The Vaccine

That wasn't my impression Alegrias. I was very interested in the logistics and how every patient had to wait for 15 minutes at the surgery after the injection. If it is to be administered by volunteers in a sports hall or such like, who is going to monitor the patients and administer any treatment?

I'm another one with lots of drug allergies , including all the penicillins and cephalosprins . In fact my old GP told me to avoid anything that ends in "cin" !
I am therefore very cautious (and, truthfully rather scared) about having the vaccine.

I read the article this morning in the Sunday paper about the antibiotic neomycin being one of the ingredients of the Covid vaccine although apparently not in the Oxford one.

I wonder how will we know which vaccine we are getting , how will they all be distributed ? I guess the GP surgery would know if they are giving the Oxford vaccine or the Pfizer one etc?

I won't be rushing to have one

When I worked for the NHS I was surprised by how many of my co workers didn’t have a flu jab. However, all of the doctors did and encouraged us to do so. I was one of the few that did.

I seem to remember Ellianne that the poster with the GP daughter was questioned about spreading false information about the vaccine, not her knowledge of how busy her daughter's surgery was.

Being an ex NHS worker I am in touch with NHs consultants and nurses and some I ve spoken to are not eager to get the vaccine for themselves !
I am not anti vaccine as I ve said before but I m not rushing to get this one and what’s causes me to be hesitant is first the speed it’s been ‘found’ and second because of the BIG money involved I m hopeful by this time next winter we ll know a lot more about both the virus and the vaccine and then I can make a decision
I didn’t have the flu jab for five years after it was offered to me as I wanted my own immune system to work for me I have had it for the last five years as I ve got older I did have the pneumonia and shingle jab, they seemed to be main stream and well tested

I m not overly concerned with side effects but whether or not it’s worth having, will it give immunity for at least 12 months and can it impinge on my own immune system ? I am another who is not very trusting of the American vaccine and feel slightly more comfortable with the Oxford one (think chlorinated chickens)

I m also not in the least bothered about volunteers injecting me as it doesn’t take a big amount of training to learn how to inject, diabetics do it every day When my dad was in his last days he needed a daily injection into his tummy for a week which was administer by a family member after just being shown the once This vaccine is not being injected into a vein

Allergic reactions are one issue AGAA4, as are people with autoimmune diseases and blood disorders etc. GPs are going to have to go through every patient's records in minute detail not to miss anything. There was a poster on here telling us how snowed under her daughter's GP practice was with information on all the planning and implementation. Sadly some posters chose to attack her knowledge and due to that she is no longer around to give us an insight.
You raise an interesting question trisher.

Can anyone explain to me if you can get it more than once, if the vaccine is only available for some people and presumably has only a limited period of protection how exactly it will be safe for vulnerable people to mix with others once they are vaccinated? Presumable the virus will remain in the community in the unvaccinated, so it is entiely possible that it will still be active when the vaccine protection runs out particularly as there will be no long term studies available to show how long immunity lasts.

I am feeling a bit left out as I have an allergy to egg (vaccines are made through the medium of egg)
My doctor won't give me any of the vaccines, flu, pneumonia because of this.
I have to rely on others being vaccinated to bring infection rates down.

The regulatory authorities will be careful in giving their approval, especially in view of our now litigious society.
I doubt there will be a risk of side effects but I'd rather risk that than risk covid.

I agree with MOnica, there is always that little bit of doubt lingering in the back of my mind. I will have the vaccine though, even if just so that I can start getting my life back, have a few holidays. This may seem trivial, but at our age, putting things off for a few more years is not an option. I have a couple of friends who have become vocally anti-vacc, I am not sure what they will do, or is the honest truth they are just selfish and want everyone else to have the vaccine and thus reduce the risk for the whole population?

I've given myself injections trisher. The pharmacist gives me flu injections. Can't speak for the pharmacist but I've not had any first aid training.

The burly fireman will have been trained in administering vaccines and will probably be good at making me feel relaxed because he is already used to dealing with people in stressful situations. The health authorities are not reckless, they won't be expecting all and sundry to do this with no oversight.

Actually I had to give my cat daily injections for diabetes. I might offer my services to the NHS - nobody is going to be as difficult to handle as she was.

Diabetics inject themselves at least once a day, it is not a difficult procedure to master. Much less so than phlebotomy, which is nearly always down to HCAs in the community. I don't think you will be able to pick and choose, you will be offered which ever vaccine is to hand, and I for one will be extremely grateful to get released!

There is a series of Podcasts on BBC that provide very valuable information and facts which allows us all to make an informed choice. If you listen to the scientists who actually research and deliver the information , it is very reassuring to even the most pessimistic and cautious person.
Personally, I can’t wait to have my vaccination.

I lived abroad with a young baby. When she was ill a doctor would prescribe an injection, presumably antibiotics and the Mum or Dad was expected to administer

I found this strange but soon got used to it and became a dab hand at it

It's not as difficult as it seems. In fact it's very simple. It's not going into a vein which would be cause for concern. So all is well.

I can't wait, it feels like the only light at the end of a very long tunnel, oh and if I get a 'burly fireman' thrown in I will consider that a bonus!

Alegrias2 they were saying on TV the other day that they would use people with first aid training like fireman. I'm afraid I don't think first aid training is enough to administer vaccines.

Funny you should say that EllanVannin my DH says he'll be happy to have his if Boris goes first!

Does anyone feel more reassured by the fact that the Oxford vaccine is non profit making and will be given to as many people in the world as possible when it passes all the tests?

