It's just been announced that we have passed 100,000 deaths.

I know I will get shouted at but can we put it in perspective? 100,000 is a horrendous figure and one that could, possibly, have been lower but it's pointless talking about what could have been now. The current population of the UK is 66.65 million so 100,000 is about 0.15%, a tiny proportion. I can't find a figure but I'm sure more people have had it and recovered.

Well that's all right then. Glad you feel so sanguine about the death rate.

Rosina

I am not sure that the true figures for any country will ever be accurately published. The majority who have died here are over seventy; does it not follow that many of that group would have died fairly soon in any event, but the end has been hastened? It also seems to be a given that many hospitals are putting Covid on death certificates as a post mortem is not required. No doubt many will leap to correct me, but if those are true facts, then how can we be sure of numbers? On reflection, statistics make little difference to those who have died or indeed to their grieving relatives.

Can I suggest that you read this thread, by a doctor, Rosina?

twitter.com/DrDomPimenta/status/1354041694430371841

If you can't cope with twitter I could put it into a simpler form for you,

It is clear that doctors are not just entering covid on death certificates willy nilly... Why would a post mortem be needed when it is perfectly clear what a patient has died from?

Anyway, read the thread, which covers post mortems, too...

LuckyFour

My DH and I both had our vaccinations last week. I think they are looking after us. My surgery has been excellent, can't fault any of it.
The 1 million deaths news is shocking but I believe people did whatever they wanted over Christmas and New Year. Some people think the rules apply to others but not to themselves. That's who I blame. Harsh but true.

It's Christmas and New Year combined with the new strain. The very worst thing that could have happened.

Some people were going to do what they wanted what ever the rules were.

I can't fault the vaccine roll out. All the 80+ we know have been done and DH had his on Monday. I will have to wait my turn which if fine.

I don’t know if people have seen this or not:
www.bbc.com/news/55669736
It’s worth reading because it questions whether Christmas and New Year socialising had the impact in terms of numbers spiking that people assumed before, and continue to use as the main reason for the spike.

The government are prioritising vaccination for oldies because those people are the daft bu—ers who vote for them.

Like Piers and Susanna or not- but they are saying how it is. Johnson sorrow about the 100000 deaths and rising, just did sound so so hollow
www.theneweuropean.co.uk/brexit-news/westminster-news/robert-jenrick-good-morning-britain-7075416?jwsource=cl

Jaxie

The government are prioritising vaccination for oldies because those people are the daft bu—ers who vote for them.

I would love to see things from your point of view but I can't get may head that far up my own bum.

Hope you have a lovey evening.

that arguement doesn't work this side of the border,the over 65's are apparently the people who are most suspicious of Independnce so voted against it ..yet our government has vaccinated over 96% of care home occupants and 51 5 of over 80's living at home .

I thought Nicola Sturgeon was under the cosh paddyanne for Scotland having the worst per capita vaccination roll-out percentage of the four nations? Makes a change for it not to be Wales.

Ah yes, it’s going swimmingly in Scotland. Care home residents comprise about 35k out of just under 250k over 80’s in Scotland. Less than half of available vaccine has been used and only one mass vaccination centre is working. The one in Aberdeen isn’t due to open until next week. What the heck has Holyrood been doing?? They have had months to prepare for this, it’s hardly a bolt from the blue. People here are getting upset and distressed that they’ve heard absolutely nothing and our older relatives are being left to take their chances. ?

This is one newspaper report.

Nicola Sturgeon's target to vaccinate all over-70s by the middle of next month is a "big ask" unless mass vaccination centres open and run at "full steam", GPs have warned.

Dr Andrew Buist, chairman of the British Medical Association's GP committee, said vaccine supply to doctors' surgeries had started to improve but it was still only coming through "in small amounts" of around 100 doses a time.

He expressed confidence that a target to vaccinate all the over-80s by Feb 5 would be met, but warned that the next major milestone of completing all over-70s by mid-February could be missed.

With only 10 days between the two deadlines, and 580,000 people to be vaccinated, he said GPs could not complete the group on their own and would need mass vaccination centres "up and running" at full capacity.

His warning came as government sources disclosed 984,000 doses have now been handed over to SNP ministers from the UK supplies, with only 437,000 having been administered and more than half a million unused.

