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Pfizer Covid vaccine approved for use next week in UK

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

#461
post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry, do you think the UK regulator approved Pfizer based on... a press release?

Yes, it's likely. Regulators are not as independent from the industry as you think. They've been getting closer and closer over the decades. It's call corruption and it's growing.

This FUD is dangerous

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

#463

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is of vital importance that the majority of people feel safe taking the vaccine, because you need herd immunity. If people have doubts that it has been correctly vetted they will be reluctant to get vaccinated which makes the whole investment in the vaccines pointless.

Safety tests were already completed and approved by regulators months ago. The Phase 3 trials are efficacy trials to show that the vaccine gives immunity. Certainly we learned more about the safety of the vaccines from Phase 3 data, but we already knew that adverse immediate reactions would be very rare. What's ridiculous about this situation is that the regulatory authorities are not willing to weigh against the ben…

The 1970s swing flu vaccine was ineffective but harmless for millions and left a few thousand with permanent neurological symptoms.

This disease has over a 98% survival rate, and even higher if you're under 40. Many of the "long COVID" studies I've read have been in high risk or elderly people, they were limited case studies and I think a case can be made that most "long COVID" could be nocebo or mass hysteria at this point (or the fact that it could just take the body months to heal from a bad infection).

We've never approved a drug, much less a vaccine, at this speed before. Unless you go back to the days of Jenner where he just stabbed people with Horsepox and there was no real regulation or long term data collection.

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

#464

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sure logistics will be sold to a friend of the tories whose company assets consist of a single computer

See my previous comment about this [1] If the private company does a good job does it matter that they are mates with a tory? Seems little short-sighted of you if I must say. [1] https://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/britains-innovati...

To be fair there has been some shocking failures directly related to cronyism, largely the huge failure of track and trace and dire situation around PPR procurement. All of these were closed bids (no one else could submit an offer) and all were won by relatives or those close to an elected official in government (mostly the health secretary). Legal action is just been granted for this to go to court and gain transparency into the £billions of hidden contracts.

https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/13239-court-to-look-into-uk-g...

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/record-view-cron...

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

#465
post #406

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Is there a high chance for it? I’d really like to know. Moderna was testing for SARS-COV-2 protection efficiency, while Pfitzer was testing for COVID protection efficiency, but they have similar targets as far as I know. I’d love to know an experts’ answer because the difference between the two is huge, I would hate myself to kill my parents by catching SARS-COV-2 after getting vaccinated.

The answer is that we don't know. But it is not unlikely. You can still get the flu even if you had a flu shot for example. Some of that may be due to the flu shot being the wrong strain but some of it is definitely due to infection post vaccination. The main reason that they recommend a flu shot is that you usually have a milder course of illness. Covid will probably be the same way. You could have mild symptoms or…

There has never been a flu shot with 95% efficiency. Actually Moderna announced in September that they are getting into the flu vaccine business. It will be great to see mRNA based flu vaccine coming hopefully soon.

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

#466
post #405

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That story can easily be told in reverse. NHS Logistics didn't run well. As is consistently true of government run organisations it was run so badly that most of the NHS didn't even try to use its services. At the time of the privatisation the NHS sourced around half a million products but only acquired 50,000 of them via NHS Logistics. The entire purpose of privatising it was to try and make it work better and thus…

You're going to have to provide sources for this lot. When we're talking about corruption we're talking about things like the no-bid contract to Platform-14 for PPE. Or the "Seaborne Freight" incident. Tiny firms and shell companies are "an organisation which had no economies of scale, nor any demonstrated expertise in logistics in a competitive environment". DHL at least has a track record of large scale delivery. >…

Just Google it, it's not hard. One of the first few results for [nhs using only public labs for pcr tests april] is this:

https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-four-issues-that-hav...

"Part of the reason the UK has had difficulty in meeting the 100,000 tests daily goal was because of its focus on centralised testing centres. In contrast to the robust and wide-reaching testing programmes in Germany and South Korea, the UK government initially decided to centralise all of its laboratory testing in a few large hubs"

And yes of course there's corruption and incompetence in government - in procurement as well as everything else. The fact that governments routinely fail to even write proper contracts to buy things should give pause for thought when considering how well they'd handle running the entire operation.

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

#467
post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Happy beta testing to all Brits then!

Someone has to be. Happy for it to be me.

Sincerely, thank you.

The more people that get vaccinated, I think the easier it'll be to start vaccinating more and start getting back to normal fingers crossed

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

#468

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That story can easily be told in reverse. NHS Logistics didn't run well. As is consistently true of government run organisations it was run so badly that most of the NHS didn't even try to use its services. At the time of the privatisation the NHS sourced around half a million products but only acquired 50,000 of them via NHS Logistics. The entire purpose of privatising it was to try and make it work better and thus…

What's your alternative to an NHS style system?

Mandatory health insurance. Look at the Swiss type system or really more or less any modern healthcare system. Pro-NHS Brits love to compare it exclusively to the USA, but most countries do far better than both.

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

#469

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think it is fear mongering. While the health institutes have access to the data, I don't. I don't think anyone on hacker news can make many intelligent statements about side effects, yet, though the press releases claim that they are similar to what is typical of other vaccines.

Why would you personally need access to the data unless you actually think the government would allow people to take a dangerous vaccine.

Pretty much all governments have a history of maliciousness and/or incompetence. Well I think it unlikely they would allow it. It is certainly in the realm of possible scenarios.

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

#470
post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn’t true. The health institutions of the respective countries have access to the raw study data which they use to determine whether or not to approve them. The amount of fear mongering in hackernews is just mind blowing.

I don't think it is fear mongering. While the health institutes have access to the data, I don't. I don't think anyone on hacker news can make many intelligent statements about side effects, yet, though the press releases claim that they are similar to what is typical of other vaccines.

> the press releases claim that they are similar to what is typical of other vaccines.

They are much, much, worse but typically subside in a day and at most two. The side effects are bad enough that there is worry people won't show up for the second dose.

Still going to have it, myself.

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