has more confidence in Moderna

stephenjmcd · 16-11-2020 01:21PM

Hmmzis wrote: »

With the same allocation from the EU stockpile that would give Ireland a total of 4.6 million doses, that's enough to vaccinate nearly half the population. If AZ/Oxford come through as well, then we would have enough doses to vaccinate every single human being in the country.

I might add here as well when the efficency data is fully released there may be questions as to do younger groups of the population require 2 doses ?? The response may be good enough without two doses, older age groups 2 doses would seem more realistic.

Would enable a bit more freedom in allocation if it were possible

ixoy · 16-11-2020 01:24PM

ShineOn7 wrote: »

Great news about Moderna

I await the negative spin on this news from the media.

Russman · 16-11-2020 01:25PM

Fantastic news, maybe, just maybe we're on our way to beating this thing eventually.

funnydoggy · 16-11-2020 01:26PM

ixoy wrote: »

I await the negative spin on this news from the media.

Absolutely.

COVID-19: Vaccine/antidote and testing procedures Megathread [Mod Warning - Post #1]

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