Second Lockdown 😥😥😥😥😥😥😥

[Parksy]

I noticed in post #238 that your experience with the flu jab has not been great. Mine has been the opposit, but we all react differently. No doubt effect and effectiveness of the new vacines will also be varied.
John

It was me who wrote about having flu jab in post #238
My GP holds flu injection days on Saturdays as Autumn begins and we are among the first to receive it.
I'd say that my experience of it has been average.
I'm still here so something must be going right.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I've had the flu vaccines for several years especially after my heart problems. Some years I had no ill effects, but others I become groggy for a few days or had a painful arm, but certainly for the last 15 years I've not had full blown Flu.

The flu vaccines are not the same every year. They change the formulation depending on how different strains have been moving round the globe. Some years there's more than one vaccine, and the medical profession have established that age is a good criteria for deciding who has which.

One of the side benefits of the C19 lock downs and the generally improved control measures we are using, is that other transmittable infections have also been lower this year.

 

[Beachball]

i also agree with some of the comment on Flu jabs me i dont seem to have any ill effects but others times my arm very painful .
i always seem to come down with something not a full blown flu
So far i am still here so something must be going right .

 

[Buckman]

One of the side benefits of the C19 lock downs and the generally improved control measures we are using, is that other transmittable infections have also been lower this year.

Possibly because many people are now wearing masks in confined spaces and those that are more vulnerable are taking extra precautions/

 

[Raywood]

We have both had the flu jab for the last few years and have had no side effects or the flu. Even if it stops a few deaths it is worthwhile.

 

[Beachball]

From Wednesday 2nd December Greater Lincolnshire including North and North ,East , will be put into Tier 3 very high alert - Restrictions will made when the latest lockdown ends . the government have announced

 

[WayneS]

Full tier list:

Tier 1: Medium alert
South East

· Isle of Wight
South West

· Cornwall

· Isles of Scilly
Tier 2: High alert
North West

· Cumbria

· Liverpool City Region

· Warrington and Cheshire
Yorkshire

· York

· North Yorkshire
West Midlands

· Worcestershire

· Herefordshire

· Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin
East Midlands

· Rutland

· Northamptonshire
East of England

· Suffolk

· Hertfordshire

· Cambridgeshire, including Peterborough

· Norfolk

· Essex, Thurrock and Southend on Sea

· Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes
London

· all 32 boroughs plus the City of London
South East

· East Sussex

· West Sussex

· Brighton and Hove

· Surrey

· Reading

· Wokingham

· Bracknell Forest

· Windsor and Maidenhead

· West Berkshire

· Hampshire (except the Isle of Wight), Portsmouth and Southampton

· Buckinghamshire

· Oxfordshire
South West

· South Somerset, Somerset West and Taunton, Mendip and Sedgemoor

· Bath and North East Somerset

· Dorset

· Bournemouth

· Christchurch

· Poole

· Gloucestershire

· Wiltshire and Swindon

· Devon
Tier 3: Very High alert
North East

· Tees Valley Combined Authority:

· Hartlepool

· Middlesbrough

· Stockton-on-Tees

· Redcar and Cleveland

· Darlington

· North East Combined Authority:

· Sunderland

· South Tyneside

· Gateshead

· Newcastle upon Tyne

· North Tyneside

· County Durham

· Northumberland
North West

· Greater Manchester

· Lancashire

· Blackpool

· Blackburn with Darwen
Yorkshire and The Humber

· The Humber

· West Yorkshire

· South Yorkshire
West Midlands

· Birmingham and Black Country

· Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent

· Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull
East Midlands

· Derby and Derbyshire

· Nottingham and Nottinghamshire

· Leicester and Leicestershire

· Lincolnshire
South East

· Slough (remainder of Berkshire is tier 2: High alert)

· Kent and Medway
South West

· Bristol

· South Gloucestershire

· North Somerset

 

[JezzerB]

Deep joy; we've (Lincs ) gone from tier 1 before lockdown to tier 3. Am blaming the myriad of senior cits on the very large retirement village near us-when we took essential food to the father in law there was a large house gathering of residents-coffee afternoon, in the park home opposite-curtains were drawn as soon as they saw us! Grrrr. It isn't always just the kids.

