Vaccine Rollout being prepared to start in December

[RedToothBrush]

First the cavets.

Its 50:50 whether it will indeed be ready.

Priority given to over 85s and front line workers first.

www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/breaking-news/covid-vaccine-des-set-to-be-announced-imminently-for-december-start/
Exclusive: Covid vaccine DES set to be announced imminently for December start

Exclusive A new DES is set to be announced imminently for practices and PCNs to start administering a Covid vaccine from the beginning of December, Pulse understands.

Practices and PCNs will be asked to prepare to give the vaccine to over 85s and front line workers from the start of December, numerous sources have confirmed to Pulse.

There are currently two vaccines that are being prepared, with one requiring two shots and needing to be kept at minus 70 degrees.

Alongside GPs and PCNs, there will be teams delivering it to care homes, and at-scale delivery centres.

And

It remains unclear exactly which vaccines will be administered, but Pfizer’s vaccine in development has to be kept at minus 70 degrees, while the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine was shown to be more effective when administered in two doses.

Again, I'm (almost 100%) sure only some of the vaccines need to be stored at ultra low temperatures. Fear not.

I pray this is correct, please! And yes the 80+ to be vaccinated first as they are statistically at the most danger, I was shocked to see how much Covid cases are still occurring in care homes.

@Sunshinegirl82

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/covid-19-the-search-for-a-vaccine/id1527299221

Vaccine podcast link.
Covid 19 - The Search for a Vaccine

Did anyone link the podcast mentioned up thread?

Following this. I need a light at the end of the tunnel.

Did anyone link the podcast mentioned up thread?

@MorrisZapp

go.mumsnet.com/?xs=1&id=470X1554755&url=podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/covid-19-the-search-for-a-vaccine/id1527299221

"Pfizer expects its vaccine to be stored in temperatures as low as minus 80 Celsius, while Moderna's will need to be kept at minus 20 Celsius. " (New York Times).

Oxford /Astrazeneca is fridge temp storage I think.

@notevenat20

Does it say which vaccine? It's great that everyone is preparing for the possibility that there will be a vaccine. That makes sense. But now what we need is some actual results from a vaccine trial.

Doesn't say, but as the UK doesn't have an agreement with Moderna afaik and that only leaves AstraZeneca/Oxford and Pfizer/BioNTech as likely to have efficacy data this month + the temperature storage requirements, process of elimination suggests that it will be one (or both) of those two.

@notevenat20

Does it say which vaccine? It's great that everyone is preparing for the possibility that there will be a vaccine. That makes sense. But now what we need is some actual results from a vaccine trial.

Doesn't say, but as the UK doesn't have an agreement with Moderna afaik and that only leaves AstraZeneca/Oxford and Pfizer/BioNTech as likely to have efficacy data this month + the temperature storage requirements, process of elimination suggests that it will be one (or both) of those two.

Can I just ask, without being jumped on?!😅 is there anyone here worried about the testing that was done on these vaccines and how it was made up in such a quick amount of time? Does it worry you that we could essentially be the guinea pigs? Ps, I’m not anti vax, I am fully vaccinated as are my children!

Pulses article has several errors.
Firstly there is not 1 drug ready just yet. There are 3 in the final stages. Vaccines may be used in different age groups/ ppl with existing illneses.

Nhs staff should be vaccinated by their hospital's occupational health. GP'S would do patients from their practice list.

Front line staff and the most vulnerable will go first. Then a roll out scheme will be decided. Ppl should be graded not just on age, but also medical history.

@Princessbanana

Can I just ask, without being jumped on?!😅 is there anyone here worried about the testing that was done on these vaccines and how it was made up in such a quick amount of time? Does it worry you that we could essentially be the guinea pigs? Ps, I’m not anti vax, I am fully vaccinated as are my children!

Obviously I think about it. I think it's down to weighing up all the risks etc. But then I'm over 50, have some (common) health issues. And am still shielding highly vulnerable Dh.

Similar feeling to how there's a risk in taking most medications, medical procedures, most things in life really.

Also these vaccines have been under huge amounts of very public scrutiny. And the Oxford Vaccine already existed, in another well tried form, I believe.

@Princessbanana

Can I just ask, without being jumped on?!😅 is there anyone here worried about the testing that was done on these vaccines and how it was made up in such a quick amount of time? Does it worry you that we could essentially be the guinea pigs? Ps, I’m not anti vax, I am fully vaccinated as are my children!

Yes and no! If I was a vulnerable 80 year old, I'd be sticking my arm out as soon as it was offered. As a healthy 30 year old, I don't expect to even be offered a vaccine (the head of the roll out scheme said as much). But I hope my gran can have it and get some of her life back - she's in her 80s with dementia so being realistic, I'm not overly worried about long term side effects. I'm not sure when, for me, would be the tipping point between vaccine risk and Covid risk.

I wonder if it shows it reduces hospitalisation by even 20% they will still use it ?

The storage and shelf life issues for the COVID vaccines due to come on steam are of concern globally more than within the UK. WHO have already highlighted that many advanced countries are going to be challenged by the logistics but they will cope. Other poorer countries with highly dispersed and limited health infrastructure may not be able to use these 2 vaccines to much effect.

As it is the traditional approach to distribute vaccines via 10,000’s of GPs and pharmacies probably won’t work for COVID. I think a lot of us can expect to be asked to go to vaccine centres. With GPs doing frailer less mobile populations on fewer sites.

I wonder if it shows it reduces hospitalisation by even 20% they will still use it ?

I expect a cost/benefit analysis would show that to be still useful.

What’s the cost of providing 20% more beds for example?

If you look at the Pfizer vaccine I think it can be stored for 24 hours at fridge temperature so you would just need regional storage centres and then daily distribution. I thought I had read it was more like 5, but I can't find that now.

The trials hadn't been unblinded so they haven't got "proof" (unless it's happened in the last 48 hours) I know someone at Sage. But all indications from phase 2 were that it protected against serious disease. My contact said they were awaiting unblinding. Meanwhile a friend who's a nurse said they had signed consent forms for vaccination last week

I'm in Australia, our Gov are saying we will start vaccinations for Front line workers and Vulnerable people in March and the rest of population to get it by the end of 2021.
And we only have a population of 25 million compared to over 60 in UK.
That's the Oxford Vaccine that they will be starting manufacturing here in the next few weeks.

@110APiccadilly
Minus 80 freezers are used to store samples in labs so can be procured easily enough, no idea if gps would have one but hospitals will

Thelonggame is your government openly saying this or is it hearsay? I assume they are saying they hope to vaccinate, if the vaccine proves effective?

@Princessbanana

I'm concerned too but as I'm at the back of the queue for vaccination (under 50, no preexisting conditions) I'm not being offered it any time soon so I'm not worrying for myself and my older friends are saying they don't care, they just want normal life

Thanks @movingonup20. I suppose they could always use hospitals as a key part of the roll out then. Sounds insanely cold to me, but if that's how cold it has to be, that's how cold it has to be!