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Original poster

So proud of the UK today

493 replies

1stDecember · 03/12/2020 07:23

So, the UK is the first in the world to approve and roll out a Covid vaccination programme. (If another country had done this, say Germany, everyone would be going on about why can't we be as good as the Germans? Grin)

The UK had bought and tested a major amount of the right vaccine - it didn't get here by chance!

The UK Army (which really is world-class) is going to enable the largest vaccine programme ever.

It looks like a Brexit Deal is about to be struck.

And - next year, the UK will be banning the live export of animals. (We couldn't do that in the EU.)

Just feeling really good about the UK today Smile

It doesn't often happen, so I thought I would appreciate the moment Grin

OP posts:
SlightDrizzle · 03/12/2020 22:03

@chomalungma

Oh wait a minute...! Maybe that's why the British Army is only ranked only 8th!... The top seven have subs

Well - that's obviously where our army is going wrong. If they had some submarines with nuclear warheads, then they'd be in the top 5 maybe Grin

I think they should have a few schooners as well. And sloops. Maybe a galleon or two?

An army with a sloop always looks very classy.

CoronaBollox · 03/12/2020 22:03

This thread is wild

giantangryrooster · 03/12/2020 22:05

The self-hate and self-deprication combined with megalomania is a very British thing isn't it?

TheSandman · 03/12/2020 22:07

Overland submarine attacks!

Oh crap! forget I said that. Some wonk in Whitehall would probably think it's a good idea and commission his cousin's consultancy firm to spend several million pounds doing a feasibility study.

TheSandman · 03/12/2020 22:08

@giantangryrooster

The self-hate and self-deprication combined with megalomania is a very British thing isn't it?
You don't know many Russians do you?
giantangryrooster · 03/12/2020 22:11

thesandman Not a single one. Have they beaten you in this particular sport? Grin

SlightDrizzle · 03/12/2020 22:13

@TheSandman

Overland submarine attacks!

Oh crap! forget I said that. Some wonk in Whitehall would probably think it's a good idea and commission his cousin's consultancy firm to spend several million pounds doing a feasibility study.

Like a killer hovercraft? Grin
Doobydoo · 03/12/2020 22:14

One person in a thousand has died so far in UK from Covid.

jasjas1973 · 03/12/2020 22:15

@Doobydoo

One person in a thousand has died so far in UK from Covid.
Nothing to be proud of is it OP?
pallisers · 03/12/2020 22:18

The UK had bought and tested a major amount of the right vaccine - it didn't get here by chance!

That's funny. you might want to take a look at how drug development and regulatory approval actually works in real life.

Defenbaker · 03/12/2020 22:34

I'm with you, OP. Our government hasn't handled everything perfectly (nor has any other country), but the pre ordering of several vaccines prior to testing/approval, plus speedy approval and roll out of the first one, are things that will make a big difference. The fact they are carefully planning which locations are best placed to handle the special storage requirements, and are using the Nightingale hospitals as vaccination centres, is also great.

Apparently the EU is having a meeting to discuss the vaccine at the END of December, then each of the 27 countries will need to go through its own regulation/approval processes, so the EU members will be weeks behind Brits in receiving the vaccine. Yeah, no rush EU, just drag your feet while thousands more people die... I'm so glad we're leaving the EU.

As for a Brexit deal - I'm past caring. A decent trade deal would be good, but if not we will get by. There would be some upheaval and price hikes, perhaps shortages too, but after a few weeks things will settle down. But I fully expect to be flamed for saying anything positive about our government's handling of the pandemic, or anything pro Brexit (because feeling that way is apparently proof of being stupid, uneducated and racist, according to many on MN).

TheRubyRedshoes · 03/12/2020 22:55

I'm with Mrs t swift. Op has far too much glowy positivity.

TheRubyRedshoes · 03/12/2020 22:57

Defen.... I'm sure the eu meeting is a discussion and has no impact whatever on each individual country does re getting the virus.
They maybe merged politically, socially and economically but I'm sure each country can still control its own health service.

TheSandman · 03/12/2020 23:08

@TheRubyRedshoes

Defen.... I'm sure the eu meeting is a discussion and has no impact whatever on each individual country does re getting the virus. They maybe merged politically, socially and economically but I'm sure each country can still control its own health service.
Just as the Westminster, Holyrood, Cardiff, and (some of the time) the Stormont governments were in control of the NHS before, during, and after Brexit...

