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

@FippertyGibbett Your parents, even if staying in, can still require hospital treatment. Anyway can get ill from something other than covid. Unvaccinated and they may pick up covid in hospital and be there longer than necessary, taking away the bed you require for your emergency and the theatre your child might require for theirs.

Keeping kids in school not only spreads the virus but puts your child at risk. We have no idea about the long term impact on children of having covid. Markers of blood vessel damage have been observed even in mild cases. Past my understanding why some parents are determined to have their children get a disease with unknown long term consequences.

Teachers are still in school with kids. I would vaccinate them personally.

@FippertyGibbett

Teachers are still in school with kids. I would vaccinate them personally.

And the children too or your idea just uses vaccines on people who have less need and leaves the children to carry on spreading it in society ?

There is yet another excellent q and a session on bbc1 right now. I can't understand why there is so much ignorance and misinformation around when msm is wall to wall sensible, scientific discussion.

Because the truth is painful
Best for society is not best for me
Many people are vulnerable and scared

I am vulnerable and scared. I have been shielding for months. I am hugely critical of the way this government have handled this pandemic; they have done everything wrong and have lined their own pockets and those of their cronies from day one.
But the vaccination programme is the one thing that is being done logically. They just need to sort out getting the local pharmacists on board now.

@heLacksnotluster

If they had vaccinated all the teachers over Christmas then schools could have reopened before the end of the jan (3 weeks to confer immunity of 60_70% after 1st dose). Please explain why this can’t be done alongside the over 80s. How many school staff are there in this country?

Please explain how vaccinating teachers will prevent transmission in schools? The pupils will still be catching it and spreading it! That's why schools are closed and they will not open just because teachers are vaccinated.

I can't understand why there is so much ignorance and misinformation around when msm is wall to wall sensible, scientific discussion

I'm hoping this is irony ...

@alreadytaken given the choice, I'd take my teens marginally small chances of suffering any long term health issues from a virus that is known to mainly seriously impact the very elderly any day, put against the high likelihood of his future life opportunities being compromised because of lack of education. Not to mention the mental impact of not being able to socialise and spend time with his friends in person and the weight gain caused by not being able to participate in group exercise outdoors.

To me it's surprising that any DP would choose to take their DCs out of school unless there is a vulnerable person at home or the DC has a pre existing condition.

But there we go, we all make our own choices except when the government makes it for us.

@heLacksnotluster

If they had vaccinated all the teachers over Christmas then schools could have reopened before the end of the jan (3 weeks to confer immunity of 60_70% after 1st dose). Please explain why this can’t be done alongside the over 80s. How many school staff are there in this country?

No they couldn’t. The children would still be spreading covid among them and taking that home to their parents and grandparents and into shops and GP practises and public transport.

Schools aren’t closed because teachers are ill. Schools aren’t closed to protect teachers. Schools are closed to reduce transmission in the community so that the nhs does not become overwhelmed. It will be the elderly and vulnerable that are most likely to get ill enough to overwhelm the nhs therefore they get vaccinated quicker.

Vaccinating the elderly and vulnerable will allow us to open schools. Vaccinating school staff will not.

I'm an allied NHS worker, I'm getting mine next week. Then I'm doing the training to give them to the general public. Every hospital dept here has to provide a day a week giving vaccinations to the public even if we work full time.

@Puzzledandpissedoff

I can't understand why there is so much ignorance and misinformation around when msm is wall to wall sensible, scientific discussion

I'm hoping this is irony ...

I said msm. Not sm. The virology and immunology scientist on bbc this morning was very good, as was the professor of public health. There have been some experienced and very highly qualified scientists and doctors giving good advice. The Royal Society of Medicine has been doing excellent broadcasts all the way through this pandemic. The medical and scientific press has published lots of sensible articles.

It isnt about saving lives in the same way we think about it. 25k people diec of pneumonia each year and 44k of sepsis. If all the frail elderly get it first, along with NHS staff , that should significantly reduce hospital admissions so that healthcare services can resume. Covid will still be circulating but your risk of being really unwell if you are a healthy under 60 means it wont matter ib terms of hospital admisdions, and if you are unlucky, then at least their will be staff and a hospital bed to treat you. At present, there are no beds in my county

Exactly Flapjak. Clearly and succinctly put. But you will be ignored by many.
I promoted the RSM Christmas broadcast on MN, hoping people would watch it. Somebody reported my post as spam and got it deleted. You just can't win sometimes.

Nobody can swan off on holiday after having the vaccine. The vaccine will give you some protection from serious illness, however, it is still unclear yet, so at the moment the thinking is that you can still catch the virus and still pass it on to someone else so you can still be a spreader even if you are vaccinated. So, your attitude should be, fine, I am now protected from others, but I could still infect others so I need to keep distancing and reduce social contacts. Like they are now saying, behave as if you have the virus, put others first.

I said msm. Not sm

I know you did, endoftheline, and I also agree there have been some "experienced and very highly qualified scientists and doctors giving good advice". Unfortunately there have also been plenty who are anything but, and yet the headline-chasing media give them air and print space just the same

Very much with you on the RSM and the medical and scientific press, though; sometimes I think they're the only place to go for any sense, though even then it can be worth bearing funding issues in mind

Most of the comments on this thread are so bad I can't possibly comment. I'm surprised this hasn't been locked TBH😠

@caspersmagicaljourney

Most of the comments on this thread are so bad I can't possibly comment. I'm surprised this hasn't been locked TBH😠

I reported the thread to @MNHQ when it first appeared, but they just said that they left it up so that people could argue against the ageism etc and that people could report individual posts that were ageist. I did that too and they made me feel as though I was just being a pain in the arse.

@rookiemere By definition long term effects are not yet known - but damage to blood vessels is not good. There are other forms of exercise besides group exercise, children socialise a lot online anyway and there is a massive amount of good educational material available online. Your child's education, health and well being only suffer if you let it.

my friend, over 80 , has had both vaccines but has been told she must carry on isolating , unsure why unless maybe she could be a carrier but she definitely wont be swanning off anywhere

I took my Mum for her second dose today and she won't be swanning off anywhere either. It was so heartening today seeing all these elderly men and women being cared for. It was in a football stadium and the whole operation was running like clockwork. There was a large number of young volunteers running about getting wheelchairs back and forth and helping people wherever needed.

I would swan off on holiday tomorrow if I could! Wouldn’t blame anyone for doing so, it’s been a shite year

@FippertyGibbett

Teachers are still in school with kids. I would vaccinate them personally.

Thank goodness you’re not the one making this deduction personally.

Which elderly or vulnerable group who are at most risk of getting very ill and dying, and therefore overwhelming the nhs causing schools to close for longer, would you bump down the list to give their jabs to teachers instead?!