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20th January 2021, 11:51 PM | #481 |
Penultimate Amazing
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It isn't, unfortunately. The national part has been bungled so far, and every state has a different way of doing it. So, for example, in Vermont, which like just about everywhere else has had far fewer doses delivered than promised, the government has made it clear they do not want anyone calling in before their group is scheduled, so as not to cause mayhem, and then there's going to be a web site for registering, which may or may not work, and which will likely be inundated the moment the starting gun is fired. And this is a state that is, by comparison with most, probably well run, and leading the nation in many ways. What a ******* mess!
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Like many humorless and indignant people, he is hard on everybody but himself, and does not perceive it when he fails his own ideal (Molière) A pedant is a man who studies a vacuum through instruments that allow him to draw cross-sections of the details (John Ciardi) |
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21st January 2021, 12:07 AM | #482 |
Penultimate Amazing
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Location: US of A
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21st January 2021, 01:18 AM | #483 |
Resident Skeptical Hobbit
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At 74.7 vaccinations per 1,000 people, the UK is doing better than the US at 47.5. Both are way ahead of Canada, which as of now is at a paltry 17.3 per 1000. Part of the problem in Canada is simply getting the vaccine.
However, Canada is doing significantly better at handling the pandemic, which ironically may make us lower priority for the vaccine. |
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The social illusion reigns to-day upon all the heaped-up ruins of the past, and to it belongs the future. The masses have never thirsted after truth. They turn aside from evidence that is not to their taste, preferring to deify error, if error seduce them. Gustav Le Bon, The Crowd, 1895 (from the French) |
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21st January 2021, 05:02 AM | #484 |
Adult human female
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We've been told, don't call your doctor, wait to be called. This seems very sensible. If I haven't been called by the time the media say my age group should be called, I can always contact them then.
I do think there could be an issue about people not registered with a GP and they're going to have to think about how to deal with that. |
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"The way we vote will depend, ultimately, on whether we are persuaded to hope or to fear." - Aonghas MacNeacail, June 2012. |
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21st January 2021, 05:09 AM | #485 |
Penultimate Amazing
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Location: Leicester Square, London
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I can’t imagine that number is going to turn out to be a significant proportion of the population though.
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21st January 2021, 05:11 AM | #486 |
Penultimate Amazing
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21st January 2021, 06:37 AM | #487 |
Agave Wine Connoisseur
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Delete..
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Maybe later.... |
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21st January 2021, 09:57 AM | #488 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada, eh?
Posts: 20,625
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And its going to get worse... Pfizer is actually halting shipments to Canada next week. (Before, they were just going to cut back on the number of doses sent.)
It will just be a temporary stoppage however... once they get their improved production line in action, they will (hopefully) increase the number of doses delivered.
Quote:
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21st January 2021, 12:04 PM | #489 |
Watching . . . always watching.
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Southeastern USA
Posts: 2,378
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In our state, the state computer site that says "Find a Vaccination Site Here" merely redirects the user to county health departments, pharmacies, and supermarkets.
Our county health department website crashes whenever a new round of vaccines becomes available. The pharmacies tell us "We're still waiting on an allotment of vaccines, check back" (and some put us on waiting lists). The supermarkets are the same. Our personal GP site says "Don't ask about Covid-19 vaccines. We are not in line to be issued the vaccine." Our hospital sites crash or put us into maddening loops--"You need to indicate your gender." You go back and do it. Then two pages later, "You need to indicate your gender." And back and forth. It is maddening. I have a friend who recently retired from the IT department of a large organization, and he observed, "It's like they hired people to build these sites who never programmed anything past a Commodore 64." |
21st January 2021, 12:19 PM | #490 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Aug 2016
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Its more the logistics of a third of a billion people spread out over a Continent and creating a way to monitor and make sure everyone is getting dosed. Quite a few people I spoke with had no idea what they were supposed to be doing. The State wants you to tell them, for instance, if you are in the more expedient need category (elderly, diabetic, obese, occupational needs, smoker, etc). The NJ website says 'register and we'll let you know'. The actual vaccination sites say 'please come tell us and we'll line you up'
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"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect" -Mark Twain "Half of what he said meant something else, and the other half didn't mean anything at all" -Rosencrantz, on Hamlet |
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21st January 2021, 01:22 PM | #491 |
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Quote:
I don't honestly know. I have read suggestions that it's more people than one might imagine, for various reasons. |
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"The way we vote will depend, ultimately, on whether we are persuaded to hope or to fear." - Aonghas MacNeacail, June 2012. |
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21st January 2021, 03:27 PM | #492 |
Nasty Woman
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 96,382
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WA State is similar. I just went to site after site after site and each one you have to find the 'continue' or whatever version they use and sometimes it's absolutely not clear.
