I’m just angry now

[BathFullOfEels]

They knew a vaccine would be the only way of getting us out of this mess. The country has already been locked down twice. Why, why, why didn’t they use this time to set up the logistics of distributing and administering these vaccines?

Why, why, why are the government allowed to decide who to prioritise to receive these vaccines when they were always going to distribute in a way that benefits them. Surely any government with an ounce of realism would be self aware enough to realise that they would make this vaccine distribution a political decision and instead allow the decision to be made by an independent third party who can distribute it in a way that would allow the country to get back to work. Instead it’s likely that months and months down the line we’ll all be forced to go back to work despite still be unprotected.

I have visions of pensioners being able to swan off on holiday over the summer while the workers of the country will still be unable to.

It’s an absolute fucking farce. Watching that press conference last night just finally made it snap for me - they genuinely don’t know what they’re doing at all

[quote Madhairday]@PinkTonic I was thinking that the other day about the Holocaust. It also makes sense of why so many flat out denied it was happening, they simply wouldn't listen to facts because it was too big and scary, and I honestly think that's the case with some of the deniers here.

I actually think we are seeing a bit of a paradigm shift here in society's view of the old and the sick and it is worrying me very deeply indeed. There were fertile grounds for it under the Tory austerity agenda, the rhetoric of the scroungers, the strivers and the skivers, the deserving and the undeserving. I believe covid is accelerating that narrative and I will call it out where I see it and continue to do that. Those of you who dismiss the old and sick so easily, please think about what you are actually saying and what you are contributing too in terms of group think here. The interesting thing is that so many minimisers do it out of a purported concern for the vulnerable in terms of mental health and cancer patients, but fail to understand the irony that those very people are most often not counted among the young and healthy who died of Covid, the much vaunted 388 who matter. So when people with MH illness and cancer are not counted, they don't really matter at all, do they.

Only when they suit a certain agenda.

It's chilling and I will not be quiet and told that I am hysterical.[/quote]
You don't know that a few posters on MN are representative of society's attitude. There have always been people that couldn't care less about others. Social media has given them a voice but you must have known they were out there.

@Puzzledandpissedoff

50% of the population are below average intelligence

Isn't that the nature of averages - or perhaps that should be "means"; I always get them mixed up

Either way I'd love to hear you say it in the inner city area where I visited a specialist supermarket today. Not just the supermarket but every single shop on the road was open - clothing, furniture, cafes, beauty, hairdressers, you name it

Good luck policing all of that ...

They could easily visit shops and fine them. It would probably be quite lucrative and would soon stop.

@Thingybob

While I dont disagree with a risk calculation or algorithm to determine priority for vaccine in principle, the reality is that any priority calculated by a computer algorithm will be just as faulty in practice and therefore received exactly the same way the computer algorithm grades for A levels and GCSEs were received.

If 50 percent of the population is ' thick ' That means that 50 percent of the country isn't ' thick' ! Which is a lot of people.
How can non essential shops be open during lockdown?
If this is the case , the police should should be shutting them down!
Without any measures in place this will just go on and on.
:(

I really hope you're right, Belladonna. It's rife on twitter but twitter is a sewer for that kind of thing. But FB too. I wonder if people feel more free to say this kind of thing behind a screen, but wouldn't in RL - but sadly still that narrative is increasing as more people talk about it, even if only online.

But yes, I hope you're right and it's only a tiny amount of people amplified by social media platforms.

It doesn't mean it should be ignored though. I call out prejudice and hatred where I see it.

@endofthelinefinally

50% of the population are below average intelligence.

I do not think we can blame abhorrent views that advocate eugenics/mass murder of segments of society on a lack of intelligence. History tells us that many very intelligent people masterminded and contributed to these types of atrocities. It’s more a lack of a moral compass.

Unfortunately it's more than a few posters on MN. The Usforthem extremists. The anti lockdown brigade who turn up outside hospitals. The anti mask fools. You see them disguised on social media whipping ordinary people up and gathering support.

They could easily visit shops and fine them

In theory, yes, but around here I'm afraid it's simply not going to happen - cultural sensitivity you see

Which I'd hope we all admire and appreciate the necessity of, but surely this is either an emergency or it isn't?

And it's a good point about history showing that some very intelligent people masterminded atrocities. They manipulated the masses with propaganda.

I'm a Care Home Worker and have my first vaccination next Tuesday. My Co-workers don't want it as they think it will make them ill. They don't trust it. The company we work for are even offering financial incentives to be vaccinated.

