Coronavirus prep

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  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited August 2020
    kimny72 wrote: »
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    Terribly disturbing. Couldn't believe my eyes when saw potential for vaccine approval prior to trial completion. WTF.

    When billions of $$$ are at stake and Zero $$$ of legal liability risk what's the risk to push it out before any negative findings hit the nightly news?

    Who’s going to volunteer to have the vaccine, without trial completions? Are the drug companies going to make people sign waivers guaranteeing that they will not sue in the likely event of issues over obtaining the vaccine that has not completed trials? No thank you. I’ll continue social distancing etc.

    They will force "essential workers" to be the guinea pigs. Health care workers will be required by their employers to get the vaccine, making them choose between getting a rushed, unproven vaccine and losing their jobs.

    The good thing is that criticism of the early release is strong and they can't force companies to force their workers to get it. Ridiculous that we have to rely on that though.

    ****

    Once phase 3 trials have been completed and reviewed, I will happily be one of the first to get it, but not before that. Most of the researchers I follow say they are very confident in the safety of these vaccines currently in phase 3, but regardless you wait for the entire phase to run its course. They seem to think best case scenario that is mid spring when they might be ready to start roll out. And it will take a good amount of time to get everyone whose willing vaccinated, probably more than a year.

    This idea that as soon as the trial period is over everyone just magically gets jabbed is a fantasy. The trial data needs to be crunched and then you need not just vaccine, but equipment, manpower, and time to administer. I also believe the expectation is that any of the vaccines in phase 3 will require more than one shot. Creating this false idea that it's almost over is so damaging.

    Exactly. I'm certainly not anti-vaccine and some of these vaccines do look safe and potentially viable, at least in the short term. And they have already bypassed animal testing (something I'm not fond of anyway because there are many AI and Machine Learning tools now that make animal testing obsolete), gone ahead with human trials and spent vast resources on it.

    Up till now, overall, I've been fine with the way the Feds have handled pushing vaccine R&D. It's actually about the only good thing they've done, aside from financial support for businesses.

    But this is outrageous. You don't bypass phase 3 trials, the most important. That would be essentially making everyone guinea pigs, without their consent.

    Worse to me, by far, is the damage that it would do to the public trust in vaccines, which is already tenuous at best -- not for the same reasons, but this would not help. The completely wild thing, though, that might happen is the same folks saying Bill Gates and Fauci were behind some wild conspiracy would be first in line if a top down support for the vaccine was pushed via the CDC to have everyone (or at least first responders) vaccinated before November's election so that a "Mission Accomplished" slogan can be messaged out to the general public.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,091 Member
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    Terribly disturbing. Couldn't believe my eyes when saw potential for vaccine approval prior to trial completion. WTF.

    When billions of $$$ are at stake and Zero $$$ of legal liability risk what's the risk to push it out before any negative findings hit the nightly news?

    Who’s going to volunteer to have the vaccine, without trial completions? Are the drug companies going to make people sign waivers guaranteeing that they will not sue in the likely event of issues over obtaining the vaccine that has not completed trials? No thank you. I’ll continue social distancing etc.

    They won’t have to get your signature if there’s federal legislation granting them immunity from liability.
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    Terribly disturbing. Couldn't believe my eyes when saw potential for vaccine approval prior to trial completion. WTF.

    When billions of $$$ are at stake and Zero $$$ of legal liability risk what's the risk to push it out before any negative findings hit the nightly news?

    Who’s going to volunteer to have the vaccine, without trial completions? Are the drug companies going to make people sign waivers guaranteeing that they will not sue in the likely event of issues over obtaining the vaccine that has not completed trials? No thank you. I’ll continue social distancing etc.

    They won’t have to get your signature if there’s federal legislation granting them immunity from liability.

    Of course there is. We wouldn’t want to bankrupt big pharmaceutical.

