Covid Booster. Yes/No? *** The Covid Thread ***

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Psamathe
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Covid Booster. Yes/No? *** The Covid Thread ***

Post by Psamathe »

I'm not for one moment suggesting anti-vax or even vaccine hesitancy.

But most reports (supposedly from experts e.g. incl Ox/AZ vaccine developers) seem to be saying that whilst a booster is a good idea of those vulnerable groups (immuno-compromised, health concerns, etc.) for many it is not necessary. And whilst one vaccine I'd be using is hardly going to be making a massive difference I do feel uncomfortable using vaccine for minimal immunity increase when so much of the world is not getting vaccinated due to not having enough vaccine.

Even thinking selfishly, maybe there is a case to say that my biggest "threat" (C-19 wise) is from a new variant (e.g. R.1) maybe from some region struggling getting enough vaccines.

I've had the 1st two injections (no issues) and I'm sure that at some point a booster will make sense and I'll have it but, at the moment when experts suggest I should still have plenty of immunity I'm questioning if others in the world should have higher priority.

Am I completely mistaken?

Ian
Last edited by Psamathe on 9 Jan 2022, 12:15pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jdsk
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Re: Covid Booster. Yes/No?

Post by Jdsk »

No

Jonathan
Psamathe
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Re: Covid Booster. Yes/No?

Post by Psamathe »

Jdsk wrote: 22 Sep 2021, 2:10pm No

Jonathan
"No" as in I'm wrong questioning that others should have priority or "no" I'm not wrong in feeling "uncomfortable" about my having priority?

(I claim no expertise so am highly dependent of press reports and Government policy)

Ian
Jdsk
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Re: Covid Booster. Yes/No?

Post by Jdsk »

No, you're not mistaken. There is a very good case for "your" dose being sent to another country.

Jonathan
thirdcrank
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Re: Covid Booster. Yes/No?

Post by thirdcrank »

My take on this is that the feedback from the focus groups etc., is that against a negative background (litotes there) the one thing that has been viewed as a success for Boris Johnson has been the roll out of the vaccination programme and it has gone down particularly well with a demographic vital to his majority - older people. Result: give 'em more of the same.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Covid Booster. Yes/No?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

In my house I am the one who is immunocompromised, and I have long said that my wife should be higher up the list than me. After all I don't need to go out, I can just stay in and take solo rides (since we now know that being outside is one of the best reducers of transmission).

And that's just looking at they very local "how best to protect XAPBob", not looking at the larger picture at all.

Due to the compromised immune system I actually had a private anti body test done a couple of weeks after my second dose, and I had responded well...
It would be interesting (but I'm not paying for it at the moment) to have another to see what the longer term protection looks like in my particular case. But if a booster is offered I'll take it up based on the evidence to hand.

Would we (nationally) be better off shipping vaccines around the world?
Almost certainly.
Would we do that instead of just giving lower risk locals another jab?
Absolutely not, we have a government that belongs in the dark ages.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
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mjr
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Re: Covid Booster. Yes/No?

Post by mjr »

Jdsk wrote: 22 Sep 2021, 2:19pm No, you're not mistaken. There is a very good case for "your" dose being sent to another country
Is there any reason to think that the dark ages government will send unclaimed doses abroad, rather than destroy them as expired?
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
All the above is CC-By-SA and no other implied copyright license to Cycle magazine.
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Mick F
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Re: Covid Booster. Yes/No?

Post by Mick F »

I have my flu jab booked for this Saturday. I'm hoping they'll offer me my booster Covid jab at the same time.
If they do, I'll accept like a shot (if you pardon the pun).
Mick F. Cornwall
Jdsk
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Re: Covid Booster. Yes/No?

Post by Jdsk »

Mick F wrote: 22 Sep 2021, 3:26pm I have my flu jab booked for this Saturday. I'm hoping they'll offer me my booster Covid jab at the same time.
Current NHS advice... it's safe to have both at the same time:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavir ... r-vaccine/

Jonathan
pwa
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Re: Covid Booster. Yes/No?

