Im not convinced the covid vaccine will make any difference!

Same as the flu vaccine really, hopefully we might get a milder form of the Virus if we are unlucky enough to still get it.
I’m more worried about the new strain that’s been found in South Africa.

Dear oh dear surely some protection is better than nothing? What do you suggest instead ?

Of course it will make a difference!

DItto Oopsadaisy1. Reading between the lines I think the Powers That Be seem quite concerned about the SA variant too.

Hopefully the vaccines will give some protection. DH and I had something resembling Covid this time last year (including loss of smell) caught from DS who was ill over Christmas. It wasn't good but we survived ok - so if it was Covid, which we'll never know, we would have gained a little immunity. I'm taking the vaccine as being the same. It'll give some immunity, meaning we'll be less sick.

The vaccine has been proved to reduce or prevent serious illness and death. That's worth an awful lot, to the individual, surely?

As yet, it's not known whether it prevents transmission. Therefore, herd immunity may be impossible. We can't rely on others being vaccinated to ensure our own safety.

Like the flu vaccine, it may need updating frequently, as new variants arise.

I have the flu vaccine every year and don’t assume I’m immune to catching colds and flu, I sanitise my hands regularly and rarely touch anything outside my home with bare hands.

I shall be equally careful after I have the COVID jab regardless of how much immunity it’s promising- it’s not a magic wand folks, we have to take care of ourselves!

This won't be popular but I think the vaccine should be compulsory. Apart from people with medical problems which mean they can't have it. For every person who refuses it how many people are they putting at risk. Even with it we will still have carry on the precautions. To be honest it's become second nature for me. I won't be going out unless it's to my bubble and that will be via car. I have been having shopping delivered for years. So for me it's just carry on what I have been doing. Just hope the idiots take heed and for once behave themselves and follow the rules. It's not hard.

Surely, if it means that we get a milder form of the virus that we can cope with at home it has to be a no brainier.
Hospitals can restart to treat people who need life saving procedures.
How can it not make a difference?

Way to go Genty - Glad you are being positive about the vaccine NOT!!

Seriously, at the moment it is giving most of us hope that we will be able to get back to some kind of normal by the Spring. Don't try and take that away from us please!!

NikDumpling. I agree with concern about the SA variant. I heard an epidemiologist on the radio this morning say there is a worry that the SA virus is probably not affected by the vaccine. It is to do with the spike on the virus which is attacked by the vaccine. Apparently, this has been changed by the mutation.

However, I can’t wait for the vaccine to be widespread. Whiff Sadly, this won’t happen here but, I do have some sympathy for that view.

My husband is waiting for two further operations following his major cancer op. last July. He was scheduled for the first one on Monday 21 December and had the pre-op and then his covid test on Friday 18 Dec at 12 noon.

At 5.30pm on 18 December the hospital rang to say the op was being postponed due to the big rise in covid infections in the community and the expected numbers which would without doubt follow.

He is not alone in this of course. Because of the pandemic lots of elective surgeries have had to be postponed. Surely vaccination is our only way to control this horrible virus just as we ultimately eradicated smallpox by widespread vaccination programmes.

I think social media spread lots of duff and dangerous myths about it and the anti-vaxers do not understand the knock on effects of their stance.

I agree with Pamela each step must help, vaccine, distancing, masks etc.

Well we need to try don’t we and who knows they may improve in it as time goes by and we learn more even if it only stops it becoming a life threat to certain people we can’t spend another year in isolation we ll all be mad as a box of frogs Anything is better than nothing surely

It was reported yesterday (sorry, can't give a source, just heard it on the radio, probably Radio 2) that there has been a reduction in the number of Covid hospital admissions among the elderly. This is being ascribed to the effects of the vaccine rollout in that age group.

It sounds a bit premature for the vaccine to have had much effect yet.

Hopefully, it will reduce vaccinations, so that the NHS can treat more non-Covid patients.

I hope the people refusing to be vaccinated aren't the same ones who moan that lockdowns cause more damage than the infection itself because other ops have had to be cancelled.

An umbrella may not protect you from the effect of a severe rainstorm. Rain drives in at 45 degrees, or horizontally sometimes. You have to plough through puddles, you get splashed by passing cars, and you've to reach outside the protection to put a key in the door or open a gate.

I'd still rather have an umbrella than none.

I have heard many times that no one who has had the vaccine has been hospitalised. That must be a great improvement on the current situation and goes a long way to getting back to some sort of normality.

Out of curiosity, how many people have already had two doses of the vaccine? It sounds too early to jump to any conclusions.

There was a woman on radio 4 this morning against lockdowns for economic reasons, still extolling the virtues of letting the virus run freely, alongside the vaccine, to cause herd immunity. I would have thought with hospitals over extended with Covid and a now more contagious virus, that argument had fizzled.

I am hoping that the vaccine will have some effect, but my concern is that, as usual, the government has unrealistically raised public expectations.

Ouch! Don't say that Greeneyedgirl! When the it was announced that the vaccine had been approved, I wrote on here that I hoped people wouldn't expect too much and was accused of being a pessimistic party-pooper.

Elegran

An umbrella may not protect you from the effect of a severe rainstorm. Rain drives in at 45 degrees, or horizontally sometimes. You have to plough through puddles, you get splashed by passing cars, and you've to reach outside the protection to put a key in the door or open a gate.

I'd still rather have an umbrella than none.

What a sensible analogy Elegran!

Genty look at your own words
The 1st dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will give you some protection from coronavirus. But you need to have the 2 doses of the vaccine to give you the best protection

And then you say Im not sure the vaccine will make any difference.

You sound as if you need to think things through again. Look at the umbrella analogy and let’s be grateful that help is available.

Elegant I suddenly thought of Les parapluies de Cherbourg.

Yes growstuff 100% agree with you, In general, it takes about two weeks after getting a vaccine for antibodies to develop in the body that protect against the diseases the vaccine is made to protect against. Not forgetting theres two doses!

One concern I do have is the long term effects of this 'rushed' vaccine! No one knows if this vaccine will cause any side effects in years to come.

Both companies of the vaccine have been granted protection from future product liability claims related to covid, meaning patients cant sue for damages! Ruud Dobber a member of Astras senior exect team said " This is a unique situation where we as a company cannot take the risk if in 4 years time the vaccine is showing side effects. In the contracts we have in place we are asking idemnification."

And we are being told the vaccine is safe!!!!!