Oxford Vaccine approved

What a ridiculous woman Mimi22 is! There is plenty of evidence as to how viruses, including Covid 19, are spread, but apparently she hasn't been able to find it.
Do you really believe that NHS staff are who are working to save lives do so in full PPE just on a whim? Many people are quite reasonably very scared and are doing their utmost not to catch the virus. Comments like those made by Mimi22 are very dangerous and are completely unhelpful.

@ BeverleyJB, just because you dont happen to agree with Mimi22 theres no need to start name calling!! This is a debate and we are all entitled to our own opinions regardless if you agree or not!
People shouldnt see the comments as negativity, just because you disagree, its someone elses view on the subject. I for one 100% agree with Mimi22, I could just as easy say the ones celebrating the vaccine are blinkered and brainwashed by listening to the government and not doing their own investigation on the vaccine!

Spookwriter23

I'm not having the vaccine, you don't know what side effects it has, I don't trust it, I'm not being a guinea pig, to a new vaccine, that no one knows enough about

Other people have been willing to volunteer as "guinea pigs" on your behalf already.

Will you stay locked indoors for the rest of your life? That's fair enough and it is your choice, but I would like to get out and about again.

Huge Congratulations to everyone involved in the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, such fabulous news,especially at this time when things arent looking too good generally.Roll out the vaccine as soon as possible its a huge New Year present to us all.Let 2021 be a lovely year.

Genty, there are those on here who do their own investigation into all aspects, who read and understand the medical and scientific articles -and some who are working in the field themselves so have a good knowledge of what is being done. Anybody with a brain is unlikely to believe everything the Government says, surely?

I do agree with you on the name calling elements though, I think we are all guilty to some extent of shouting from our positions of entrenchment at those who we feel have not done their homework adequately.

What I don’t understand is why on a post that is designed to celebrate what the vast majority of us see as good news, people feel the need to pour cold water on it. This post was not a debate if you read the title. There should be a separate doubters post where you can all share the issues you have without raining on the parade for the rest of us.

Fantastic news that our expert scientists, in co-operation with experts in the mass production of vaccines, in the UK and abroad, have created a vaccine in record time.

I do want to continue on a positive note, and so I will continue to hope that the promises of the politicians about the speedy delivery of the vaccine will be kept, in spite of the many abject examples of over-promising and under-delivering we have seen this year.

I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and I do hope that by the summer most of us on GN will have been vaccinated and we can start to resume something approaching a normal life.

Casdon

Genty that information is outdated, if you look on the other vaccine threads on here there’s more recent updates about the trials including older people, which I’m sure the media will report on. It’s brilliant news, my hope is that the effectiveness is increased by the longer gap between the first and second doses as the ongoing trial is indicating, let’s all keep our fingers crossed on that.

Do you have a link to a reliable site with the latest data?

I am proud of Sweden where I live,even though I am ex-pat, the two countries have done a wonderful job,many thanks to all the volunters, scientists and all involved, wihout you we might not have been looking into a better 2021.

Mimi22 What did you mean when you wrote "'virus' has never been isolated in it's purest form"?

The reason I'm a bit baffled is that I have a friend who has spent many years of his life researching the sticky stuff which covers the "spikes" on a virus (not coronavirus but similar) and has had much of his work published.

If the virus has never been isolated, I'm wondering what he's spent his working life doing. I can't claim to understand enough about science to understand what he does, but I have been in research labs and they have very powerful microscopes, which can isolate miniscule particles. For that matter, what are all those pictures of spikey little balls, if they're not viruses?

I'm realistic enough to know that the vaccine isn't going to solve much for some time yet and possibly won't live up to expectations - but it's certainly progress and I'll be there with my sleeve rolled up when it's my turn. Maybe it will be sooner than I think if enough people relinquish their place in the queue.

I'm new to Gransnet, but admit that I have been reading the forums for a while.
I agree that ranting on with negative posts is not helpful for many at the moment, and bursting their balloon of hope is cruel. By all means choose not to have the vaccine, that's your decision. My decision to skip your posts and not read them.
It is marvellous news and I know how much work has been going on behind the scenes to get the vaccination sites up and running, vaccinators trained, and vaccines in the right place at the right time.
We have every right to feel the hope and freedom that the roll out will bring us. Some more pain to come unfortunately, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Feel free to give a negative response as I will just scroll on by!
Can't keep an optimist down for long you know.

