[Deleted User] wrote: » The whole forum has been polluted by blind uninformed rage across every thread at this stage. Most are not even taking a few seconds to think, never mind actually inform themselves
Bubbaclaus wrote: » Just wait until we miss the 1.1m doses target to the end of March.
political analyst wrote: » Those doctors who raised the idea that the AZ vaccine could cause cerebral blood-clots need to take a look in the mirror. Are they proud of themselves for needlessly causing anxiety? If they want vaccination to be successful, then they should say nothing. People either want restrictions to end or they don't.
Russia’s Sputnik vaccine also is an option if it were to be approved by the European Medicines Agency, Merkel said. While a joint European order from Russia would be preferable, “we would have to go a German way on our own” if necessary, she said.
Sconsey wrote: » Who are 'they'? you make it sound like one group are solely responsible for getting the AZ vaccines going again....there are three layers of beauracreacy that need to review and approve the decision : -the first group is NEPHET I think (not sure if it is them) - they then reccommend to the vaccine approval crowd - they then review and reccommend to the health minister who then tells the HSE to get going again. Then as others have pointed out new appointements have to be made, new guidance created, etc. So while it is a fsked-up state of affairs there is a long list of people that have to hand-pass this around befer it can get going. Under normal circumstances this would take weeks not days. We all knew at 4:00pm yesterday, you sound like you want to have a person blamed when it is the fault of the system and necessary logistics.
rm212 wrote: » Next time Norway comes crying about some extremely extremely isolated incidents, just like they did with the Pfizer vac too, how about we don’t immediately take that at face value and shut everything down, especially when the EMA say to continue using the vaccine while investigating?
Some countries turned down the more expensive Pfizer and Moderna vaccines at that point, when AstraZeneca’s manufacturing shortfall was but a twinkle in Pascal Soriot’s eye. Denmark and Germany were rich, they were far-sighted, and they were lucky. They moved in early and scooped up more before others realised it was a good idea. Nothing now constrains Taoiseach Micheál Martin from asking Washington or any other capital nicely if they have some going spare. But it would be a long shot and appear a bit desperate. And it’s not an original idea. The EU is already in talks to try to persuade President Joe Biden to relax his country’s vaccine export ban, with an eye to securing Johnson & Johnson supplies.
Vaccines being delivered and administered at different rates; citizens having a preference for one vaccine over another; regulators awaiting more data before approving the use of a vaccine for a certain age group. Entirely normal events that also occurred in Britain but without receiving the same laser-scrutiny have been sighted by the Sauron eye of Fleet Street, which reads each as a fresh crisis for the EU. National pride was apparently offended by inaccurate remarks by French president Emmanuel Macron about the efficacy of the Oxford-developed vaccine, and the separate reasonable decision of national regulators to initially restrict the vaccine to younger groups pending additional evidence, as they have the world over. (Only a few hundred older people received the vaccine in the Oxford trials, too small a sample to draw conclusions). Decisions by regulators to now approve the vaccine for over-65s due to additional data were widely reported as a “U-turn” in Britain, as though the regulators had made a mistake or political choice they were now disavowing. (The Express headline was “Take that, Macron! France makes screeching U-turn and finally backs AstraZeneca jab”).
Didn’t Denmark and Austria make a deal with Israel last week? This was not an agreement to get doses: Israel gets vaccines from the EU. They made a vague declaration about co-operating on future vaccine development for the next generation of vaccines. There is a lesson there for Ireland. There is a months-long gap between securing doses, and doses arriving. Moves to increase Ireland’s immediate vaccine supply now are happening too late. The clever approach would be to prepare for the challenges of the summer and beyond, when we will have first-generation vaccines to spare, and may be in a fresh race for updated versions that work against new variants.
rm212 wrote: » My AstraZeneca appointment which was due for Monday and cancelled has been rescheduled for Sunday. Just got a text from my hospital.
A rapid start-up of the Halix factory in Leiden is crucial to boost European production of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Not the European medicines agency EMA but AstraZeneca is on the brakes. The EMA's reputation has been at stake for the past week. More than half of the EU Member States locked up AstraZeneca's vaccines after multiple cases of extremely rare blood clots in the brain became known. After the announcement by the EMA on Thursday that the vaccine is safe and effective , the vaccinations were resumed. Finland is the only country to extend the pause for additional investigations into two cases. AstraZeneca will remain in the news for the coming week. EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday for consultations. On the agenda is the vaccination strategy , but also the corona certificate, which must make travel possible in the Union in the summer. The hottest topic of conversation is how far Europe wants to go to increase production and distribution of AstraZeneca's vaccines. Export ban EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen threatens to ban the export of vaccines to the United Kingdom because London itself does not export vaccines to Europe. However, the EU contract with AstraZeneca stipulated that the two UK plants would supply vaccines to the Union. The Halix factory in Leiden has also operated for the British market until now. AstraZeneca waited a long time to request homologation of the production process from the EMA and is holding on to the brakes. According to the number two of the EMA, the Belgian Noël Wathion, data about the test methods at the site in Leiden is awaiting. Wathion emphasizes in an interview in this newspaper that once those data are available, the homologation can be granted via an accelerated procedure.