After going to sites and dates all morning I finally got an appointment for April 2nd. No other places are scheduling that far out. I'm hoping to find something sooner. Twice I got messages, 'sorry, someone else just took that spot'. My doctor's office keeps sending me apologies "they are trying to fix it". But they did give me some Ambien (sleeping pill) at my request. I need to stop trying. Yesterday was so positive, now I'm drained. I'm going to go back to just waiting until the vaccine supply picks up. |
22nd January 2021, 01:34 AM | #493 |
Nasty Woman
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 96,382
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It pays to have insomnia sometimes (I don't have the Ambien yet). I just checked back with the Kaiser site (my HMO) and they had a dozen new openings. I got an appointment for the vaccine a week from Sat. I imagine by 7 or 8 am the appointments will all be gone. I'll be able to cancel the April appointment.
I can't tell you what a relief it is to have a vaccine appointment within a reasonable time. I was really worried I could easily die from this virus. Some people have no clue how dangerous this pathogen is. I do know. |
22nd January 2021, 08:03 AM | #494 |
NWO Cyborg 5960x (subversion VPUNPCKHQDQ)
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22nd January 2021, 08:58 AM | #495 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada, eh?
Posts: 20,625
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Canada "Socialized" health care system: .11 vaccines per 1 million
United States "Capitalist" health care system: .28 vaccines per 1 million So simply having "socialist health care" is not going to necessarily be better than what the U.S. has. (Granted, Canada has had vaccine supply issues, but we've also done rather dumb things... sitting on vaccine doses over the holidays, etc.) |
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Trust me, I know what I'm doing. - Sledgehammer I'm Mary Poppins Y'all! - Yondu We are Groot - Groot |
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22nd January 2021, 09:32 AM | #496 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 15,720
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I am in the JCVI group 2 of vaccine priorities, "all those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers" and go for my first dose on Sunday after work.
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Audiophile/biker/sceptic |
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22nd January 2021, 09:35 AM | #497 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jun 2012
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My father, who is JCVI group 2 like me, has just received his second GP letter to advise him to wait for his appointment letter.
I know lots of NHS and care people who have had their first does, but only a couple of elderly people, who are 90 plus year olds, who have had theirs. |
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Audiophile/biker/sceptic |
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22nd January 2021, 09:47 AM | #498 |
Schrödinger's cat
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I know two 80 year olds, both with health issues, who have had their first jab.
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"If you trust in yourself ... and believe in your dreams ... and follow your star ... you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things" - Terry Pratchett |
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22nd January 2021, 09:52 AM | #499 |
Watching . . . always watching.
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Southeastern USA
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I managed to get my wife an appointment for January 27 when the county site opened for reservations at about 1 PM. It took about five minutes--had to fill out name, address, medical history, insurance information, etc--and I immediately tried to register myself, but by that time all 6000 slots had been taken. I was told to try next week.
