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

Russman wrote: »

Just thinking about the roll out of the vaccine, if we got XX amount of doses, whatever it might be, in January, let’s say 250k. Would it be best to give 250k people their first dose and depend on subsequent shipments for the second doses, or give 125k people their first and second dose out of the first batch ?

The HSE will know when their second batch is coming and will make their mind up based on that.

There's no evidence what effect giving the second dose 5 weeks after the first dose instead of 3 will have on the efficacy of the vaccine. Probably best to ensure people can have the doses on schedule.

Russman wrote: »

Just thinking about the roll out of the vaccine, if we got XX amount of doses, whatever it might be, in January, let’s say 250k. Would it be best to give 250k people their first dose and depend on subsequent shipments for the second doses, or give 125k people their first and second dose out of the first batch ?

I did wonder if that was an option. To give as many people as possible some of the vaccine, better than none at all surely. Then the requires second dose when available

Gael23 wrote: »

I did wonder if that was an option. To give as many people as possible some of the vaccine, better than none at all surely. Then the requires second dose when available

No because its proven in trials at certain time intervals, you can't just say oh we'll give you your next dose when it's available, could run into a multitude of issues.

Probably gone slightly under the radar but the defence forces are now involved with the covid task force.

Lieutenant Colonel Louis Flynn, chief of staff of the army's joint task force on Covid-19 - Operation Fortitude. Operation Fortitude was the operation that saw the army roll out test centres across the country.

According to today's independent,

"The Defence Forces will feature heavily in the logistics surrounding the physical roll-out of the vaccine, at least in the early days.

The military medical personnel who were trained in swabbing patients for Covid-19 during the first wave of the pandemic are to receive training on administering vaccines, the source said.

The army will also support the distribution of the vaccine to community testing hubs that will be remodelled as vaccine administration hubs."

pconn062 wrote: »

Yes, the single biggest issue with regards to the vaccine in Ireland is going to be the ability of our health service to roll it out. Our inept health service is simply not going to be capable of handling such a task and we are already behind many of our european colleagues. I expect Ireland to be a minimum of 6 months behind the rest of western Europe with regards to roll out.

Absolute pandemonium. That is what I am expecting as a professional expert in a field. As long as the common Volkswagen does what Mr Tony says all should be well.

Peregrinus wrote: »

Isn't a test on landing a bit late? Makes more sense to get a test before departing Stockholm; that way if you are infected you can avoid travelling, avoid possibly infecting people you care about, and do your quarantining at home, which has to be better than doing it on the road.

(NB: If you're infected on the journey, that wouldn't show up in a test on landing. Generally a test will miss any infection resulting from a contact less than 4 or 5 days previously. So what you want to do is get tested about a week before travel, and then isolate yourself as much as you can to minimise the chance of infection during that week. This obviously doesn't guarantee that you'll be uninfected when you travel, but it's the best you can do.)

That's a good idea so thanks for that. Getting tested is a nightmare in Sweden at the moment though. I'll do some digging.

ShineOn7 wrote: »

Going on the past few weeks: Monday = a positive press release from a major vaccine company

Let's hope today follows suit

Maybe not. The main runners have reported so what we are waiting for are the FDA and EMA approval. THE FDA might be this week, the EMA any time between now and Dec 29.

schmoo2k wrote: »

I don't understand your point - The trials did test how a vaccinated person (including over 65s) reacted to subsequent Covid infection and in the 6% of cases where they caught Covid it was never severe.

We know a small % of folks who get Covid will need hospitalisation so the trick will be getting those at risk folks the first round of vaccinations.

That won't eliminate Covid, but it will substantially lower the number of Covid related hospitalisations (and deaths).

The trials can't answer how much of an impact on hospitalisations or deaths the vaccine will make. Severe covid is far too rare for them to be able to do that.
We are hoping that it will make a substantial impact and we are also hoping it will be possible for it to reduce the circulation of the virus

Luke & Pat on the radio, I didn't realize they don't know if this vaccine actually stops the spread they just know it reduces severe symptoms.

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Isn't Johnston and Johnston efficacy data due soon?

Would simplify the roll out as they were looking at a single inject schedule.

Possibly, if the single injection is effective. They have recently started a separate trial on a two dose regimen.

With infection rates out of control in the US (again), it would be surprising if we don't get a read out in the next couple of weeks.

ACitizenErased wrote: »

I'm planning on travelling big time too after the vaccine. This year will make everyone appreciate the world a little more.

I think that governments should give us all an extra month or two off just to compensate for the loss of entartainment of this year. It would of great advantage for all the community, because more people movig for longer time, more money will be spent on the tourism industry and all that is linked to.
I doubt, though, that governments and politicians are so forward-looking.

Vaccination against tuberculosis can reduce the spread of COVID-19 and ease its course
Analysis showed that the spread of the new coronavirus infection occurs more slowly where there is a large percentage of people vaccinated against tuberculosis with the BCG vaccine. (Peer reviewed)

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-12/spsu-vat120320.php

We have a high number of people who've had the BCG vaccine, I'm assuming as the average age of death with Covid here is late 80's a lot of that generation haven't had it. Also our under 5's haven't had it.
We're accrediting all Covid success to restrictions while attributing nothing to the existing vaccine.

There's been too many studies and peer reviewed papers to continue to ignore the help the BCG vaccine has given us.

At this stage with all the evidence I find it deceitful by NPHET to take all the credit based on their restrictions.

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Luke & Pat on the radio, I didn't realize they don't know if this vaccine actually stops the spread they just know it reduces severe symptoms.

I'm not sure how they would check if it stops spread within the trial. The general consensus seems to be that it most likely will.

ceegee wrote: »

I'm not sure how they would check if it stops spread within the trial. The general consensus seems to be that it most likely will.

Astrazeneca/Oxford were swabbing people weekly to try track asymptomatic transmission. Adrian Hill said there's "tantalising" signals that it may stop transmission, whatever that actually means.