AstraZeneca's new aim of supplying 30 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine to the EU by the end March hinges on the EU's drug regulator approving supplies from a factory in the Netherlands, an internal document showed. The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker said yesterday it would try to deliver 30 million doses to the EU by the end of March. That is down from a contractual obligation of 90 million and a previous pledge made last month to deliver 40 million doses. The new lower target for March deliveries, which confirmed an earlier report from Reuters, depends on the regulatory approval of a vaccine factory in Leiden run by subcontractor Halix, the internal document dated 10 March showed. EU leaders have come under fire for rolling out vaccines at a far slower pace than neighbouring Britain due to a longer approval and purchasing process, as well as repeated delays in supplies from AstraZeneca and other drugmakers. AstraZeneca said in the document seen by Reuters that it is assuming the Halix factory will get the green light on 25 March and has pencilled in deliveries of nearly 10 million doses for the following week.
Turtwig wrote: » That is excellent news if true. Wonder what the blood test is and what the turnaround time would be? Some Antibody tests in Ireland can take 6 weeks or longer before the patient gets their result. I do wonder if the UK will start seeing more of the severe clotting events once they start vaccinating the younger populations?
Martina1991 wrote: » There are a number of routine coagulation tests that can be performed in hospital laboratories including PT, PTT, D Dimer. They can help in the diagnosis of blood clots and can be done in less than an hour from one blood sample.
Goldengirl wrote: » Yes. However the Norwegians say they have found a specific antibody triggered by the vaccine rarely , which can cause these clotting events ,and if found in those complaining of the specific symptoms of headaches dizziness and blurred vision , they can be given a specific immunoglobulin to counteract it as well as anticoagulant therapy . Question is, can we test that quickly for an antibody in hospital, do you think , or would they go straight to treatment on suspected cases , based on prothrombin times , and ddimer? I thought antibody titres would be at least 24 hours in hospital .
Martina1991 wrote: » In that article it didn't mention the name of the antibody. As these findings have only been discovered recently I dont know if they identified a completely new antibody specific to the vaccine. There wouldn't be a routine assay designed that quick to identify it. I would have assumed they discovered that a known antibody has been found to be elevated in response to he vaccine. I'd imagine suspected diagnoses would be made on when the person was vaccinated, clinical assessment and use coagulation tests to aid diagnosis. Firstly assay manufacturer's would have to develop and manufacture the assay e.g. our instrumentation is Roche. We would need Roche to make the assay before validating it and assessing it before using it on real patients. If this is a completely new antibody this would take months to develop and implement. Antibody testing can be done very quickly if the test is available in house and not sent to a referral lab.
Goldengirl wrote: » Thanks . The article is behind a paywall so could only read the posters' synapsis but would be very interested as no doubt ICU/ A&E is where we will see cases if any do occur here in Ireland . I would imagine it would be treatment based on symptoms and usual bloods for any clotting / platelet disorders , and inflammatory markers and treat accordingly. But the synapsis seems to imply prophylaxis . Need to know more . Credit due to the Norwegians for their sticking with this to find out more. They will have saved lives of young, otherwise healthy people here and we now know what we should be looking out for .
According to Greinacher, the affected patients would develop certain antibodies that bind to a protein in thrombocytes, the red blood platelets. The platelets are actually important for hemostasis in wounds, but can also be responsible for thrombosis. These antibodies could now activate the thromboses without injuring the blood vessels and lead to the problems. It has not yet been fully clarified whether these special antibodies are produced by the vaccination as such, the specific vector in the Astra-Zeneca vaccine, i.e. the packaging, so to speak, or by a subsequent inflammatory reaction. But this mechanism has been found in all blood samples.
JTMan wrote: » FT reports here (paywall) on how some Republic residents can get jabs in NI. - Irish people with NHS cards able to get vaccinated in North. - Official criteria is "must be entitled to receive healthcare in Northern Ireland and be registered with a GP in Northern Ireland" but people are able to book without fully meeting this criteria. - Able to book by using an old healthcare number from previous residency in the UK. - Article quotes multiple people in Donegal who have got the vaccine in NI. - Arlene Foster again called on the UK to give surplus doses to the Republic.
celt262 wrote: » My neighbor got his in Enniskillen workers in the North.
timsey tiger wrote: » I wonder how all that will work iro the vaccinee passport? Secondary consideration I guess.
Godot. wrote: » It seems incredible to me that America can get its J&J doses from Europe but they won't export any AstraZeneca to Europe until at least May. They should be sending 1 back for every they take. Biden for all his guff about internationalism has been just as much a vaccine nationalist as Trump.
is_that_so wrote: » They've hit the 100m he promised and if he were Martin people would be cheering. They are lending 4m, to their neighbours and there is work with APAC partners to get production up there. J&J have US commitments and as the supply chain is global you will find supplies coming from other locations. J&J so far are promising to be able to service both the US & the EU.
Sanjuro wrote: » What exactly is lending a vaccine? How does that work? They give excess vaccines to Canada on the provision of getting vaccines back at a later date? Surely if they are excess, they’re not needed.
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