The vaccines | vaxxed boosted unvaxxed? New poll
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I went register at my local GP on friday as I have never been the doctors in my life. Just had to fill a form out with some I.D
How young are you out of interest?
28.
Oh wow, properly young.
I thought you might be mid 40s or something which would be young in the context of the vaccines still.
Fair play to anyone getting the vaccine. If you've been called, it's your time.
Congrats to you, I'm really glad you felt able to do it.
Go to your nearest practice (they have geographical catchment areas) and say you aren't registered with a GP and want to join them. They'll tell you what to do. You'll almost certainly have to go for a new patient screening, probably done by the practice nurse - they take your blood pressure, weigh you, test your wee, ask you about your medical history, that kind of thing.
Everyone should be registered with a doctor, so it's a good time to do it. If you got a really bad chest infection and needed antibiotics (for instance), you'd need to see your GP for that. If you had some health problem you needed investigating, the GP has to refer you to the hospital.
2nd question. How do I check if I am already registered with a doctor? Would I just have to phone local ones? I might have been registered as a kid but don't think I have ever seen a doctor in my adult life
I have heard so far on the side effects of the Pfizer vaccine.
How about the side effects of the Moderna ones? How are they?
How about the side effects of the Moderna ones? How are they?
Early data on UK over 70s and vaccine efficacy results.
from the Press release/summary
"Since January, protection against symptomatic COVID, 4 weeks after the first dose, ranged between 57 and 61% for one dose of Pfizer and between 60 and 73% for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine."
That's coupled with a further stat suggesting that the vaccines are reducing hospitalisations by 80%
Preprint of the PHE research itself.
https://khub.net/documents/13593956...c-b255-8e88-c2dc-88979fc2cc1b?t=1614617945615
I've not read this yet, just linking it for now, I may make some comments later if I have my stats head on.
from the Press release/summary
"Since January, protection against symptomatic COVID, 4 weeks after the first dose, ranged between 57 and 61% for one dose of Pfizer and between 60 and 73% for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine."
That's coupled with a further stat suggesting that the vaccines are reducing hospitalisations by 80%
Preprint of the PHE research itself.
https://khub.net/documents/13593956...c-b255-8e88-c2dc-88979fc2cc1b?t=1614617945615
I've not read this yet, just linking it for now, I may make some comments later if I have my stats head on.
Great stuff.
Important to put those headline %’s in context too. Vaccines tend to be at their least effective in the elderly. So this bodes very well for the levels of protection we can expect as younger cohorts get the jab.
I still think ye missed a trick pushing out the second Pfizer dose as long as you did but I’ll stop boring everyone about this and won’t mention it again.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ccine-for-over-55s?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
Belgium and Germany considering reversing their decisions to withhold the AZ vaccine from older people.
Belgium and Germany considering reversing their decisions to withhold the AZ vaccine from older people.
I reckon everyone will make that decision soon enough. The Scottish data is fairly compelling and there must surely be a cut of their phase 3 trials in older people coming soon.
Most important element in relation to getting back to some form of normalcy for people. Some encouraging statistics in that summary.
Hope so. Europe seems to sitting on vast stockpiles of the stuff because of the way they've screwed up this rollout. From a selfish point of view I just want my folks in France to get their jab, although I can imagine Macron will be one of the last to change course given his previous comments.
Well done mate. No trivial matter to have the vaccine given your concerns.
Have an appointment for Thursday to get my first dose of the Moderna vaccine. I'm driving to my hometown since it's rural and they have extra doses they need to use so they don't expire, which means I'm getting it earlier than I would where I currently live or work. My university's health system had a waiting list for the vaccine of more people than live in my home county. In NC, teachers and educators are supposed to be getting their vaccines now but there appear to be quite a few who are turning it down so I was able to sign up (as an essential frontline worker). 
Half of my family are health care providers, and the others were able to get their shots because people didn't show up for appointments so extras had to be distributed before the site closed. They got a call to be there within 30 minutes.
Half of my family are health care providers, and the others were able to get their shots because people didn't show up for appointments so extras had to be distributed before the site closed. They got a call to be there within 30 minutes.
