A potential vaccine? What does that mean initially for those who aren't eligible for it?

[3littlewords]

Encouraging news today that a vaccine has been found that's 90% effective. However as initially it will be rolled out to those front line workers, the over 80s and those CEV , what does that mean for everyone else?

Will the virus just left to run through the rest of society as they will most likely not need any NHS support? Will 14 day isolating for close contacts still take place? Will school bubbles still close for 14 days ?

Given children will probably be the last people to be vaccinated (if at all), how will this affect education? Will they still be required to test and isolate every time they show any symptoms? Will there continue to be a disruption to teaching?

When will it be acceptable to reduce the need for SD and masks? When everyone has been vaccinated? When the NHS is no longer overwhelmed? When the number of deaths reduce? When?
What does the news of a vaccine mean for the majority that won't be eligible (initially anyway)?

I think CEV should be first in line to get it.

My friend in her 30s with a 4 year old daughter has not been able to leave the house since February. Her daughter can't even go to nursery or see her grandparents etc. It's not acceptable that she should have to wait to get a vaccine.

This is great news! Let's take it as that. With US election and now this its been a really good week! When was the last time we could say that?

It's brilliant news. Well done to all those scientists across the world who have been working their sock off all year, and the people who stepped up as participants in trials.

DH has started again with his "I'm a keyworker, i have a letter and everything" nonsense as he thinks he's first in line for the vaccine.

After a certain point, the priority should be not just those most at risk, but also those in places where it’s likely to spread. We’ve seen how catastrophic outbreaks in food factories, uni halls have been for the population as a whole. I think this should be looked at.

@RaspberryCoulis

It's brilliant news. Well done to all those scientists across the world who have been working their sock off all year, and the people who stepped up as participants in trials.

DH has started again with his "I'm a keyworker, i have a letter and everything" nonsense as he thinks he's first in line for the vaccine.

Scientists need to be considered as heroes, not vacuous celebrities and footballers.

@TOADfan

I think CEV should be first in line to get it.

My friend in her 30s with a 4 year old daughter has not been able to leave the house since February. Her daughter can't even go to nursery or see her grandparents etc. It's not acceptable that she should have to wait to get a vaccine.

It will be prioritised on which group is needing the NHS the most not individual circumstances

@annabel85

It's very promising but will circa 90% give vulnerable enough piece of mind while rates if Covid are still high? A 1 in 10 chance is still Russian roulette.

Seeing as flu vaccine is less than that then yes it should. We are likely never to get better than 90%!

First in line will be HCPs.
Part of the reason for restrictions is shortage of staff In hospitals with illness and self isolation.
Plus they won’t then give it to vulnerable layerings who pass by due to other problems.

Then it’ll be the very vulnerable (who are currently taking up too many hospital beds with Covid).

Once that’s happened, the NHS won’t be in danger of being overwhelmed. Because no matter how many time’s people say ICU is full of young healthy patients it simply isn’t true (70,000 students have tested positive in the US and 3 have ended up in hospital - none died).

So with the NHS no longer in danger (leaving aside the routine underfunding and mismanagement) the government can look to reducing restrictions.
Some people will still feel nervous and restrict themselves, but many (the majority?) will be happy to do whatever the government allows.

Why should healthy teachers under 65 get the vaccine before any other healthy adult? That is not really fair. I think the current list is pretty fair.

I think by April-May we will be back to normal. I think that’s optimistic, but This is fabulous news. Yes, it is.

I think that the relaxation of SD rules will be driven by the factors which have been informing the tier settings in England - number of cases, but also the demographics of new cases, the number needing hospital treatment and hospital capacity.

So it’s not a case of all restrictions lifted once x% of the population have been vaccinated.

But since the vast majority of deaths are from the older age group, then once most over 80’s are vaccinated, the death rate will drop dramatically. And the typical person who needs ITU treatment is over 50 - vaccinating the over 50’s will make a massive difference to ITU rates.

Britain has pre-ordered 30 million doses - enough for 15 million people, as 2 doses are needed. I just saw on the BBC TV news that Pfizer say they can have 50 million doses ready by the end of the year, of which we should get a few million. The Government may need to decide whether to prioritise NHS workers or the over 80’s.

@AwaAnBileYerHeid

I think I would be a little wary of taking this vaccine. Some side effect can take years to become apparent. I am in no way anti vax (very far from it) however I would be wary of accepting this.

Unless you are over 85 or work in the care sector you won't be at the front of the queue for it anyway so it gives you plenty time to assess if its suitable for you or not and even then no one can be forced to have it, you can refuse and take your chances if you want too

Why should healthy teachers under 65 get the vaccine before any other healthy adult?