Researchers from China released the genetic sequence of the nCoV on January 10th this year.

www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/01/china-releases-genetic-data-new-coronavirus-now-deadly

It is nonsense to suggest that "the virus has not been isolated in its purest form" when all the details of its genetic composition are known.

For that matter, what are all those pictures of spikey little balls, if they're not viruses?
They're actually pretty Christmas tree baubles.

Before anyone says "You can't be serious", no I was not being serious.

it is incorrect to say that the virus that causes Covid-19 has not been isolated.
Covid-19 has been isolated many times. It does not need to adhere to Koch’s postulates as it is a virus, and Koch’s rules have been widely disregarded now. Covid-19 PCR tests are generally very accurate
fullfact.org/health/Covid-isolated-virus/

It is nonsense to suggest that "the virus has not been isolated in its purest form" when all the details of its genetic composition are known.

Indeed. How else would they have carried out genome sequencing?
And test people to confirm they have it?
If the new coronavirus’s sequence is found in a sample (usually taken from the nose or mouth) it will confirm the likelihood that a patient’s symptoms are those of COVID-19.

It does mutate (and has) of course.
Virus genomes constantly alter (mutate), changing a few letters at a time as they divide and spread by infecting more people. These changes can be exploited to track the spread of the virus by sequencing, recording and analysing genomes.

People that are anti vaccine may be able to use the monoclonal antibodies that Astra Zeneca are currently trialing. They work in a similar way to the ones passed on from mothers to their new born babies to protect them. But I suppose they won’t agree with that, either. Good job that so many of us are prepared to be vaccinated to protect others isn’t it.

Have also been trying to find evidence of the virus being spread from person to person via coughing/spluttering/breathing over each other. Of course we have all been told that is true, probably all of our lives. Just because you believe it, doesn't make it true though.
the jab is being created for something that hasn't been proven.

Mimi you are just the kind of person to volunteer to help our hard-pressed NHS staff as you are unlikely to catch any infectious or contagious diseases because you believe they are not spread that way and that COVID doesn't exist anyway.

Question. Spook writer, Mimi, Genty. If you become ill and are diagnosed as having Covid, will you refute the diagnosis and tell the doctors you know better ? And will you refuse treatment ?

I think its great news and cant wait for DH to get his and me in due course.

Good news!
It's the Oxford vaccine I prefer to have.
It's not the be all and end all. There's a lot more for the scientists to find out yet but at least this is a start at controlling the virus.
Get ready to roll your sleeves up. I hope you all get that phone call very soon.

Growstuff I use the Public Health Wales website a lot, I read the BMJ and The Lancet articles to understand what information GPs are getting, and a few of the scientific journals aimed at pharmacists. I don’t understand the articles aimed at the research community. It’s not possible to get everything from one site I don’t think, as the articles tend to be written specifically for their own audiences, but it’s usually possible to find a reputable source for the information you want.

I hope we have this one ASAP.

growstuff (and others) can I refer you to

www.research.ox.ac.uk/Area/coronavirus-research/vaccine

for the latest info on the Oxford/AZ vaccine.

Dr Julia Grace Patterson
@JujuliaGrace
·

: I’ve just found out that one region in the UK has paused all vaccinations for a week, because they cannot find the staff ?. This is because the government have not adequately supported NHS staff- the vaccine programme is a huge, largely unsupported effort.

Casdon

Growstuff I use the Public Health Wales website a lot, I read the BMJ and The Lancet articles to understand what information GPs are getting, and a few of the scientific journals aimed at pharmacists. I don’t understand the articles aimed at the research community. It’s not possible to get everything from one site I don’t think, as the articles tend to be written specifically for their own audiences, but it’s usually possible to find a reputable source for the information you want.

Well, I read a lot too and I haven't been able to find confirmation of the information you've given about the efficacy of the Oxford vaccine - and I have looked.

That's why I was hoping you could give me a link.