    @AnnPT77 what incentive is given to the brave volunteers?
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    Our local radio station just announced that everyone should get their flu shot early, now or by the end of September or early October to prevent a twindemic. @spiriteagle99 That's bravery on their part. Hope it all works out for them and us.
  • jo_nz
    jo_nz Posts: 548 Member
    There was big push for people to get flu vaccine in Australia too (and pneumonia vaccine for eligible people) - and higher numbers of people than usual did so - partly because of added coronavirus risk and partly because last year was a very bad influenza year - this always results in greater vaccination rates the following year

    We are in early Spring now - past the peak of flu season - and influenza numbers have been WAY down on usual

    Partly because of increased vaccination rates - but mostly because of social isolation, social distancing, masks etc

    One small silver lining of the pandemic.

    The same kind of thing has been happening here (New Zealand) - this was on last night's evening news:
    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/09/covid-19-lockdowns-and-vaccinations-driving-flu-deaths-down.html?fbclid=IwAR01gjgJp5Ce3ABXgVNoUWl9b_Asgho8z8MRqFf7wCB0QilqD0LXmWxNtTo

    94% decrease in hospital admission due to influenza compared to last year!
    But that also came with advice that if you feel like you are getting the flu, get tested for covid! It's not likely to be influenza right now.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,278 Member
    and in Australia (and I presume NZ uses similar nasal swab testing) your result will show you Detected or Not Detected for Covid, Influenza, pertussis, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV - cause of croup)

    so testing for covid and testing for influenza is really the same test.

    and yes, same here - anyone with any symptoms, no matter how mild - get tested.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    edited September 2020
    Things are picking up COVID-19 in our western end of KY (USA) per rumors since there is a news blackout on specific facts. The university and area schools have many of us on edge. No details yet but rumors are two health care providers have tested positive so they will be closing their offices for two weeks and their staff are to isolate for two weeks. Pro and con Robert E Lee groups are physically engaging at its location on the court square and this has been going on for weeks.

    Not sure of the real meaning of the term "Stark Raving Mad" but I an starting to have some ideas about the term.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Things are picking up COVID-19 in our western end of KY (USA) per rumors since there is a news blackout on specific facts. The university and area schools have many of us on edge. No details yet but rumors are two health care providers have tested positive so they will be closing their offices for two weeks and their staff are to isolate for two weeks. Pro and con Robert E Lee groups are physically engaging at its location on the court square and this has been going on for weeks.

    Not sure of the real meaning of the term "Stark Raving Mad" but I an starting to have some ideas about the term.

    What do you mean by "news blackout"?
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    Our local radio station just announced that everyone should get their flu shot early, now or by the end of September or early October to prevent a twindemic. @spiriteagle99 That's bravery on their part. Hope it all works out for them and us.

    I don't usually get the flu shot but plan on doing it this year. The only concern I've got with them doing the flu shot early is that normally means they won't be as accurate on which strain is hitting us that year. But they do say it's better to get one even if it's the wrong strain and, I believe, that's likely even more important this year.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    @MikePfirrman Agreed. At this point, we're just kinda throwing everything up against the wall and hoping something sticks. You're familiar with my stomping grounds that shall remain a secret...but the seniors always remind us of the Great Depression. What a long siege that must've been with so little food in the house. Lysol and toilet paper were the least of their worries. They keep things in perspective. When they were sick there was little anyone could do for them. Some of my relatives buried in the cemetery were born in 1835 and died in 1860 or 1876. There's many long before that time but living out here with brutal winters and so little to eat, I'm the lucky one.

    Mother and I have been walking out there almost every evening. It's the one place we can get away from all of the pesky tourists. I've gotten to know everyone out there and where they are. o:)
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    Our local radio station just announced that everyone should get their flu shot early, now or by the end of September or early October to prevent a twindemic. @spiriteagle99 That's bravery on their part. Hope it all works out for them and us.

