vaccine immunity lasts 90 days?

[Earlgrey666]

I'm wondering if someone knowledgeable can help. I was so excited about the vaccine and thought it was the light at the end of the tunnel and gave me hope that a normal life might be likely at some point in the next few months/year.

However the news over the weekend said that although currently unknown the estimated immunity after having the vaccine lasts around 90 days. Have I got this right? If so, how is this going to help us to get back to normality?

I was probably expecting an annual vaccination as we do for flu for example but 90 days isn't long at all.

I've heard that too Wendy, and also it is a live vaccine although in a miniscule amount.
I am therefore avoiding going into my elderly employers homes, immediately after they've been vaccinated, although i havent worked out how long for yet

What they've been able to demonstrate so far is that it reduces your chances of developing the disease. They still need to monitor whether it prevents the spread of the virus.

The outcomes will determine how much of the population needs to be vaccinated, and how quickly.

I'd also like to see some studies on long Covid, and what markers exist for developing that.

I don't think the government will get around to vaccinating the under 50's until after Easter by which time it will be summer & pointless. That's even if there's enough vaccine.

Can I just say that most over 50's haven't even had their flu injection yet due to lack of availability, let alone a Covid one.
I speak as an over 50 year old with asthma and this is the first year I've ever had a flu vaccine.

They're may be future plans to vaccinate everyone but whether they come to fruition is anyone's guess.

Yes, I heard an expert today saying they hope that immunity after vaccine will be a year but at least 90 days. I suspect it will be like the flu vaccine that is needed yearly.

If the Oxford vaccine is approved availability will be much less of a problem. And it isn’t pointless vaccinating in the summer. Covid has been spreading in warm weather (and countries) too.
And no, Pfizer isn’t a live vaccine. It introduces no virus at all in the body, hence even the immuno-compromised can have it. But yes, it is true that it might not stop transmission.

I don't believe the Pfizer vaccine is being recommended for the use of immunocompromised patients or pregnant individuals.

Give me strength.

I was shocked to hear that as assumed the new vaccine was promising a full 100% barrier to covid-19.

Why would you think that? That’s not true of any vaccine out there.

Good thread.

I'm in NZ where people flying into the Country have to go into managed isolation in approved facilities for 2 weeks before being released. (and contrary to believe o/s, we do not have a full travel bubble with anyone in the region).

One of the questions that came up recently, and that isn't being answered, is when will we be able to start flying again without quarantine and is any country preparing health booklets/apps for travellers to show they have been vaccinated?

If the theory that it ''may'' only last 90 days, then its easier to understand why our Govt is not making any statement of progress once we start to receive it. Due in 2021 with the bulk in September 2021...

@Wendyhaus the flu vaccine 2017/2018:

Public Health England (PHE) has today (Wednesday, 18 July 2018) published data on the effectiveness of the flu vaccine in the 2017 to 2018 season. The data show that overall, flu vaccine was 15% effective in all age groups. However, effectiveness varied considerably. By age-group, the vaccine was overall:

26.9% effective in children aged 2 to 17 years (who received the nasal spray)12.2% in at risk groups aged 18 to 64 years10.1% in those aged 65 and over

There were higher levels of protection against flu B and H1N1pdm09, especially in children (60.8% effective against flu B and 90.3% against H1N1pdm09 in children).

www.gov.uk/government/news/flu-vaccine-effectiveness-in-2017-to-2018-season

T-cell immunity can "last" up to 17 years. Covid is a coronavirus, a SARs virus - other SARs are "cousins" and this is why Whitty, back in March, said that the majority of ppl would not catch it and that the majority that do would have mild symptoms. Our immune systems are amazing. There was no such thing as flu-spray when I was young.

Wrong. The scientists don't know how long any immunity lasts. That's why they can't tell us.

@WotsitWiggle you can likely find studies on long-pneumonia and long-flu (though it's not called that) these may help.

@expat101 interested to know if you think every single person (i.e. children and young, fit healthy) should be vaccinated instead of allowing immune systems to do their job and "weaken" the virus. This puzzles me.

My doctor friends all want to have the vaccine and their only concern is how long the immunity will last. We won’t know until we have it. Our summer was fairly stable with low numbers so I guess we only need a 9 month immunity and annual vaccinations? Time will tell.

No one knows how long immunity lasts for because it’s such a new virus but the most likely it’ll be decades if not life long. It’s not a fast mutator like flu so annual vaccines would not be necessary. As a pp said, chances are healthy under 50s won’t end up being vaccinated.

@VenusTiger children have the flu spray because we now know they are “super spreaders” so it’s to stop them killing grandma.

There is a documented case of T cell immunity lasting 90 years, for obvious reasons these sorts of examples are rare.

Oh dear. They can only say that it's effective for 3 months at the moment because that's the longest anyone has had the vaccine! So next month they will release data to show it can now give immunity for 4 months and so on!

I think a great number of people will think the new vaccine(s) are the miracle they have been praying for and once the jab is given they will not have to worry about the virus attacking them. I now know this is not quite how it works but not everyone reads medical papers or listens to in depth explanations of how vaccines affect the body. They hear the word they have been waiting for "vaccine" and think it guarantees them immunity.
I am not rushing to ask for the vaccine but haven't ruled out completely that I may accept it at some point.

@Jellykat

I've heard that too Wendy, and also it is a live vaccine although in a miniscule amount. I am therefore avoiding going into my elderly employers homes, immediately after they've been vaccinated, although i havent worked out how long for yet

It's not a live vaccine!

Just seen Newsnight. I'm sorry but this vaccine is not looking great. It's not inspired me with confidence.

There is so much they/we don't know. It looks like it could be the next pending man made disaster. Sorry to be so doomful. Watching that filled me with fear.

What did it say on Newsnight?

@m0therofdragons eh? don't you usually keep away from granny? aren't you usually bed-bound, I know I've been. I always would tell my parents if my son had a cough/cold/sickness bug before making a journey to see us. Point is - did any of us have flu-sprays as kids? Did any of us "kill grandma" as dragons puts it?
Children don't need this vax - especially as we now know it won't stop the spread. The elderly, frail and the vulnerable will need it, to lessen symptoms - although, we now know it hasn't been tested on vulnerable (trials asked for volunteers not currently on meds).

Newsnight wasn't antivax or scaremongering. It was just a very honest piece about the uncertainties of the vaccine.

I'll see if I can get a clip from Twitter to paste here.

Not live - copied & pasted explanation.

Unlike many other available vaccines, it’s not a live virus that has been weakened, a virus that has been killed, nor a signature viral protein that can dupe cells into producing protective antibodies. Instead, this vaccine relies on messenger RNA (mRNA for short), a type of genetic material that our cells can use as an instruction manual to kick off the process of building virus-busting antibodies.