On the other hand, we're told that the second shot is booked when you get the first, so maybe that will help. |
22nd January 2021, 10:29 AM | #500 |
Adult human female
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One of my cousins had to be moved to a care home because her husband, who was her carer, died quite suddenly just before Christmas. I was worried about her because we all know about the history of covid in care homes, but what it actually did was put her up the priority list for vaccination and she had her first injection within days of entering the home.
When we get together for Zoom Church on Sundays the cheery call of "Has anyone been vaccinated yet?" has started to be answered in the affirmative by one or two of the crumblies contingent. |
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"The way we vote will depend, ultimately, on whether we are persuaded to hope or to fear." - Aonghas MacNeacail, June 2012. |
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22nd January 2021, 03:30 PM | #501 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jun 2005
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Kaiser here in So. California just sent a mailing. They have given 170,000 doses to their 1.5M members. Those were front line workers, and care facility residents. They are next going for 'those over 75",but don't have any vaccine. Next will be over 65s. But "Don't call us, we'll call you". I guess they will sort by risk factors? I suspect they will start each age group with those highest at risk. At 67 and having nearly all risk factors except living with others, once the age gets lowered to 65, perhaps they will jump me to the top of the list ahead of healthier 75 +?
But I do consider myself lower risk because I live alone. Nobody catches it out doors (gun range) or grocery stores. |
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22nd January 2021, 03:41 PM | #502 |
Adult human female
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People do catch it in grocery stores. There have been several grocery store clusters here. One supermarket currently has about 60 staff sick. If you're going into any shop get a good mask (preferable a respirator mask) and spend as little time inside as possible.
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"The way we vote will depend, ultimately, on whether we are persuaded to hope or to fear." - Aonghas MacNeacail, June 2012. |
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22nd January 2021, 04:51 PM | #503 |
Penultimate Amazing
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Posts: 18,667
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I (nurse in a senior citizens' residence), along with all residents and staff (ca. 150 people, excepting only a handful of opt-outs), got my first shot 11 days ago, so by now I have some cause for the comfortable idea that I am pretty likely immune already. It is also a great relieve that many of our care recipients should be immune by now.
Coinciding the date of the first shot came the good news that the last of our less than ten cases had resolved (albeit only after two had died). Some semblance of normalcy has thus returned - but us nurses still wear FFP2 masks, we test everybody twice a week, and visits are still restricted in number and duration with visitors having to wear PPE. Because none of us can be 100% sure of their immunization status, with even the Pfizer/BioNTech vax being less than 100% effective. I do not know the date for the second shot yet, but expect it to come close to the 3 weeks minimum wait time after the first. Here in Germany, nursing homes and ICUs have absolute priority. Districts (counties) have set up vaccination sites, but in many places, they don't actually start vaxxing before February 10th or so, due to supply shortages. So while people older than 80 years were supposed to be in cohort 1 along with the nursing home residents, reality is that those 80+ folks not in a home still have to wait. Since my shot was organized entirely by my company (my boss came in the office a few days before with the forms we needed to sign, I signed, and the only other thing I had to do was to show up in time for the shot), I have not informed myself how ordinary people would schedule their shots, and how that goes so far. |
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Thermodynamics hates conspiracy theorists. (Foster Zygote) The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected. (Gilbert Keith Chesterton) |
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22nd January 2021, 05:32 PM | #504 |
Adult human female
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I don't think you should assume anything about your immune status until a few weeks after your second dose. Not enough is known about the effect of a single dose.
Sure, there are always some individuals who don't mount an effective immune response even after to doses properly given of anything, but I think at some point you have to relax about it. |
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"The way we vote will depend, ultimately, on whether we are persuaded to hope or to fear." - Aonghas MacNeacail, June 2012. |
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22nd January 2021, 11:49 PM | #505 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Yokohama, Japan
Posts: 28,959
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I posted this last Saturday (Japan time), and it's Saturday afternoon again so I thought I'd check how much process has been made in the last week.
