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Pfizer Covid vaccine approved for use next week in UK

bbc.com

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Re: Pfizer Covid vaccine approved for use next week in UK

#31

Post by simonbarker87 »

waihtis wrote: post #20

Not sure why the posts asking for vaccine risks are getting downvoted. Pandemrix, the vaccine for swine flu, caused a notable amount of narcolepsy cases in recipients here in FIN (notable here meaning the amount of yearly cases spiked by 3-4x) and as with anything that's taken quick to market there has to be some risk of overlooking some tail events somewhere. It's not an anti-vaccine attitude, just healthy skepticis…

I thought I saw a comment explaining the narcolepsy thing and showing how it had been debunked?

I think a comment on HN from about a week or so maybe?

Re: Pfizer Covid vaccine approved for use next week in UK

#32

Post by hannob »

_Microft wrote: post #5

How did they approve it that fast? Is the approval process so different and so much more efficient than the one in the EU or USA? Was it extremely rushed to make sure to get doses before they have to compete with other countries for limited supply? I'm pretty curious now. Let's hope for the best, i.e. a good vaccine, a good process and no trust problems, the latter because at least it feels rushed.

I mean once you have the data it shouldn't be exactly rocket science to check if the trial was done well. Given how clear the data is as far as one has heard until now the decision should be a no-brainer. You already had the trial protocol since several months, so that could've been checked in advance.

I'm actually rather wondering what's taking the EU so long.

Re: Pfizer Covid vaccine approved for use next week in UK

#33

Post by _Microft »

adrianN wrote: post #26
_Microft wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I read that the approval process might take until end of December and that first vaccinations for people at risk and system-relevant groups was expected for beginning of January. Source (german): "Bund und Länder stellen sich darauf ein, dass "bei bestmöglichem Verlauf" noch im Dezember mit ersten Impfstoff-Lieferungen gerechnet werden kann. Gesundheitsminister Jens Spahn sagte heute im Deutschlandfunk, dass Anfang J…

I see, your information is more up to date than mine.

Yeah, it's so much happening this year that we need to put the time of publication on references already ><

Re: Pfizer Covid vaccine approved for use next week in UK

#34

Post by ajkdhcb2 »

Arkhaine_kupo wrote: post #25
waihtis wrote: post #20

Not sure why the posts asking for vaccine risks are getting downvoted. Pandemrix, the vaccine for swine flu, caused a notable amount of narcolepsy cases in recipients here in FIN (notable here meaning the amount of yearly cases spiked by 3-4x) and as with anything that's taken quick to market there has to be some risk of overlooking some tail events somewhere. It's not an anti-vaccine attitude, just healthy skepticis…

Healthy skepticism belong in peer-reviews, in revisions of medical journals. Skepticism in the public space fosters anti-vaccine sentiments, adds to the already growing anti-vax movements and puts in risk the vulnerable in our society as they require shielding and for the rest of us to do our part.

I find your perspective extremely disturbing, and believe it empowers anti-vaxxers more than anything else.

Re: Pfizer Covid vaccine approved for use next week in UK

#35

Post by apsec112 »

_Microft wrote: post #5

How did they approve it that fast? Is the approval process so different and so much more efficient than the one in the EU or USA? Was it extremely rushed to make sure to get doses before they have to compete with other countries for limited supply? I'm pretty curious now. Let's hope for the best, i.e. a good vaccine, a good process and no trust problems, the latter because at least it feels rushed.

It looks like the FDA approval will probably follow in eight days (December 10th). I'd guess the UK just has the edge on administrative efficiency.

Re: Pfizer Covid vaccine approved for use next week in UK

#36

Post by WanderPanda »

jakozaur wrote: post #19

In terms of rollout. UK is the ideal country to be the first: 1. Heavily impacted by Covid-19. 2. Centralised health care system makes it easier to compare results and efficiency. E.g. it's UK which figured out that dexamethasone is efficient against Covid https://www.who.int/news/item/16-06-2020-who-welcomes-prelim... 3. Developed country with great logistics.

Happy beta testing to all Brits then!

Re: Pfizer Covid vaccine approved for use next week in UK

#37

Post by pjc50 »

orobinson wrote: post #8

Amazing that people will be getting vaccinated against coronavirus before the year is out. Is there any evidence of whether these vaccines prevent transmission of the virus yet? Or so far do we just know that they protect the person who is vaccinated?

If you're not actually infected, i.e. you're protected, you don't spread the virus.

I'm not aware of a disease for which this isn't true, that vaccinated people can be carriers.

Re: Pfizer Covid vaccine approved for use next week in UK

#38

Post by mhh__ »

jakozaur wrote: post #19

In terms of rollout. UK is the ideal country to be the first: 1. Heavily impacted by Covid-19. 2. Centralised health care system makes it easier to compare results and efficiency. E.g. it's UK which figured out that dexamethasone is efficient against Covid https://www.who.int/news/item/16-06-2020-who-welcomes-prelim... 3. Developed country with great logistics.

We also have a fairly old, fat, and alcoholic population so if this doesn't work we're probably not getting out of this lightly (even relative to where we are now)

Re: Pfizer Covid vaccine approved for use next week in UK

#39

Post by simonbarker87 »

WanderPanda wrote: post #36
jakozaur wrote: post #19

In terms of rollout. UK is the ideal country to be the first: 1. Heavily impacted by Covid-19. 2. Centralised health care system makes it easier to compare results and efficiency. E.g. it's UK which figured out that dexamethasone is efficient against Covid https://www.who.int/news/item/16-06-2020-who-welcomes-prelim... 3. Developed country with great logistics.

Happy beta testing to all Brits then!

My 85 year old grandparents are excited, they get to hold their great grand children again. They’d be first in line if they could be.

Re: Pfizer Covid vaccine approved for use next week in UK

#40

Post by kolinko »

b112 wrote: post #24
vore wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With regards to mRNA, mRNA is a fragile molecule that is quickly broken down inside the body after injection, so there's unlikely to be much long term risk with mRNA itself.

An immediate "but if it breaks down fast, how can it do anything?" thought springs to mind. I know what you mean is "not dormant and doing something for months/years", but at the same time, if it can initiate a modification of immune response, it can do "other things". I believe we must take the utmost of care at this juncture, and make sure assurances are not construed as in a poor light.

For me the most convincing argument regarding safety is that mRNA vaccines essentially do the same thing that the virus does, just extremely limited in scope (producing just one protein instead of a bunch of them, and not reinfecting more cells).

So, even if producing the proteins turns out to be somewhat harmful long term, it cannot possibly be as harmful as the whole virus.

Assuming that covid infection is inevtable without a vaccine, we really have a choice between getting a little bit of mRNA injected into our cells, and a ton of mRNA injected.

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