Anyone in an environment where spread is more likely should be prioritised, it’s just common sense. SD is easy in my job, so someone who works in greater proximity to others should get it before me.

@musicaldilemma what you've said echoes my thoughts and hopes, it's like some sort of bad energy/star alignment has shifted or something (I'm not at all woo actually but don't know how else to describe it).

puzzled I’d say the NHS staff. I think we have 1.5 million so that first batch of Pfizer vaccine would cover it.
Thus reducing staff shortages which is currently a major driver.
Plus limiting in-hospital infections.

Well said, @HelloMissus

I suppose the issue is that the risk of children getting it is not that they will get Ill but that they will pass it on to those who will get ill. I suppose if those people are vaccinated then it doesn't really matter if children get it so no need to close schools
As PP said, it's quite a difficult vaccine 2 doses and it needs to be consistently kept at under -80. I think they will give it to frontline health workers and wait for another vaccine for everyone else.

@ZombieFan

Why should healthy teachers under 65 get the vaccine before any other healthy adult? That is not really fair. I think the current list is pretty fair.

Because you need teachers to keep schools open. Many are off isolating and many are off with long covid. It’s the same with care workers and NHS staff though isn’t it? All will be offered the vaccine and so many are healthy and under 65.

Teachers are low risk unless they are in one of the vulnerable categories for covid. Front line NHS staff need priority to prevent them having to take sick leave, otherwise there won’t be anyone available to give the vaccinations or care for people with covid. Lack of NHS capacity is what is driving the lockdowns. We’ve signed the agreement that we won’t vaccinate more than half the population before all nations have managed to do the same so the priorities are going to have to be pretty selective. If they chose to use an unlicensed vaccine I think that may cause a serious problem with take-up

I think it is good news and understandably the elderly, CEV and front line workers should get the vaccine first. 90% protection is a start. So a good percentage of them will benefit.

It will gradually be rolled out.

@TheKeatingFive

Why should healthy teachers under 65 get the vaccine before any other healthy adult?

Anyone in an environment where spread is more likely should be prioritised, it’s just common sense. SD is easy in my job, so someone who works in greater proximity to others should get it before me.

So under that logic you should prioritise those working in transport, shops, hospitality, offices.... We need to prioritise the NHS and most vulnerable first. Everyone else can just wait.

Don't forget we have also agreed to prioritise health care workers etc around the world before we give it to healthy adults in the UK.

It's like MN has its own version of Godwin's Law, where all threads eventually turn into arguments about teachers...

@Sb2012

Brilliant news and as far as any side effects go, I would rather take those rare side effects over long covid effects. The post viral effects of the virus sound awful and in some cases life changing.

Absolutely your right to e a risk with the vaccine with regards to any long term health issues that may arise. Others may not be as willing.

Has the long term effect on fertility (make and female) been looked at.....would the figures from a trial be statistically valid anyway to show there was no risk to fertility or that birth defects weren't caused/increased.

Has the vaccine been tested largely on a healthy cohort of younger people? Are there unforeseen consequences for those with health conditions?

These and many more questions are ones which the pharma companies and the gov't need to provide answers for in order to reassure the public that the vaccine is safe. Failure to do do is a gross dereliction of duty - those in big business and in gov't cannot continue to place individuals in such a position that it contributes to a premature death.

There are no easy answers in this pandemic but for me, caution is the way forward with a vaccine.

I think that might happen in time, but that it would be politically unacceptable to let people pay privately for it in the first tranche, as that would mean money trumped vulnerability...

I absolutely agree with that. I hope it is not available to those that can pay, rather than those that need it.

From what I have heard in an interview with some US experts, they expect masks and some distsncing to continue for at least 6 months to a year after a vaccine is rolled out. I don't know if that will really happen though. I also don't know the stats on how many hospital admissions are comprised of the groups you mention, presumably a lot or they would not be the selected groups.

I think this kind of vaccine is a game changer if the effectiveness is correct. I don't think we should underestimate the disruption to workplaces, consumer behaviour, individual health etc from sickness among people who would not be initially eligible though. So I hope it can be rolled out to more people asap.

Re children, the interview I heard was not specifically about the Pfizer vaccine but they did say children would not be vaccinated in the foreseeable as the trials did not include children. I think though that disruption to education from that would be minimal if adults were vaccinated because children have generally mild to no symptoms, at least initially.

Only on MN could you have:

Arguing about which groups should and should not get a vaccine ... a few months ago it was all 'it will take years for a vaccine' or 'I'm not taking any vaccine that has been rushed through' or similar

MN is a funny place