Latest updates from: The Bloomberg tracker
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The Our World in Data tracker They have added some new graphs, including if you scroll down far enough, how many people have been completely vaccinated (i.e., received their second dose in the case of a 2-dose regimen). Israel remains in the lead with 38.83 doses administered per 100 people so far. They also note that 28.44% of the population have received at least one dose and 10.39% have received both doses. It appears to have started showing up in this data (possibly): https://www.worldometers.info/corona...ountry/israel/ The number daily new infections according to the 7-day moving average has been falling for about the last week. However, there is not yet a clear downward trend in deaths. But new infections is a leading indicator for deaths, so I would expect that to begin falling before the deaths do. |
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23rd January 2021, 02:36 PM | #506 |
The Grammar Tyrant
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Removed to main Covid thread.
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The point of equilibrium has passed; satire and current events are now indistinguishable. |
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23rd January 2021, 03:42 PM | #507 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 18,667
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Oh I am not assuming I am immune 12 days after the first shot , I called the reality there's a good chance that I am immune now a "comfortable idea". My actions are premised on the cautious assumption that there's a significant risk I am not yet immune, however, the "comfortable idea"...
...allows me to relax about it. |
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Thermodynamics hates conspiracy theorists. (Foster Zygote) The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected. (Gilbert Keith Chesterton) |
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23rd January 2021, 06:23 PM | #508 |
Adult human female
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"The way we vote will depend, ultimately, on whether we are persuaded to hope or to fear." - Aonghas MacNeacail, June 2012. |
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24th January 2021, 02:24 PM | #509 |
Penultimate Amazing
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Posts: 24,894
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Experience is an excellent teacher, but she sends large bills. |
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24th January 2021, 05:12 PM | #510 |
Adult human female
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Nah, even if these are real concerns it just makes the light a bit further away.
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"The way we vote will depend, ultimately, on whether we are persuaded to hope or to fear." - Aonghas MacNeacail, June 2012. |
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25th January 2021, 01:45 PM | #511 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 19,539
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Moderna develops new vaccine to tackle mutant Covid strain (FinancialTimes, Jan. 25, 2021)
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/dann "Stupidity renders itself invisible by assuming very large proportions. Completely unreasonable claims are irrefutable. Ni-en-leh pointed out that a philosopher might get into trouble by claiming that two times two makes five, but he does not risk much by claiming that two times two makes shoe polish." B. Brecht "The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition which needs illusions." K. Marx |
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25th January 2021, 02:28 PM | #512 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 11,311
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waste not, want not
Liz Wolfe at Reason "To make matters worse, state departments of health are struggling to tell how often it's happening or how many precious doses have been squandered. Although many states mandate reporting of vaccine waste, providers have little incentive to comply: If New York's system is any indication, they might end up fined or under investigation."
This article discusses both discarded doses and the lack of keeping track of them. Offhand, I don't have any suggestions. |
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It is possible both to be right about an issue and to take oneself a little too seriously, but I would rather be reminded of that by a friend than a foe. (a tip of the hat to Foolmewunz) |
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26th January 2021, 10:17 AM | #513 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada, eh?
Posts: 20,625
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Some good and bad news...
First the bad: From: Global Television Network (Canada) Drugmaker Merck & Co said on Monday it would stop the development of its two COVID-19 vaccines and focus pandemic research on treatments...In early trials, both vaccines generated immune responses that were inferior to those seen in people who had recovered from COVID-19 as well as those reported for other COVID-19 vaccines. Unfortunate, because the more vaccine options, the better. On the other hand: From: Marketwatch The first single-dose COVID-19 vaccine could get emergency approval in as little two weeks, Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested late Friday. “I would be surprised if it was any more than two weeks from now that the data will be analyzed and decisions would be made” about the vaccine being developed by Johnson & Johnson. Good sign... not only is the J&J vaccine single-shot, but it also doesn't have the same cold storage requirements. |
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Trust me, I know what I'm doing. - Sledgehammer I'm Mary Poppins Y'all! - Yondu We are Groot - Groot |
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27th January 2021, 04:35 AM | #514 |
Adult human female
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It was never going to be the case that all the vaccine candidates were going to work acceptably well. Some were always going to be less good and not worth pursuing in the light of other better products.
