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Coronavirus

Exciting news about a vaccine?

(114 Posts)
MawB Mon 20-Jul-20 16:04:52

In today’s Guardian
Oxford University’s experimental coronavirus vaccine is safe and generated a strong immune response in about 1,000 people who volunteered to help trial it, researchers have said, raising hopes it could help end the pandemic.

The results published in the Lancet medical journal are preliminary, however, with the effect of the vaccine measured by the amount of antibodies and T-cells it generates in the blood of the volunteers – not in any response to the virus itself.

Large-scale trials have begun in Brazil and South Africa, however, where infection rates are still high and it will be possible to assess whether vaccinated individuals are less likely to get Covid-19 than others
Could this be, in Churchill’s well known quote:
“Not the end, not even the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning” ? .

Juana Tue 21-Jul-20 10:54:56

I’m all for trying the vaccine when available, despite my age I’ve offered to be a guinea pig on the COVID-19 app. I can clearly remember being so ill with measles and whooping cough as a child, obviously there wasn’t a vaccine then otherwise mum would have had us done, and my youngest son had measles as he missed the vaccine due to illness, he was so bad with it I wouldn’t wish it on any child

Callistemon Tue 21-Jul-20 10:56:50

There are some groups of people who are advised not to have certain vaccines.
The shingles vaccine, for instance, is a live vaccine and people with poor immune systems are advised not to have it, unfortunately. The pneumonia vaccine is inert as are most others.

I hope this new vaccine will be an inert one and the most medically vulnerable will be able to have it.

WOODMOUSE49 Tue 21-Jul-20 10:58:57

Brilliant news.

Last night I listened to Prof Sarah Gilbert, from the University of Oxford. She said "There is still much work to be done before we can confirm if our vaccine will help manage the Covid-19 pandemic, but these early results hold promise."

The results so far are promising, but their main purpose is to ensure the vaccine is safe enough to give to people.

The study cannot show whether the vaccine can either prevent people from becoming ill or even lessen their symptoms of Covid-19.

More than 10,000 people will take part in the next stage of the trials in the UK

It is possible a coronavirus vaccine will be proven effective before the end of the year, however, it will not be widely available.

Health and care workers will be prioritised as will people who are deemed at high risk from Covid-19 due to their age or medical conditions.

However, widespread vaccination is likely to be, at the earliest, next year even if everything goes to plan.

She also said side effects so far are either fever or headache. 70% of people on the trial developed these but that's treatable with paracetamol.

Beauregard Tue 21-Jul-20 11:03:12

Looking forward to receiving my vaccination when it's fully tested and available. And to getting on with life in the future.

With sincere thanks and gratitude to all concerned for providing it to us.

Franbern Tue 21-Jul-20 11:06:16

Elderflower - to me what you say sounds rather silly. Do you really know every ingredient in every food you consume, and every medication you take? Do you even have the scientific knowledge to understand these ingredients?

If you became ill with this virus, would you ask for all ingredients of any treatments you were being offered?

Why are you so worried about the ingredients. Do you think they are trying to make us ill?

BlueSky Tue 21-Jul-20 11:06:43

Callistemon

There are some groups of people who are advised not to have certain vaccines.
The shingles vaccine, for instance, is a live vaccine and people with poor immune systems are advised not to have it, unfortunately. The pneumonia vaccine is inert as are most others.

I hope this new vaccine will be an inert one and the most medically vulnerable will be able to have it.

Yes Calli it's very unfortunate that sometimes those who would need it most can't have it because of the reasons you mentioned.

maddyone Tue 21-Jul-20 11:12:33

However, if most people can have the vaccine, then those who can’t will still be protected, because the virus will be unable to circulate in society. That’s why it’s important for all those of us that can have the vaccine, do have the vaccine.

vickya Tue 21-Jul-20 11:14:27

25Avalon they are going to need a lot of doses if the vaccine only protects for 2 months and then has to be done again.

maddyone Tue 21-Jul-20 11:22:41

But no one knows if the vaccine will only last two months. At the moment, it’s only had time to be tested for two months. As time passes, we’ll know if it continues to protect for longer.

dayvidg Tue 21-Jul-20 11:25:12

If, as we have been told, the virus was not genetically engineered, but mutated naturally, why should it not mutate again, rendering any vaccine useless?

Aepgirl Tue 21-Jul-20 11:34:59

The research and commitment of scientists is absolutely fantastic. I hope, when the vaccine is approved and available to us all, they will be honoured in some way.

maddyone Tue 21-Jul-20 11:41:00

dayvidg
That’s precisely why we have a yearly flu vaccine. Maybe we’ll need a yearly Covid19 vaccine. However, scientists have said regularly that this virus has barely mutated since the beginning. There are some slight variations, but apparently insignificant.
Let’s try to be glass half full shall we? Instead of glass half empty!

