COVID- 19

With you having 6k posts and him having 5k posts I think you need to have a little look in your mirror ! Also please see the length of most of his postings.......War and Peace comes across as a quick read !

GM: Thanks for the update. I'd no idea, until now, how many posts I've posted and tbh, it's irrelevant. On checking, I see you're in the Top 20, so hardly a minor poster. RTS may try and replicate W & P, but doesn't post spiteful, puerile & rude comments that you tend to do. You maybe older than most posters but, imho, that gives you no right to vilify others.

GM John is entitled to his views of course. As I said I find it amusing

I didn't know I had posted as many posts Dietrying ..

I must post more and try and catch you up

Interesting going back to the point I made a few days ago about the time-lag between jabs with the Pfizer vaccine.

Leading medical people now saying it should be cut from 12 weeks to 6 weeks.

To go against Phizer's own data and research would be insanity.

The Government will change strategy as I suspected. Not their fault and cannot be called a u-turn when they do. They were going by the advice given to them.

I am increasingly concerned about who is giving the advice . BJ must be wondering what data , science and group of specialists he should trust to advise him next.

Imperative that the efficacy on any time-lag on the Astra-Zeneca vaccine is absolutely 100 % water-tight too or they could end up being at the wrong end of a law suit sooner or later. It's not what anyone would want to happen; BUT if they cannot guarantee a workable level of immunity after the first jab then they will be potentially under serious pressure in a few months time and that would be against everyone's interests including the governments.

Pfizer expanding their plant in Europe.

I would suggest again that AZ also look to rapdily expand production facilities even if that means Government investment NOW in one or two more regions. Can be done. Proper thing to do in a war .

I would argue that if they shorten the period between jabs then this MUST be also done for the AZ vaccine and therefore we need a doubling of production infrastructure as a minimum .

Lets hope they move fast and just do it.

We have had a great start that must not be allowed to hit the rocks in two or three months.

Do you watch the Govt daily briefing RTS? I really would advise you to do so.

Patrick Vallance said (thu I think) that they are CONSTANTLY studying all of these things. I'm sure you do recognise that - but sometimes your posts read like the govt have made a decision and are now ambivalent to all of the reports coming out. Which of course they aren't.

You are correct about conflicting sources of information that they have to weigh up.

Chris Whitty said the decision to space the vaccine doses 12 weeks apart came from PHE.

Re investing in the production - of course they have done this. Massive investment.

Stecks I didn't see the last one.

Of course they will be reviewing the facts about the vaccine's.

That is why I anticipate them to shorten the gap between the first and second jab.

No one is having a go at the Gov't about this. As I said it WON'T be a U-turn !.

As for the advice that they are being given; I am concerned about quite a lot of it thus far.

Regarding investment then we will need a lot more and rapidly IF they do shorten the gap between jabs. I personally think Gov't - backed funding into another one or two production plants would be logistically of benefit too. One would probably suffice closer to London. I am sure there are suitable sites available.

Lets see what is announced next week .

I don't think its as simple as throw more money at it and that will ramp up production - or everyone would be doing it. The UK are reaping the benefit of all the investment made back since last Spring.

Look, I was delighted 10 days ago when they got up to 200,000 a day - now they are well over 400,000. It's all going in the right direction and good pace. There will inevitably be a few bumps in the road.

Re the spacing of doses - it doesn't really matter ultimately. Everyone needs to have 2 doses.

What will slow things down if they need to modify the vaccine for a new variant(s).

Stickers I think you are falling in to the trap of focussing on the progress of the headline numbers not the number of people properly protected. I read somewhere that they are only doing 2 or 3 thousand second jabs a day but I’m sure that’s wrong. As RTS says, over delaying the second jab, against scientific and manufacturer advise will help headline numbers but ultimately backfire in terms of immunity.

Stickers I think you are falling in to the trap of focussing on the progress of the headline numbers not the number of people properly protected. I read somewhere that they are only doing 2 or 3 thousand second jabs a day but I’m sure that’s wrong. As RTS says, over delaying the second jab, against scientific and manufacturer advise will help headline numbers but ultimately backfire in terms of immunity.

Or not:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/ ... -covid-jab

I guess there is a debate to be had, but we are clearly on our own on this one. Every time we’ve been in the same situation choosing a different path to everyone else (eg mask wearing), it’s turned out we were wrong.
We don’t know if it’s wrong here but it’s a hell of a risk.