Coronavirus update - NO MORE RESTRICTIONS

[Elwood Blues]

Re: Coronavirus update

Isn't this a metaphor for Brexit*? The UK can now act more quickly than a massive trading block but ended up paying more for the vaccines.

New Zealand is donating (not sure if correct word but gives accurate enough impression) vaccines to neighbouring islands. The UK can vaccine everyone it wants to but can't escape the risk that if insufficient vaccines go to those who have been slower/less able to resource them then the virus mutates beyond the coverage of the existing vaccine and comes back here.

*drink

Did we pay more for the vaccines than them??? I thought we had a special deal for The Oxford one as it was developed and manufactured here and the Government put money into it.

[Vindec]

Re: Coronavirus update

Deleted by writer

[Vindec]

Re: Coronavirus update

Have the EU got access to Maderna yet? Or are they like us and will get it in the Spring.?

I don't know but the Moderna vaccine has yet to be approved for use in the UK.

[Hilts]

Re: Coronavirus update

I don't know but the Moderna vaccine has yet to be approved for use in the UK.

Didnt know that. Had it in mind it had but we wouldnt get it by Spring.

Probably got that from its results and they mentioned Spring for us.

Thinking about it now can only remember Pfizer and Oxford given approval.

[Vindec]

Re: Coronavirus update

I think they could have done but I think they agreed to approving it as a bloc.

This seems to be the position in the extract below from an article written by a German:


"The sclerotic and sluggish EU machine has, unforgivably, botched the roll-out of the vaccines, and the consequences are likely to prove fatal to many thousands of our citizens........................................

My home country of Germany had, by Tuesday, vaccinated some 317,000 people — by far the most of the EU27.

Yet what a bitter irony it is that we who were crucial to the development and manufacturing of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab — BioNTech is a start-up based outside Frankfurt — must now watch lorry loads of supplies travelling to Britain while our own roll-out is beset by delay, uncertainty and fears about future supply.

Our health minister has warned that Germany will not be vaccinating at Britain’s rate until at least the summer, thanks to distribution problems and the EU’s ill-considered ‘cap’ on the number of doses that can be distributed to the various member states."

[goats]

Re: Coronavirus update

I don't know but the Moderna vaccine has yet to be approved for use in the UK.

My mate in Italy says this is the one that’s all the talk there.....

[Gofer Blue]

Re: Coronavirus update

I agree with your comments about supply chain issues like glass vials, could turn out to be the weakest link in the supply chain, not so much for the Pfizer product as product is finished in house and production planning would account for, but maybe for third party fill and finish of the Oxford jab.

I'm not so sure about community pharmacists being engaged en masse at this point in time. Boots are setting up a few hubs at large pharmacies to vaccinate 1000 a week, but your average community pharmacy couldn't do anything like that, and when you consider a 6 hour shell life once a dose has been extracted from a vial, and the fact that the SKU is 10 vials, community pharmacists could remove one heck of a lot of stock from an already friable supply chain, and potentially waste stock too.
Additionally, unlike the flu jab where appointments can be made for anyone, or even walk in service, the Covid jab will need to be given in priority order, and how is it all monitored? Pharmacy IT systems do not link to NHS patient data. Finally, according to the PIL patients have to be given a date for their 2nd jab at the time of the first, yet another administrative issue as the pharmacist will need to be sure he has stock available for these.

All in all I think pharmacy involvement would be best at a time when vaccination is open to the general population.

You make some good points there. I agree a few large pharmacy hubs would be a good idea in order to reduce potential waste and guarantee continuity of supply for the second dose. I suppose the downside is that by definition there would not be many such centres so maybe not too local for elderly folk. As I said earlier I really don't know how a pharmacist in your local independent or small chain pharmacy would have the time or the facilities to get involved in the vaccination scheme on top of their normal "day job"!

Re vials/stoppers/caps - Pfizer will also be dependent on third party manufacturers for the supply of these too, although they may have greater commercial "clout" I suppose. I do wonder if we might see shortages of other injectable products that require 10 ml or 20 vials?

[Vindec]

Re: Coronavirus update

Didnt know that. Had it in mind it had but we wouldnt get it by Spring.

Probably got that from its results and they mentioned Spring for us.

Thinking about it now can only remember Pfizer and Oxford given approval.

We have ordered the Moderna vaccine for delivery by the Spring subject of course to approval. Because of that the MHRA has given the approval process lower priority.

[goats]

Re: Coronavirus update

Schools shut until half term, what a surprise....wonder when all governments will back down and vaccinate teachers. No brainier

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Coronavirus update

The Guardian’s rolling coverage is reporting that there’s been a study which suggests that the Oxford vaccine will be effective against the British and South African mutations.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Coronavirus update

Moderna vaccine just approved in the Uk.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55586410

[Vindec]

Re: Coronavirus update

Moderna vaccine just approved in the Uk.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55586410

That makes 367m doses of the 3 vaccines vaccines on order. I wonder what will happen with the surplus?

[xsnaggle]

Re: Coronavirus update

That makes 367m doses of the 3 vaccines vaccines on order. I wonder what will happen with the surplus?

The total figure quoted on BBC yesterday was 140 million, whoich is enough for everyone in the UK>

[Hilts]

Re: Coronavirus update

That makes 367m doses of the 3 vaccines vaccines on order. I wonder what will happen with the surplus?

Maybe re vaccinate the initial ones?

Could be into 2022 for the whole population.

[Vindec]

Re: Coronavirus update

The total figure quoted on BBC yesterday was 140 million, whoich is enough for everyone in the UK>

The BBC article quoted in the TOBW post and my earlier post states:

"In total, the UK has now ordered 367 million doses of vaccines to protect against Covid-19."

However the 367m I suppose might include orders for vaccines that have yet to be approved.