GreenGran78 Tue 21-Jul-20 11:42:41

I must admit to being rather nervous about it. When you think about how long these new vaccines are usually tested it makes me wonder just how safe it will be. Even some drugs that have been tested for ages turn out to cause serious problems to some users. Thalidomide was a good example. Just one or two pills caused huge harm to babies.
I will have to decide, when/if the time comes whether the greater risk comes from the vaccine or catching Covid, but I don’t suppose we will know for quite some time just how safe, or effective, it is.
I hope, for the world’s sake, it it does the job.

biba70 Tue 21-Jul-20 11:47:19

I have always been pro vaccinations. But I am afraid I do not trust this Goverment at all - and really am not sure if I shall be having it- for the first time ever.

Luckygirl Tue 21-Jul-20 11:49:00

It is very encouraging - all we can do now is wait and see.

maddyone Tue 21-Jul-20 11:52:11

biba
It’s not the government who are developing any of the vaccines against Covid19. Apparently eighty plus vaccines are in development in different countries all over the world, with 23 already being trialled. The Oxford vaccine is one of two front runners. Do you not trust these brilliant scientists who have pulled out all the stops to try to develop a vaccine?

Jillybird Tue 21-Jul-20 12:27:57

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

maddyone Tue 21-Jul-20 12:53:11

Me too Jilly.

Bluecat Tue 21-Jul-20 12:55:32

I am keeping my fingers crossed that this will be successful. It sounds promising. I hope enough younger people have the vaccine, if it becomes available, because they are apparently more effective in young ones and that helps to build herd immunity.

Daftbag1 Tue 21-Jul-20 13:12:20

Franbern, you are clearly unaware of some of the vaccine disasters to suggest, let alone believe that people who decide not to be vaccinated, are idiots.

I too have the annual flu jab, which changes each year, but I will be concerned about this new virus if it is offered. As far as I'm aware, these vaccines are being tested successfully on healthy individuals, and are considered to be safe.

What about if you have complex pre existing conditions? Is it a live vaccine? Does it have interactions with other medications? These are just a few of many questions that I would want answered before I made a decision as to have the vaccine or not.

It takes many years under normal circumstances for vaccines to be passed for human use, I would
be concerned that all the usual checks have not been carried out.

I'm sure I won't be alone in having concerns, and equally sure that people will group together and there will be campaigns to try to persuade people TO be vaccinated and others trying to persuade people NOT TO accept the vaccine. Like many I will listen to both analyse the information then make a decision.

An idiot? No I don't think so!

Callistemon Tue 21-Jul-20 13:15:56

The vaccine for swine flu (H1N1) caused a lot of problems in some people.

Swine flu vaccine 'link' to 'deadly' nerve condition
A study has indicated that people who received a version of the H1N1 influenza vaccine were at significantly increased risk of developing Guillain-Barré syndrome in the four weeks following vaccination.

NHS Website Thursday 12 July 2012

I know that I was ill for several days after having the H1N1 vaccination.

NannyC2 Tue 21-Jul-20 14:45:01

Like a few others, I shall not be rushing to have one until it has been properly tested, especially as there appears to be some controversy as to it's reactions if taking a flu vaccination?
Let's see what infolds?
As it stands a recent poll showed that as high as 25% would refuse a Covid vaccine!

narrowboatnan Tue 21-Jul-20 14:54:55

Here’s a science-type of explanation about the virus, written so that folk like me can understand it.

theconversation.com/oxford-immunologist-on-coronavirus-vaccine-our-early-results-look-highly-promising-141558

And another paper e planning what T-Cells and such like do

theconversation.com/coronavirus-b-cells-and-t-cells-explained-141888?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20July%2021%202020%20-%201683016235&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20July%2021%202020%20-%201683016235+CID_23815101fddf9e445434f3c818cc1169&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk&utm_term=Coronavirus%20B%20cells%20and%20T%20cells%20explained

narrowboatnan Tue 21-Jul-20 14:59:09

Oops, sorry, my links don’t seem to have worked! Will try again ...

theconversation.com/oxford-immunologist-on-coronavirus-vaccine-our-early-results-look-highly-promising-141558

www.gransnet.com/forums/coronavirus/1282050-Exciting-news-about-a-vaccine?msgid=28071125

narrowboatnan Tue 21-Jul-20 15:00:43

Damn and blast it! Copied the wrong link and led myself straight back here! Final attempt then -

theconversation.com/coronavirus-b-cells-and-t-cells-explained-141888?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20July%2021%202020%20-%201683016235&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20July%2021%202020%20-%201683016235+CID_23815101fddf9e445434f3c818cc1169&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk&utm_term=Coronavirus%20B%20cells%20and%20T%20cells%20explained