Pfizer Covid vaccine approved for use next week in UK • Hacker News Board

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

#181

Post by nucleardog » Wed, Dec 02, 2020, 9:40 AM UTC

lacker wrote: post #70

apsec112 wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What makes you so confident? If someone gave you the source code to a major software project, even with a large team of highly qualified engineers working as fast as they could, how long would it take to read over the entire thing and be absolutely sure that there were no serious mistakes?

If a team from the UK had already done it, I would just go ahead and accept their analysis. The US should give emergency approval now, based on the UK approval.

I’d prefer to see multiple agencies independently evaluating this.

Swiss cheese model. Each agency is going to have holes, and many previously unknown ones could be exposed given the unusual time and societal pressures they’re working under.

If the UK approves something and everyone goes “eh, good enough” that’s significantly riskier than if we wait the extra week or two and get consensus from the UK, EU, US, etc. The chances of large holes showing up in the processes of all of those agencies that align to miss something is much less.

We’re talking about things we’re going to be injecting into literally hundreds of millions of people very quickly. The risks of a fuckup here are pretty severe and it’s quite likely a severe mistake would cause more harm than delaying another week or two.

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

#182

Post by fab1an » Wed, Dec 02, 2020, 9:40 AM UTC

This should really be called the BioNTech or even "Mainz" vaccine (similar to the "Oxford" one), but Germany is terrible at this kind of marketing

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

#183

Post by pfranz » Wed, Dec 02, 2020, 9:42 AM UTC

YaarPodshipnik wrote: post #47

I had COVID-19 early in the year, and so did my Wife (not sure about my Daughter, harder to tell with kids). I would really like to know whether I should get the vaccine or not? All the info that's out there says that immunity to C19 is temporary, so a vaccine after having gone through it doesn't seem redundant. Does anyone know if there's been any research on effects of the vaccine on the people who got C19 and reco…

I remembered seeing an article a few days ago where Dr Fauci was saying people who have had coronavirus should still get vaccinated. I've also heard elsewhere the immune response from the vaccine is much higher than the body's natural response from getting it.

https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-h...

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

#184

Post by Kliment » Wed, Dec 02, 2020, 9:43 AM UTC

lbeltrame wrote: post #139

polytely wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what I remember from the news yesterday the EMA will be done with the evaluation (if they don't find anything that causes concern) by the end of the month, so they aren't that far off

You are correct. The meeting for the "decision" (rather, it is a recommendation on which the European Commission acts upon) is scheduled to be December 28th at the latest.

Yeah, and given the political pressure they're likely to do it earlier (I believe they meet every 2 weeks, and they received the application documents with the complete data set on monday). Dec 28 is their "no later than" internal deadline. The EC has already said they'd hold an emergency meeting to formally approve immediately after.

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

#185

Post by EliRivers » Wed, Dec 02, 2020, 9:45 AM UTC

string wrote: post #150

EliRivers wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The infrastructure, absolutely. A serious road, rail and air network, lots of companies with lots of experience and all the right gear and so on. Where we fuck up is in the competency of the people in charge of awarding contracts. Be it Grayling giving millions of pounds to a ferry company with no ferries owned or leased, or indeed any experience at all with ferries (and, wonderfully, with a T&Cs on their website cop…

I know it's guaranteed internet points to deride the current government, and the ferry thing is/was despicable, but I think it's highly unlikely they're going to put KFC in charge of logistical operations for the vaccine rollout.

Well thanks for chipping in [0]. Got anymore glib, smug responses to things that nobody said?

[0] I don't actually mean "thanks". That's childish and passive-aggressive of me, and I shouldn't do it. What I really mean is to suggest that I think you've added nothing to this and that you're addressing a point that nobody made, for reasons only you know. I would guess that it's some kind of hyperbole, and that what you kind of mean is "oh, for something as important as this, someone will do a proper job" which is at least a meaningful statement (if perhaps something of a triumph of hope over experience), but if I have to pick apart your snark to get the actual meaning, I'm doing your job for you. Can you not just write clearly, and state what you mean?

Both of the massive fuckups I listed were highly unlikely, but they still happened.

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

#186

Post by samdamsamma » Wed, Dec 02, 2020, 9:45 AM UTC

VBprogrammer wrote: post #131

apsec112 wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sure the UK is in the top twenty countries in the world for logistics infrastructure. It's easy to read news stories about your country messing things up, and quietly not read foreign-language media about poorer countries messing things up a lot more by comparison, and get a biased perspective.

It's a fairly stereotypical British trait to be self deprecating. If we were singlehandedly saving the world from a rogue asteroid the general sentiment would probably be "let's hope we don't mess this up".

Actually the UK government is an absolute wreck.

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

#187

Post by Kliment » Wed, Dec 02, 2020, 9:45 AM UTC

refurb wrote: post #86

ealexhudson wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It hasn't been approved esp faster than anywhere else - it's just the first out the gate. The regulators have had the data for a while now, you'll see steady approvals over the next couple weeks. The only danger sign I would foresee that would indicate a rush is if some regulator declines to approve emergency use - but given the data that seems highly unlikely.

The regulators have had the data for a while now They've had some of the data for a while. Pfizer didn't finish their analysis of the Phase 3 data until close to their EUA submission on Nov 20th.

To be clear, the complete dataset and approval application was not delivered to the EMA by Pfizer until Monday. You can't expect a regulatory approval in two days - it takes longer to even read the complete application.

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

#188

Post by peteretep » Wed, Dec 02, 2020, 9:46 AM UTC

waihtis wrote: post #115

rimliu wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, have you stopped beating your wife? See, I "just asked a question".

What a ridiculous statement. Do you think the entire spectrum of all questions possible to ask are equal in value?

No, the poster’s point is that they are not, and so “just asking a question” is a meaningless defence

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

#189

Post by 867-5309 » Wed, Dec 02, 2020, 9:48 AM UTC

mkl wrote: post #172

mystcb wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

UK Gov originally published this as the priority interim list [1] - * older adults’ resident in a care home and care home workers * all those 80 years of age and over and health and social care workers * all those 75 years of age and over * all those 70 years of age and over * all those 65 years of age and over * high-risk adults under 65 years of age * moderate-risk adults under 65 years of age * all those 60 years…

What a strange apostrophe (it's in the official list). Or am I misreading it?

Older Adults' is a shortened term for certain divisions e.g. Older Adults' Mental Health in UK medical circles. it's a bit of a catapostrophe, but I suspect it was copied, pasted, then added to without due attention

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

#190

Post by MagnumOpus » Wed, Dec 02, 2020, 9:49 AM UTC

kolinko wrote: post #42

im3w1l wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your answer is phrased in such a way that I can't help but ask: What about the other molecules in the vaccine? Are there any notable helpers or adjuvants or preservatives?

Not sure why you’re downvoted - it’s a legit question.

No, it's the typical gish gallop of "skeptics". Swamp others with questions you could easily answer yourself if your intent were honest inquiry rather than making something/someone look bad.