Post by pwa »

I think giving vulnerable groups a booster is a good idea in itself, but of course I can also see that we ought also to be thinking about getting vaccine to countries where first doses have not yet gone out. For both altruistic and selfish reasons. But if we gave all our remaining UK vaccine doses to, say, Africa, how much difference would that make to the overall picture? The big challenge, and where the focus should be, is increasing the world's vaccine production capacity ASAP. That is where the real problem lies. As the virus mutates it is very likely everyone will need re-jigged boosters PDQ, and that means much more production capacity than exists at the moment.

In the meantime, I will probably take the booster when it comes my way but I can understand a double jabbed person choosing to refuse it on the grounds that it could be used more effectively elsewhere. For myself, I could imagine taking the personal risk of not having the booster, but if lots of us do that we will increase pressure on NHS staff over the coming months, and they are under pressure already. Having a booster is not just about your own wellbeing. That is what tips it for me.

For some context:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-58640374
Ben@Forest
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Re: Covid Booster. Yes/No?

Post by Ben@Forest »

mjr wrote: 22 Sep 2021, 3:06pm
Jdsk wrote: 22 Sep 2021, 2:19pm No, you're not mistaken. There is a very good case for "your" dose being sent to another country
Is there any reason to think that the dark ages government will send unclaimed doses abroad, rather than destroy them as expired?
There's every chance to think this is a logistical difficulty, presumably it's difficult to know who definitely will/won't turn up for a vaccine, we've also just started vaccinating teenagers. Plus the vaccines have to be kept at a certain temperature, cannot be frozen and I suppose do actually expire at some point - how long is it and do they still work after that expiry date? And will countries/people feel happy about using them?

I remember a controversy about stale biscuits (or at least beyond best before date biscuits) being sent as food aid. The biscuits were fine - but I think the controversy was both about the biscuits being sent by the donor country at all (not sure if it was UK) and the recipient country's authorities accepting them. I'm currently drinking best before 2020 tea bags (having been giving the remainder of an 1,000 size pack) after being at an agricultural show.... seem to be OK :wink:
Jdsk
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Re: Covid Booster. Yes/No?

Post by Jdsk »

Ben@Forest wrote: 23 Sep 2021, 5:58amThere's every chance to think this is a logistical difficulty, presumably it's difficult to know who definitely will/won't turn up for a vaccine, we've also just started vaccinating teenagers. Plus the vaccines have to be kept at a certain temperature, cannot be frozen and I suppose do actually expire at some point - how long is it and do they still work after that expiry date? And will countries/people feel happy about using them?
Lots of international swaps are now taking place, often related to expiry dates.

Expiry dates are inevitably conservative.

And some years ago there was a massive ethical debate and campaign about other drugs that had passed their official expiry dates being donated to poor countries. I don't expect anyone to do that with these vaccines.

Jonathan
Jdsk
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Re: Covid Booster. Yes/No?

Post by Jdsk »

Ben@Forest wrote: 23 Sep 2021, 5:58am... cannot be frozen...
NHS recommended storage temperatures:
https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/storage ... 9-vaccine/

Jonathan
Ben@Forest
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Re: Covid Booster. Yes/No?

Post by Ben@Forest »

Jdsk wrote: 23 Sep 2021, 7:49am
Ben@Forest wrote: 23 Sep 2021, 5:58am... cannot be frozen...
NHS recommended storage temperatures:
https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/storage ... 9-vaccine/

Jonathan
I should have said re-frozen. We can't use those that are defrosted, if people don't turn up, unless you offer them there and then to others (which Israel definitely did) then that's it.
PH
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Re: Covid Booster. Yes/No?

Post by PH »

I shall take mine when offered, I've seen nothing that convinces me not doings so will benefit someone else, these decisions are already made, I'd be flabbergasted if individuals declining their shot did anything other than increase wastage.
If anyone wants to do some good for those less fortunate, they'd do better bunging a few quid to a charity facilitating that, UNICEF seem to be the main operator, though I'm sure there's others.
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