Nicola's not under any cosh from where I'm sitting Callistemon* the figures were clearly explained( for one) by an STV reporter ...all the vaccines that have been allocted haven't been delivered some 70 000 are in transit from storage in England another 120.000 are still in storage in ENGLAND..alas we're at the mercy of the people who are supplying them...you know like most of the world.THERE HAVEN'T BEEN 984;000 DOSES DELIVERED NOT according to NHS Scotland who say that they haven't received the full 700,000 they were promisesd.But hey you believe the liars in WM they are doing SUCH great job ....not

Re Johnson saying that now is not the time for an enquiry on his response to the Covid crisis, the European has the answer

''"I don't think that moment is now when we are in the throes of fighting this wave of the new variant, when 37,000 people are struggling with Covid in our hospitals". As this column has noted before, that moment will be in 2026 when Johnson is safely on the other side of the Atlantic, giving speeches to US think-tanks for $200,000 a pop.''

youtu.be/YjUShpvMqt8

Folk like to have a moan, don't they? Have Scotland vaccinated less than other parts of the country? Yes. Do I hope that they start to move quicker? Yes.

Do we believe the numbers in the report from the Telegraph, who are always just a little bit anti-Nicola? No. Not in a million years.

Anybody like to make up some rumours about why London are only at 7.5% while Scotland are at 8.5%? No. Thought not.

watch to get the FACTS SD McKay is no supporter of the SNP but at least he can tell the truth!

Alegrias1 I can think of a few potential reasons why London could be behind to be fair, and I’m not saying this from a partisan English perspective:
Higher ethnic population, who are more likely to refuse vaccination.
Difficulty identifying mass vaccination venues, and reluctance of population to travel to by public transport to them - most of the population of London don’t have cars.
Chronic GP shortage in inner city areas
Hospitals overwhelmed.
But - it’s not a race, the important thing is to get as many of the top 4 at risk groups vaccinated as quickly as possible. The reason I responded to paddyannewas that she was reporting a negative statistic for Scotland as though it was positive, which was inaccurate. The whole country has had supply issues with the Astra Zeneca vaccine, not just Scotland.

All good points Casdon. I agree strongly it's not a race, every vaccinated person anywhere in the country is a good thing.

I do find it rather frustrating that when Scotland is slow, the press say it's all Nicola's fault. But when London's slow, it's demographics.

Exactly the same happens with Wales Alegrias, I think in all fairness the UK as a whole is doing very well with vaccination efficiency, and there’s nothing to be gained by point scoring about the process in each of the nations - let’s hope they all hit the target!

Casdon, they use your first reason up north too.
But a few days back they were praising Slough for its success in vaccination speed.

The availability and uptake is so varied I know Mollygo, I don’t think it will be understood why until they analyse the uptake after the event (if then). I think one of the issues is that there seem to be hotspots of vaccine deniers and conspiracy theorists who target vulnerable groups, the challenge is going to be in breaking those barriers down. It shouldn’t be a political battle in my opinion though.

I watched the video. All he said was that X number of doses are in Scotland and Y are in England. He doesn’t say why they are still in England. They’re not being held hostage until Scotland pays a ransom, they’re there because Scotland isn’t distributing the vaccines fast enough and it doesn’t have storage facilities to hold all its allocation.

Scotland vaccinated over 40k people on 17th January. Yesterday, 26th Jan, just over 24k people were vaccinated. Only 11k were vaccinated on Sunday. If that’s ramping up the programme, I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole. . My mother is still waiting. My friend’s husband in a dementia unit is still waiting. My Dh has heard nothing. In fact, I know just one person in Scotland who has had their first vaccine. Meanwhile, my mother’s even older cousin in Hampshire has had both doses as has her friend in London. It’s indefensible to defend Scotland’s performance when people’s lives are being put at risk.

Surely it also depends on how many of the target groups are in any particular area. Some areas have much larger numbers of over 70s or 80s or whatever, whereas some places such as London, are primarily’young’ cities or areas. It must be more difficult to vaccinate larger groups of people in any particular area, but possible to rattle though smaller numbers and move on to the next group in other areas. I agree with Casdon that London has its own somewhat unique difficulties in getting to all the older residents.

But Sue my mother lives in Hampshire and although 93 she hasn’t yet had any vaccine. It’s going to take time to reach everybody. I’m afraid everyone can’t be first.

Both my parents in Aberdeenshire have had their vaccinations. Their older friend who loves 7 miles away from them hasn't. My auntie in the Highlands hasn't.
I'm not quoting numbers here but the myth that the Scottish program is slowing down is just that, a myth. 462 thousand people have been jabbed already. I wish it was more, but it will be soon.