Why do they think it will make them ill?
Or are they worried that they could pass the virus on to their families? As the effect on the transmission is not known yet?
I no longer know what to expect.
Some people are really willing to have tge vaccine.
Others, will not touch it.

@81Byerley. Well it was either my swearing or my humanity! This is the second post I’ve commented on which is virtually a promotion of eugenics, on the same subject.

Thank you @BathFullOfEels for taking the to come back to this thread and admit that you have changed your view. I'm glad you posted your thoughts and gave us the opportunity to challenge you.

I do hope that we can drag ourselves out of this hole soon.

@MushMonster

Why do they think it will make them ill? Or are they worried that they could pass the virus on to their families? As the effect on the transmission is not known yet? I no longer know what to expect. Some people are really willing to have tge vaccine. Others, will not touch it.

They aren't worried about passing the virus onto their families. They are worried about the vaccination itself making them ill then not being paid if they have to be off work due to that. Our company has already insisted those having to take time off to self isolate have made them take it as annual leave and most don't have any annual leave left now. And if it is taken as sickness we don't get paid for the first three days of sickness. For me that would mean a week unpaid as I work a three day week. But I know lots of people have had the first vaccination and apart from a sore arm have been fine. But the Co workers who won't have it also don't even trust the flu jab.

That makes no sense. They are likely to need way more time off if they get ill with a covid. A highly likelihood than getting ill from a jab!

@thingbob glad drs receptionists have time to ring thousands to ask
What your suggesting is totally unworkable and at that rate of working out all of us would be waiting even longer

@charlotterose but thats what we are doing nhs ans careworkers , cev and over 80's then after these will be over 70's , 60's etc makes sense and easier to work out plus it will reduce death rate by over 90%
You are saying you think it should be done a certain way and when pointed out that is pretty much what they are doing

It's about saving the maximum number of lives with limited vaccine supplies.

For every 20 people vaccinated in priority group 1, potentially one death is prevented.

Doing the same calculation for people in the under 50s group (and who are not in any of the 9 priority categories) and you get a figure of 47,000 people needing to be vaccinated to prevent one death.
mobile.twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1346191990074077189

@BathFullOfEels
Surely any government with an ounce of realism would be self aware enough to realise that they would make this vaccine distribution a political decision and instead allow the decision to be made by an independent third party

You mean like the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, who are an independent body, whose recommendation on priority groups the government is following?
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is an independent expert advisory committee that advises United Kingdom health departments on immunisation, making recommendations concerning vaccination schedules and vaccine safety. Wikipedia

@Ponypizzy

Well if you are happy with progress good for you. I’m not, my opinion and yes I have looked at the stats.

In my area the elderly have been vaccinated since the very beginning in early December. I personally know parents of 5 of my friends who already had their first injections and due second, perhaps they work by the areas?

@Madhairday

I really hope you're right, Belladonna. It's rife on twitter but twitter is a sewer for that kind of thing. But FB too. I wonder if people feel more free to say this kind of thing behind a screen, but wouldn't in RL - but sadly still that narrative is increasing as more people talk about it, even if only online.

But yes, I hope you're right and it's only a tiny amount of people amplified by social media platforms.

It doesn't mean it should be ignored though. I call out prejudice and hatred where I see it.

I agree it's worth calling out but you have to remember that there are people out there who really don't care including psychopaths. The type of person who commits crimes including murder with no care for others. They have a voice now thanks to social media but they were always there.

@trulydelicious, if i had to choose between vaccinating

a) a young teacher or nursery nurse, who would use their protection from covid to keep their classroom open,
or b) a young single parent who would then be able to go and earn a living to prevent themselves becoming homeless and destitute,
or c) a pensioner who could EASILY stay safely at home watching TV with their husband living off their pension instead of swanning off on holiday...
I would not pick the pensioner.

But, once the most vulnerable have been vaccinated the need for lockdown is massively reduced. The whole point is to vaccinate the people most likely to need the already overstretched nhs so that society can open up again, people can have their planned surgery, cancer treatment etc.

But if you chose to vaccinate that teacher, even with evey pensioner shielding as best they could , you would still be in lockdown to protect the nhs

Why? BecAuse a lot of people over50 are not pensioners yet still at serious risk

And then

Pensioners still need to eat, visit the doctors , exercise to stay healthy, get new glasses so they can see the telly you want them glued to

So yeah, vaccinate low priority people first to keep you happen and prolong lockdown . Do you really want that or did you not actually think it through?

@SillyOldMummy

My comment was in relation to the disdain that CountessFrogg displayed against the elderly in her post and why technically it's not always the young that contribute most to society