@One Night Only, you don't need to know that, if it's so long ago that you haven't visited a doctor for many years. In any case, unless you're still living in the same place you probably aren't even on the old GP's list now. I expect you were registered with someone as a child, as it's necessary for pregnant women/new mums to have a GP.
In the intervening years, GP records have been computerised - it used to be all manual and small brown folders would be sent between GPs when someone changed practice. It's likely that you don't have a record now or it's just been archived. You need to get an NHS number, which will happen if you register with a GP (you'll already have one if you've ever had to go to hospital in recent years). The NHS number is also printed on any prescriptions you receive. That's like a NI number and is personal to you for all your life.
Phone a nearby practice (choose one that has a few doctors, rather than one GP working alone) and just explain that you're not registered with a GP and haven't seen one since you were a child. I'm actually quite impressed that you've managed to go all these years without ever needing to see a GP! You do need one, though - and not just for the vaccine.
And this morning France have said they'll give it to anyone up to 75, so clearly they've been reading my posts!
Nice! Do your folks fit into that window? Mine are only just over 70, so will be another few weeks before they’re done. The waiting sucks.
Thanks, appreciate that.
Nearly 35 years without seeing a doctor, never had a prescription either obviously
I usually manage to power through any aches, pains and injuries.Some of the work lads basically live at the doctors and I never understand things they talk about like sick notes, fit notes, etc. It's as if they just say to their doctors "I want a 4 week sick note" and they just get given a piece of paper saying "you're sick for 4 weeks"
I envy you your amazing health! But of course, as you get older there are things you need to keep an eye on - blood pressure is probably the main one, as you generally have no idea that it's high until there's a problem. Anyway, give someone a call today, they'll probably be as surprised as I am that you've got to 35 without seeing a GP.Thanks, appreciate that.
Nearly 35 years without seeing a doctor, never had a prescription either obviously
Some of the work lads basically live at the doctors and I never understand things they talk about like sick notes, fit notes, etc. It's as if they just say to their doctors "I want a 4 week sick note" and they just get given a piece of paper saying "you're sick for 4 weeks"
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Good thread on how all you lucky lucky bastards who’ve already been vaccinated can change your behaviour.
You mean I can finally be rude to people, kick puppies in the face and eat baby dolphins?
Yes. Other good bit of news was that French pharmacies will be getting involved in the AZ rollout, so that should speed things up a lot. I think once they've been jabbed (and the obligatory 4 weeks has passed) I'm going to feel like a massive weight has lifted.
I said change your behaviour.
Oh....
Is there actually much appetite for the AZ vaccine in mainland Europe though, after all the sabre rattling?
Seems there are quite a few reports of terrible uptake across Europe and people not turning up to appts when they find out they're getting AZ and not Pfizer.
Likely a mixture of AZ's at times shoddy study design and PR, irresponsible reporting from some European newspapers and even more irresponsible comments from certain heads of state. And perhaps one or two other reasons it's best not to say .
Don't know how easily they're going to be able to reverse that to be honest. I hope they can.
Seems there are quite a few reports of terrible uptake across Europe and people not turning up to appts when they find out they're getting AZ and not Pfizer.
Likely a mixture of AZ's at times shoddy study design and PR, irresponsible reporting from some European newspapers and even more irresponsible comments from certain heads of state. And perhaps one or two other reasons it's best not to say .
Don't know how easily they're going to be able to reverse that to be honest. I hope they can.
Had mine on Saturday, dose 1 of the Pfizer, whilst obviously I still have to get the second, its amazing what a difference it has made in my head, that constant nagging low level worry has gone, Im still masked up and distancing, but in my head is a totally different space. Didnt even realise how worried I was by Covid etc until suddenly I wasnt any more.
feck yeah! Im off out to push children off swings and throw stones at the elderly.
It will be interesting to see what the uptake is in France after Macron's comments. They're already a very vaccine hesitant country as it is.
Isn’t that all just anecdotal? Same as British people allegedly turning their nose up at ‘foreign’ vaccines so they can get “the Oxford one”. Makes a good headline but only a handful of weirdos behind it. There are plenty of countries in Europe where we knew vaccine take-up was going to be terrible in advance. No matter what vaccine was offered.