I take it someone somewhere has noted that the infamous "The Astra-Zeneca vaccine only has 8% efficacy in the over-65s was some idiot not reading a report carefully enough. In fact the statement was that since only 8% of the study participants were over 65 more data were needed to confirm the efficacy in this group (which appears to be high, but on the basis of a low number of test subejcts). |
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"The way we vote will depend, ultimately, on whether we are persuaded to hope or to fear." - Aonghas MacNeacail, June 2012. |
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27th January 2021, 09:24 AM | #515 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 20,570
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In Philadelphia, they gave the responsibility for distributing the vaccine to college students. Not a good idea:
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27th January 2021, 10:02 AM | #516 |
Nitpicking dilettante
Administrator Join Date: Mar 2007
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I'm pretty sure I heard a while back that there were at least around 100 potential vaccines under development world-wide.
ETA: This table shows 9 approved and 56 under development. There may be more, or perhaps some have fallen by the wayside. |
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The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.Bertrand Russell Zooterkin is correct Darat Nerd! Hokulele Join the JREF Folders ! Team 13232 Ezekiel 23:20 |
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27th January 2021, 12:41 PM | #517 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada, eh?
Posts: 20,625
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I know its not surprising that some vaccine candidates just didn't pan out.
But, we've got a situation where we have to vaccinate billions of people, and hopefully as quickly as possible, for a virus that may be mutating. The more production capacity and/vaccine options the better. And Merck was one of the better known drug companies. (I'm not necessarily blaming Merck... I'm just saying its unfortunate their stuff didn't work well enough.) |
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Trust me, I know what I'm doing. - Sledgehammer I'm Mary Poppins Y'all! - Yondu We are Groot - Groot |
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29th January 2021, 09:17 AM | #518 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada, eh?
Posts: 20,625
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Johnson & Johnson vaccine data released.
From: CBC J&J said Friday that in the U.S. and seven other countries where their trial has been conducted, the single-shot vaccine was 66 per cent effective overall at preventing moderate to severe illness, and much more protective — 85 per cent — against the most serious symptoms. ... J&J said that within a week, it will file an application for emergency use in the U.S., and then abroad. It expects to supply 100 million doses to the U.S. by June So, not as effective as Pfizer/Moderna, but single shot and easier storage requirements. Some countries are going to have some interesting decisions to make regarding which vaccines to use and on which people. |
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Trust me, I know what I'm doing. - Sledgehammer I'm Mary Poppins Y'all! - Yondu We are Groot - Groot |
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29th January 2021, 10:05 AM | #519 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Aug 2016
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"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect" -Mark Twain "Half of what he said meant something else, and the other half didn't mean anything at all" -Rosencrantz, on Hamlet |
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29th January 2021, 10:28 AM | #520 |
Nasty Woman
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 96,382
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You'd think at 66% effective they'd test it with 2 doses. They are calculating on getting a market share with one dose. After they move into the market they can always say another dose is a good idea.
On another front, yesterday Kaiser (here in the Seattle area) had a refrigeration failure that threatened about 500 doses of the Moderna vaccine. They split it up between a couple of hospitals who then sent out Tweets (I believe) to several hundred people to come now if they wanted a dose of vaccine. The people still had to meet the criteria but the hospitals managed to use up the doses ~11pm last night. I'm glad there was cooperation. I'm scheduled to get the pfizer vaccine tomorrow through Kaiser. But my first thought was, whose appointments are getting cancelled because of this? And on yet another front, turns out 4 or more hospitals put their board members and big donors on their vaccine schedules. Doesn't look good. They probably won't suffer any consequences for doing so. |
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