 

[Beachball]

i would agree with you JezzerB we live in (Lincs) and from tier 1 to tier 3 since the second lock down We do not go out much now days we keep warm the food is home delivery and my prescriptions they are delivered and if i need anything my son offered .

 

[Dustydog]

My point a few days ago was very clear and indeed Buckman understood the point. The new vaccine is less than nine months old. There is no clinical evidence , yet , that a pregnant woman’s foetus may be affected. All I have said is do not inoculate a pregnant or about to become pregnant woman until we know we don’t end up with a Thalidomide reaction. That is the only reason I mentioned Thalidomide. A drug is a drug!

 

[JezzerB]

Err no not really a vaccine is not a drug.

 

[Buckman]

As a matter of interest and for some advice. At the moment when the lockdown is lifted we will be in Tier 2. SIL lives in Cwmbran and OH would like to visit prior to Christmas.
Can anyone offer any input as restrictions can be confusing between areas. One alternative is go down, drop off presents etc without entering the home and having a quick chat outside while wearing masks.
Other option is to use a courier to deliver presents and use Whatsapp for the chat?

 

[otherclive]

As a matter of interest and for some advice. At the moment when the lockdown is lifted we will be in Tier 2. SIL lives in Cwmbran and OH would like to visit prior to Christmas.
Can anyone offer any input as restrictions can be confusing between areas. One alternative is go down, drop off presents etc without entering the home and having a quick chat outside while wearing masks.
Other option is to use a courier to deliver presents and use Whatsapp for the chat?

For details read the UKGOV website and the Welsh Government website. It’s all there. Our son lives near Bridgend and we have a similar query but the websites tell you all you need to know. But remember England will review its guidance on 16 December so best to get it sorted before then.

 

[Buckman]

For details read the UKGOV website and the Welsh Government website. It’s all there.

However it does not seem to be very clear, but indicates No.

 

[Raywood]

Getting a bit fed up with the silly advice we are getting for Christmas. They say you can have a small gathering of up to 8 people from 3 families and then try to tell us that they should use their own cutlery and you should not have communal spoons for he roast potatoes and the like. The whole lot will go in the washing up together anyway so the idea of separate items is pointless.
Frankly if you are all sat round a table if someone has the virus they will spread it and the minor details are just plain silly and will bring the whole thing into disrepute.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Err no not really a vaccine is not a drug.

A typical definition of a "drug" is "a medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body. "

Within that definition a vaccine is a drug, and is why the Covid vaccines are having to be reviewed by the licencing authorities.

And a general note for other posts:

Thalidomide was a wake up call to robustly review the effects of new medicines, and to days safety criteria would be very unlikely to approve Thalidomide without very strict prescription guidelines, and the same would be true for all other new drugs or treatments. The licencing process usually takes many months if not years, but becasue of the vital importance of a Covid vaccine has for global heath, the licencing process will be carried out as quickly as possible.

Even though the vaccines will be given priority consideration by the licencing authorities becasue of the global clamour for them, do not assume the licence will be simply rubberstamped through. If there are any concerns raised about safety, the licence may be refused or made conditional such as not to be prescribed for any groups identified as at risk.

 

[Dustydog]

The latest news this morning is there has been a problem with the Oxford AZ vaccine testing. Let’s hope it is only a minor set back and we all get vaccinated ASAP.

 

[JezzerB]

A typical definition of a "drug" is "a medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body. "

Within that definition a vaccine is a drug, and is why the Covid vaccines are having to be reviewed by the licencing authorities.