Where there is a need for viral vaccines there has to be cells from ( a once living animal ) in which to grow viral cells as these cells need a form of nutrition. It can't be artificially done.

I'd rather sit tight and wait until Spring of next year for the GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi Pasteur. Meanwhile I'll be squirting Olbas oil up the nostrils

Will ministers be first in the queue I wonder ? We'll see !

I hope we are given a choice when having the vaccine. I would prefer the Oxford one as it is 'homegrown' not sure if that is a viable enough reason but it is how i feel at the moment.

I will be scared when having it done but what else can we do?? If we want some sort of 'normal' life to return we have to take the risk.

None of them are live vaccines. If you haven't seen the schedule, the Health Service Journal published this last week. Apologies for the length, but it might be behind a paywall for some, and I thought you would be interested.

Exclusive: NHS planning to start covid vaccination of under 50s by end of January
By Jasmine Rapson20 November 2020
•Plan to vaccinate England’s population by end of April
•Would see vaccination of all priority cohorts completed by end of February
•Depends on supplies arriving on time and other assumptions
•Priority groups may include 5-6 million unpaid carers
•Pick your vaccination site online, from local and regional centres
The NHS’ current plan for the covid vaccine rollout — dependent on the arrival of supplies — would see the whole adult population able to begin receiving it before the end of January, according to leaked documents seen by HSJ.
Under the plan, everyone who wants to would have been vaccinated by early April.
NHS England’s draft covid-19 vaccine deployment programme, seen by HSJ, reveals when each cohort is likely to begin receiving it, based on its plans to create huge capacity across GP-run facilities, “large scale mass vaccination sites”, NHS trusts, and “roving models” for those who cannot travel.
It relies on a range of assumptions including that there will be 75 per cent takeup, outside of residential settings like care homes and prisons, where 100 per cent is expected.
The plan also relies on supplies, including more than 7 million doses being available in December. It is not clear what impact a delay to this would have on the rollout. With most doses due to be administered between early January and mid March — at a rate of 4-5 million every week — a small delay may not make a huge impact to the overall schedule.
The document is dated 13 November and was shared among some senior NHS regional leaders yesterday.
The document sets out, under this main planning scenario, when each population group would begin to receive the vaccine. Cohorts would run concurrently — one does not need to be completed before another starts.
It starts with care home residents, social care workers and healthcare workers at the beginning of December. It states that there is uncertainty about whether government will decide if unpaid carers are included in the care worker cohort — if so, it would add more than 5 million people to this priority group.
The plan would see vaccination of all priority cohorts completed by the end of February, with everyone who wants it in the English over-18s population vaccinated by April.
The dates pencilled in for beginning each group are:
•Care home residents and staff, healthcare workers - from beginning of December;
•Ages 80 plus - from mid-December;
•Everyone aged 70-80 - from late December;
•Everyone aged 65-70 - from early January;
•All high and moderate risk under 65s - from early January;
•Everyone aged 50-65 - from mid January; and
•Everyone aged 18-50 - from late January; but with the bulk of this group vaccinated during March.
The plan would see 88.5 million vaccination doses delivered across England, with two doses per person over the age of 18, by the end of April. The doses must be given 28 days apart, for both the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine (known in the planning documents by the codename Courageous) and the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine (known by the name Talent), according to the document.
The document stresses the plan is based on current supply intelligence, subject to data from trials and licensing by regulators, to some unknowns about logistics of delivery, and government decisions about priority groups.
Huge capacity
The document outlines the huge capacity to administer doses. The biggest total — 33.9 million — are due to be done at “community mass vaccination sites”, of which GPs have been asked to establish about one in each primary care network (around 1,000 nationally). However, only 6 million fewer — 27.7 million — are pencilled in for “large scale mass vaccination centres”, of which there are expected to be around 40-50 across England in conference centres, stadiums and similar venues.
On top of this, nearly 2 million would be delivered by NHS trusts to their staff (between December and mid January), and roving teams would deliver 3.5 million to care homes, people who are housebound, and detainees.
Vaccination large scale and community centres (including those operated by primary care) will be operational seven days a week, 12 hours per day.
The plan also states that: “Eligible individuals will be able to book a vaccine at any available vaccination site of their choice irrespective of distance from their home address.”
Modelling suggests there is expected to be 15-20 per cent of vaccine wasted, but the service is being asked to keep waste to an “absolute minimum”, according to the plan.
The document includes little detail on the logistical challenges of getting the vaccines — which rely on strict cold-chains — to the right sites at the right time.

Yes thats another thing, with Essential Thrombocythemia I can't have a live vaccine as the shingles one is. So I suppose that means the need to check.

Recently I noticed a poster in our surgery explaining that different vaccines against flu are given to folk of different ages. trisher with the shingles vaccine, it is still given even if you’ve had it already (I’d had it twice, aged 19 and 62) because it lessens the severity of any future attacks.
I’m 70 and would like to have the vaccine to protect me and those with whom I mix, besides supporting the NHS by reducing the likelihood of needing treatment.

I'm with those expressing a preference for the Oxford vaccine which I understand is not a live vaccine.
I am a long way down the list.

I keep telling myself not to get into this kind of discussion but then I see some things that are posted and feel I have to say something.

Even if you have had COVID, natural immunity has not been proved to be long lasting, so you still need the vaccine. That's why the PM is in isolation just now. Resistance to the virus conferred by the vaccine is not the same as natural immunity.

Anyone giving you the vaccine jab will have been trained. They're not just going to hand over the needles to some burly fireman and tell them to get on with it.