Those evil Europeans - how dare they not be doing all the terrible things that people have convinced themselves they do?

Cygne · 03/12/2020 23:14

As for a Brexit deal - I'm past caring. A decent trade deal would be good, but if not we will get by. There would be some upheaval and price hikes, perhaps shortages too, but after a few weeks things will settle down

How exactly is this going to happen, @Defenbaker?

ZZTopGuitarSolo · 03/12/2020 23:22

I know nothing about all this, but I read this thread, then I happened to read this story.

www.politico.com/news/2020/12/03/fauci-uk-pfizer-vaccine-rush-442588

A few quotes from the piece...

Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, criticized the British government’s decision to greenlight a coronavirus vaccine as overly hasty on Thursday — contending that the country’s approval process relied too heavily on drugmaker data and lacked sufficient scrutiny.

But in an interview on “The Takeout” podcast with CBS News correspondent Major Garrett, Fauci argued that the U.K. “kind of ran around the corner of the marathon and joined it in the last mile.” He added: “They really rushed through that approval.”

Fauci lamented that Americans are already too skeptical of a potential vaccine, and said that if the U.S. “had jumped up over the hurdle here quickly and inappropriately to gain an extra week or a week-and-a-half” in the vaccine race, “I think that the credibility of our regulatory process would have been damaged.”

While the FDA takes time to review raw data from drugmakers and run its own analysis of trial results, the U.K. regulatory agency relies to a much greater extent on reports submitted by pharmaceutical companies without conducting its own independent checks.

“You know, I love the Brits. They’re great. They’re good scientists,” Fauci said. “But they just took the data from the Pfizer company. And instead of scrutinizing it really, really carefully, they said, ‘OK, let’s approve it. That’s it.’ And they went with it.”

ZZTopGuitarSolo · 03/12/2020 23:23

I hasten to add that I absolutely will be getting the vaccine.

Defenbaker · 03/12/2020 23:31

@Cygne Who knows? No one has a crystal ball, as far as I know. I just don't buy into the whole "leaving with no deal will be total disaster" way of thinking. I would prefer a decent trade deal and a smooth transition, but if that doesn't happen we'll survive. I think in 5 years' time we might be glad to be free of the EU, even if the next few months might be hard.

Cygne · 03/12/2020 23:35

But, @Defenbaker, you did claim to have a crystal ball about what will happen after Brexit. So what exactly was your assessment that everything will settle down after a few weeks based on?

Jason118 · 03/12/2020 23:36

What an odd post. How can you be proud of a country? Is that even a thing? And what comes after it?

TheSandman · 03/12/2020 23:36

I think in 5 years' time we might be glad to be free of the EU, even if the next few months might be hard.

'Might'?

SlightDrizzle · 03/12/2020 23:40

[quote Defenbaker]@Cygne Who knows? No one has a crystal ball, as far as I know. I just don't buy into the whole "leaving with no deal will be total disaster" way of thinking. I would prefer a decent trade deal and a smooth transition, but if that doesn't happen we'll survive. I think in 5 years' time we might be glad to be free of the EU, even if the next few months might be hard.[/quote]
Whatever you say, but stop trying to undermine the GFA, there’s a dear.

Onedropbeat · 03/12/2020 23:48

Amazing thread

Possibly one for the classics

I’m with OP

Big up to us

So funny how people are desperate to knock themselves back down

walksen · 03/12/2020 23:58

"So, the UK is the first in the world to approve and roll out a Covid vaccination programme"

Didn't China develop a vaccine themselves and roll it out to health and aid workers already?

Russia developed their own vaccine also as I recall.

We rubber stamped a vaccine developed in another country and made somewhere else. And are now bragging we are better than other countries.

Identifying drugs like dexamethasone as a treatment was more an achievement in my opinion.

tobee · 04/12/2020 00:46

Actually Fauci has now clarified what he said. It's a shame anyone's decided to be nationalistic about any of this. Rather than genuinely come together. But money gets in the way; which is why many of the people dissing the Astra Zeneca vaccine are American financial people.

Dr Fauci apologises for saying UK 'rushed' vaccine www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55177948