And a general note for other posts:

Thalidomide was a wake up call to robustly review the effects of new medicines, and to days safety criteria would be very unlikely to approve Thalidomide without very strict prescription guidelines, and the same would be true for all other new drugs or treatments. The licencing process usually takes many months if not years, but becasue of the vital importance of a Covid vaccine has for global heath, the licencing process will be carried out as quickly as possible.

Even though the vaccines will be given priority consideration by the licencing authorities becasue of the global clamour for them, do not assume the licence will be simply rubberstamped through. If there are any concerns raised about safety, the licence may be refused or made conditional such as not to be prescribed for any groups identified as at risk.

Very debatable Prof, in the correct meaning it isn't but in general terms yes it is. However it isn't a synthetic chemical that alters the chemistry of the body but a part of a virus or material that stimulates the immune system, so in my sense and chemistry understanding it isn't but it really is a moot point.

 

[otherclive]

The latest news this morning is there has been a problem with the Oxford AZ vaccine testing. Let’s hope it is only a minor set back and we all get vaccinated ASAP.

Cannot see anything on any of the news websites, other than that Oxford/AZ are organising a further trial to establish the effectiveness of the 50%=100% dosage amongst the elderly and a wider trial group. But the wider trial of the 100+100% still shows an effectiveness above the minimum requirement and the UK health regulator is reviewing the data sets. Its complex business and the system seems to be working as intended. Don't count chickens eh?

 

[Beachball]

The latest news this morning is there has been a problem with the Oxford AZ vaccine testing. Let’s hope it is only a minor set back and we all get vaccinated ASAP.

Hi Dusty i have look and what otherclive says i cannot see anything so keep your fingers crossed

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Dusty i have look and what otherclive says i cannot see anything so keep your fingers crossed

Seems the doses given to mixed age groups were not correctly monitored . There was a variance in the results ranging from 60%-70%-90%. They are looking for another 3000 volunteers to complete the trial. Hopefully the delay will not be too great.

UK asks regulator to assess AZ-Oxford vaccine amid questions

The British government has formally asked the country’s medicines regulator to assess whether a coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University should be authorized for use

abcnews.go.com

 

[Beachball]

Well i cannot volunteer i would if i could but when i told them what wrong with me we don"t want your blood i hope the delay not to long

 

[Dustydog]

Very debatable Prof, in the correct meaning it isn't but in general terms yes it is. However it isn't a synthetic chemical that alters the chemistry of the body but a part of a virus or material that stimulates the immune system, so in my sense and chemistry understanding it isn't but it really is a moot point.

Maybe the best word is Pharmaceutical.

 

[Dustydog]

In the middle of nowhere I have been relegated to Tier 2 from 1. No surprise. Just dressing up for an extended Lockdown to Easter and maybe beyond. A small Cotswold Town with 5k people and only 6 current C19 cases. Yet I am the same as London😥😥. Can the Country and economy survive? Our Tier1 measures were very sensible , offering C19 protection to all. I can’t help feel the boffins draconian step has not been as well planned as it could have.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I sincerely hope the concerns raised about the Oxford/Astra Zenica vaccine, and indeed any other vaccine can be quickly resolved to the satisfaction of the regulators.

All the announced vaccines apparently have superseded the WHO's, 50% efficacy target, and by considerable margin.

The particular peculiarity of the Ox/A-Z Vaccine where by the 50% first dose combined with the second dose seems to have led to better results than two full strength doses is a strange and very interesting result. I am sure that will lead to further testing to see how the dose size affect efficacy.

Assuming any of these vaccines do receive a licence, testing won't stop. As the number of recipients increases, the data about efficacy will continue to be recorded, and firmer information will develop about infection prevention, and how long theses vaccine's will provide effective protection.

We must also bear in mind there is already evidence of the virus mutating, and that might mean the present vaccines may lose efficacy. But as we now have a starting vaccine, if or when we need to modify a vaccine to meet a mutation, we do now have starting point and that should help kickstart the development of a revised vaccine.