Under 50's won't receive the vaccination

[starfro]

Although this is entirely reasonable given that for this age group risks are similar to flu (in under 25s flu is actually more deadly, the slight reverse is true over 25), it does raise a number of points:

1. Herd immunity will not be achieved by vaccination alone, and will be achieved by a combination of vaccination and infection.

1. Anyone under 50 who has been negatively impacted by lockdowns (job loss etc) has done this entirely to protect the vulnerable/elderly.

1. Is it therefore reasonable as a compromise to isolate the over 50's and reopen the economy for under 50s? Most under 50's are going to get it anyway in the next few years, and this won't overload the NHS as the bulk of admissions come from the elderly.

1. There seems to be this ridiculous idea that we will re-emerge from restrictions next year all "safe" and vaccinated. This isn't the case. Any healthy under 50 that is worried is going to have to learn to live with the tiny risk the virus presents, in the same way they have to deal with other small risks (younger people aren't screened for certain cancers due to much lower risks for example).

A fairly large portion of the over 50's are still in the working population though. The economy would collapse if you isolate all the over 50's. My parents, In laws and other family members all work full time still and are over 50. They work in a variety of jobs. You can't just isolate them all

@peboh

My mum is 54 and works 2 jobs, lives alone and has bills to pay. She's physically fitter than most of the people my own age, and is extremely healthy too. I couldn't imagine anybody telling her she had to stay indoors. Bloody ridiculous notion.

She was told that in March? Was it ridiculous then?

I have spoken to two of my friends today about this, one 73 and working nearly full time as a van driver, the other 80 and running his own business - other people's jobs depend on him being present as the front man. They both gave a two word response to this ridiculous idea.
I run a care service and nearly half of our workforce would be out of circulation if this was enacted. What are they going to do -prosecute us for working? As older people are more likely to vote tory it won't happen.

@starfro lockdown was completely different to isolation. She had work, she went out shopping. What you're proposing is that they stay indoors until it's safe for them to come outside again.
I won't even get onto my opinion of lockdown and what I think of all of that anyway.

And @Trifle66 how are teachers going to be paid if we keep locking down for years?

Do you think that people over the age of 50 aren't economically active? Tax payers? Business owners? CEOs? Professionals? Carers? Supermarket workers? How will the economy cope if they are forced to stop working? Forced to close their businesses?

Don't get me wrong, I get that the majority of economically active people fall in the 16 - 49 bracket, but there's still a hell of a lot of us falling in the 50-70 bracket who are working. My mum ran a business till she was 81 - and paid tax up to that point as well. You can't just demand that we give up what is left of our lives from a moral standpoint but economically, we are a huge part of what the country needs to keep running. Simply put, you can't afford us to just stop.

How about any one that’s wants to isolate can and the rest of the population can just get on with their lives?

@starfro

For all those in the 50-65 age bracket still working, I'd suggest that these people were a priority for any vaccination, especially if essential workers.

What's with the "still working". 50 is hardly an age to consider winding down or taking it easy or what other notion you have about people that age!

[quote Oaktree55]@RedToothBrush I stand by what I say. I think you are staying with authority points you aren’t qualified to make.[/quote]
Whatever.

Where politics and medicine collide you get a problem. It ALWAYS happens.

And im sorry if thats too difficult for you to understand my argument.

They don’t even know what kind of vaccine will be available or how much. Nobody can say yet who will or won’t get the vaccine soon point in getting your knickers in a twist about who will or won’t get it at first.

One thing is certain though, if they can vaccinate to reach herd immunity they will.

why we shouldn't allow American vaccines

Why shouldn’t we?

Total rubbish, certain more vulnerable groups will be prioritised including health care workers, it will eventually reach everyone that wants it but clearly there has to be some priority.

[quote peboh]@starfro lockdown was completely different to isolation. She had work, she went out shopping. What you're proposing is that they stay indoors until it's safe for them to come outside again.
I won't even get onto my opinion of lockdown and what I think of all of that anyway. [/quote]
I'm not suggesting complete isolation, just early Summer lockdown rules to have low transmission.

As with all these things, there is never zero risk.

First off, at 58 I had Covid and it is nasty, but here to tell the tale and luckily no lasting issues, although it does not just disappear after two weeks for all of us, with my last issues disappearing at 20 weeks! Lockdown for an age group supposes that they are the only vulnerable groups and they are not, with many other factors making individuals more prone to the virus. Something to consider -
1 in 3 of the working population are over 50, across all occupational areas;
Over 50 and you don't retire till 67, so you have to keep working for very many reasons;
No replacements for the skill sets of many older workers;
Long Covid has no respect for age or the seriousness of the initial infection and many young people are presenting with significant health issues from relatively mild infections and are now unable to work;
Lockdown only work if everyone does it and all at the same time and I'd suggest worldwide too.

We just need to be sensible, use common sense and let this pandemic do what pandemics do and hope a vaccine provides the respite we need to get back to a sense of normality.

@WutheringTights

You appear to be selectively ignoring this from the article, clearly stating the government intends to vaccinate everyone.

Matt Hancock described the warning – by the head of the government’s vaccine task force – as “an interim guide” only, insisting he still wanted a “full roll-out”.

I’m 50 with two young teenagers and a professional who runs their own practice, you can sod off with thinking I’m going to sit in while the super spreaders enjoy their freedom.

The protocol for pandemic vaccination is healthcare first because then they are able to fully staff healthcare facilities and be deployed into frontline. Then everyone else in line, 50-65 will have priory since they are likely to be the age group caring for the over 65 group. Then over 65.
There was a fantastic plan of action devised for the Swine Flu pandemic ( which never happened). I think someone filed it in the wrong place, because the lack of planning evident with this pandemic suggested no one knew that there was a plan!

@WiseUpJanetWeiss

why we shouldn't allow American vaccines

Why shouldn’t we?

Excellent question, considering that most of the prescription medications in use in the UK were not developed or manufactured there.

@RedToothBrush maybe you need to re read how you worded your argument. You totally ignore potential long term issues for the young and healthy which are arising from natural infection hopefully preventable through vaccination.

@Enoughnowstop I suggest you listen to your user name. Yeah I think no one over 50 works 🤣

The point is that there is no easy solution. Better test and trace would help, but most of Europe is having this issue.

I doubt everyone over 50 would be deemed vulnerable anyway, the 50 age is actually the cut off for them even bothering with vaccination according to the FT earlier in the week.

So calm down and any guidance would have to be voluntary, no one would be ‘locked up’

[quote Oaktree55]@RedToothBrush maybe you need to re read how you worded your argument. You totally ignore potential long term issues for the young and healthy which are arising from natural infection hopefully preventable through vaccination.[/quote]
Or maybe i dont.

Maybe you need to do some more reading.

Not read all the comments but are you aware that 0ver 50% of the NHS are over 50?

Not read all the comments but are you aware that 0ver 50% of the NHS are over 50?

And again, the age 50 is in relation to not receiving the vaccine not at the point where anyone is suggesting ‘locking people up’

I'm nearly 50, a single parent of school age children and have 11 years left on my mortgage. I can't work from home. My 80 year old mother relies on children both aged 50+ for help with shopping etc.

Out of my department of 15 at work, 10 are over 50. The majority can't work from home.

Isolate the over 50s?

Fuck off.

@Teateaandmoretea the OP did suggest isolation of the over 50s. I am aware this isn't official policy