    I don't usually get the flu shot but plan on doing it this year. The only concern I've got with them doing the flu shot early is that normally means they won't be as accurate on which strain is hitting us that year. But they do say it's better to get one even if it's the wrong strain and, I believe, that's likely even more important this year.

    I am not an expert, but if I understand correctly they didn't choose the strain/vaccination contents early, they're just encouraging us to get it early this year. The timeline for evaluating the evidence and choosing the strains we should be vaccinated against happened in the same timeline has it has for previous years.

    That's good to know. I usually don't get the flu shot. Not that I don't believe in it, but I'm normally too lazy to do it. This year I plan on it. Found this today. Looks like a nice summary to me.

    For those that get freaked out by Formaldehyde, your body produces something very similar to it when you drink alcohol and has certain levels of it anyway. Quick tip, get some molybdenum and keep it around for nights you drink more than one drink. It's a simple mineral that metabolizes (breaks down) most of the dehydes (of which the thing that makes you feel like garbage when you have hangovers -- acetyldehyde) into harmless enzymes so your body can get rid of them. I'll take one the day of my shot. I also keep them around in the rare case I drink more than two drinks when I go out.

    https://www.fatherly.com/health-science/flu-shot-ingredients-flu-vaccine/

  • moonangel12
    moonangel12 Posts: 971 Member
    We haven’t done flu shots for several years - a combination of bad reactions for both my husband and mom in the same year, two children with allergies (one that had a horrendous reaction to a routine vax... irked that even though her doctor said she could never have a booster they have it in her records that “mom refused” when it was due :angry: )... just hard trying to weigh the options after those rocky couple of years. I know we need to this year, but it makes me nervous. I am not anti-vax by any means, just gun shy from experience.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    Our local radio station just announced that everyone should get their flu shot early, now or by the end of September or early October to prevent a twindemic. @spiriteagle99 That's bravery on their part. Hope it all works out for them and us.

    I don't usually get the flu shot but plan on doing it this year. The only concern I've got with them doing the flu shot early is that normally means they won't be as accurate on which strain is hitting us that year. But they do say it's better to get one even if it's the wrong strain and, I believe, that's likely even more important this year.

    I usually wait to get mine, too, but not because the shot is updated during the season (never heard of that - do pharma companies do that?) but because the protection lasts longer in younger people. I'm 55, so I wait until I need more protection (usually right before the holidays). Flu season is usually worse after the holidays than before the holidays in my area, so getting the shot early risks losing efficacy while the flu season is peaking.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    Our local radio station just announced that everyone should get their flu shot early, now or by the end of September or early October to prevent a twindemic. @spiriteagle99 That's bravery on their part. Hope it all works out for them and us.

    I don't usually get the flu shot but plan on doing it this year. The only concern I've got with them doing the flu shot early is that normally means they won't be as accurate on which strain is hitting us that year. But they do say it's better to get one even if it's the wrong strain and, I believe, that's likely even more important this year.

    I am not an expert, but if I understand correctly they didn't choose the strain/vaccination contents early, they're just encouraging us to get it early this year. The timeline for evaluating the evidence and choosing the strains we should be vaccinated against happened in the same timeline has it has for previous years.

    For the Northern hemisphere, IMU, there's a February conference where flu strains are selected for the next season's vaccines. (September conference for Southern hemisphere.) CDC says it takes around 6 months to produce the vaccines, but some companies start growing strains in January based on expectations. However, it's normally encouraged not to get the vaccine super early (like July) because benefits decline after 4-6 months especially for older folks.

    Sounds like they're trying to get more of us vaccinated in the optimal time range this year, vs. procrastinating until season starts.

    Sources:
    https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccine-selection.htm
    https://www.health.harvard.edu/vaccinations/whats-the-best-time-of-year-for-a-flu-shot

    Thank you - I just knew somebody would have the details on this!
  • wmweeza
    wmweeza Posts: 319 Member
    We JUST got vaccinated this last week.