The main reason that mainland Europe has loads of spare AZ doses is the decision to hold off on using it in the elderly, due to a lack of data. With more data available they should be able to start using up all that stock.
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I think the British thing is different. I've heard it both ends from the UK. Some who want the British one because...rule Britannia I guess. And some who want pfizer because of their impression it is a significantly superior vaccine.
Sadly, it seems to be more than anecdotal and health authorities across Europe are admitting they need to try to rehabilitate the image of the vaccine:
Germans shunning AZ centres
Italian teachers' union upset at being offered AZ
Heads of some other unions across Europe upset at AZ offer
Merkel accepts an image problem for AZ
German doses not being used (and also as said, priority groups not expanded properly)
Germans not turning up
As above
Prof Mertens acknowledges image problem again
Of course seemingly poor organisational structures in some of the countries has played a big part, as has the limits placed on the age too. But there is a clear hesitancy amongst many people (including on here!) to have the AZ vaccine and I think many of the politicians/ PH practitioners are starting to realise how much they need to change the discourse around the vaccine.
I guess it’s an inevitable consequence of scientific literature being shared with the general public with an unprecedented level of detail.
If I decided to prescribe, say, an ACE Inhibitor in years gone by there would be almost zero chance of a patient bringing up an alternative with a better RRR in its Phase III study. But now every man and his dog knows that Pfizer/Moderna hit 90% plus efficacy but AZ was “only” 70%.
Then we have the lack of data in the elderly. Again, a relatively nuanced flaw in their data but front and centre in everyone’s mind after getting plastered all over the newspapers.
I still think the vast majority of people will be sensible and take what they’re offered but this is a bit of a problem. And I’m not sure how to fix it. I’m quite old school and always thought the paternalistic model of medicine was easier and simpler for all concerned but I guess this is an inevitable consequence of moving further and further towards this patient centred model that’s supposedly the ideal. Patients becoming choosy to the point of being problematic.
I think the "image problem" is a bit overblown. It is and was definitely there and the whole back and fourth with their data as well as the big nationalism show-off didn`t help but I expect the scale of the problem to be quite irrelevant.
At least in Germany many of the "AZ doses unused" stories are due to logistical issues and not people refusing to take the AZ one (as well as like @Pogue Mahone said, it so far not being given to +65 years old). There were a couple of headlines of a region where apparently +50% doses went unused because of people not turning up ... and it turned out it was down to many not being informed not because they refused it. But it made good headlines and many narratives in Covid times are created even faster than usual.
A lot of health authorities and politicians have promoted the AZ vaccine now after they realized that an image problem was created and I think it won`t be a big discussion point couple of weeks from now.
In recent weeks I`ve become quite optimistic with regards to the challenge of vaccine scepticism and I think the percentage of people taking them will be far above 50-70% polls are showing in Europe. The reason is that with Covid being such a big presence in everyone`s life and the speed of vaccinations going forward so quickly, everyone will soon know multiple people who got vaccinated. And while trust in politicians or companies is low, everyone trusts his own abilities to observe one`s social surroundings. And they will realize themselves that 99% simply feel a bit sick for a day or so and then are completely fine.
The mystic and for conspiracy people compelling stories of "NURSE XY DIED AFTER TAKING COVID VACCINE" lose a lot of relevance and dramatism if 30 of your friends and relatives have had vaccines and are walking around completely fine.
I hope you're right.
Looks like a few major countries are in the process of removing the age limit now anyway so we'll see if it starts flying off the shelves.
Looks like a few major countries are in the process of removing the age limit now anyway so we'll see if it starts flying off the shelves.
There's some boroughs in London that have started to accept vaccine requests from anyone 18 or over. Come the end of the day if centres have vaccine left over from cancelled appointments or people that are flatout refusing to be vaccinated when called, its being allocated to those requests. If you are 18 or over, its worth calling your GP or visiting their website, filling out the form (if there is one) and you might get lucky with a appointment.
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Some anecdotal evidence in the UK that the vaccines are significantly improving some people’s Long Covid.
If that's the case then Kai Havertz needs to have the vaccine pronto!
Maybe I'm just giddy with all this good vaccine news, but is Covid actually a pretty dumb virus? I mean when you compare it to flu, it seems like vaccines are a lot more effective.