- will vaccinated people continue to follow the lockdown / rules? Or are we in a never-ending cycle?

[makingitupaswegoon]

OK -as the vaccine rolls out and more of the over 80s then the over 70s get vaccinated - will these people continue to follow the lockdown or whatever rules are in place?

A lot of people think that the vaccine will stop you getting Covid which is not the case. Many of the older people i know (not in care homes) are really suffering loneliness and isolation so I can't imagine there will be much of an impetus for them to stay home when they've had their two vaccines. Meanwhile there could well be a lot of more vulnerable / younger people still susceptible and needing restrictions in place.

I'm really not sure how this is going to play out and I had this horrid thought yesterday that the restrictions will never end because the people first in line for the vaccine will start going out once they think they are safe, maybe catch covid, the number of cases will go up, the government will panic about increasing cases and around we go again.

I am well aware that my parents-in-law were good at forgetting things from the supermarket therefore needing to go everyday for essential shopping even when the guidance was not too. I can't imagine MiL will sit home when she has been vaccinated even though she was quick to call young people selfish for going out.

I can only hope that the majority do appreciate the sacrifices others have made in the name of covid and show others the same respect. But cynical me doubts it ....

Anyone who has been vaccinated is subject to the same lockdown rules as the rest of us. If they break the law, they risk being fined by the police

Maybe I’m being stupid but I don’t understand your post. The vaccination program aims to have all adults vaccinated by the summer, so how would we be in a never ending cycle of lockdowns? Also Covid poses very little threat to most people under the age of 80. Once those vaccinations (and those for the clinically vulnerable) are complete, the stress on the NHS will drop significantly. Lockdowns are to prevent the NHS becoming overwhelmed - not to stop the virus (which is impossible because it’s a virus!)

@TheCap - you’re forgetting that long COVID is causing huge issues for people all over the world. If even 300 people everyday in the UK go on to develop long COVID out of the many thousands of daily cases - we will have an enormous healthcare problem on our hands.

How confident are you that this government will put appropriate healthcare and financial support in place to help these people.

Talking about people from all age groups.

That’s not very little threat it’s a healthcare timebomb.

I kind of agree with the OP. There'll be lots of OAPs and vulnerable who've previously been staying in and not even doing the things that everyone else is allowed to do, i.e. shopping, etc. Once they're vaccinated, they'll be more inclined to go out and about more. Whilst they may not, of themselves, be a risk to others in that if they don't have covid, they can't pass it on, it's inevitable that places will be busier, i.e. more people in shops, etc., so that reduces the space that non vaccinated people will have, i.e. the vaccinated could well force non vaccinated to be closer together thus more risk of spreading/catching.

Until we have a clear answer on whether vaccinated people can carry and transmit the virus I'll carry on with masks and social distancing. At the moment, my vaccination only means that if I get the virus then it should be a minor illness that can be dealt with at home with OTC medication. Nothing else is proven.
(Although technically my vaccination means nothing for the next couple of weeks until it's effective).

I already know of a few sets of grandparents seeing their grandkids again now they’ve had the vaccine.. and frankly, I don’t blame them.

They will not keep restrictions because of long covid. So far long COVID is predominantly ‘fatigue’, ‘brain fog’ & ‘shortness of breath’, none of which require much medical care bar people complaining to their GP & sitting on waiting lists for exercise tests (so long as you can actual breathe) Hardly a huge strain. Plus, I imagine long covid might drastically fall off the radar when society opens back up.. people suddenly able to have a life will push themselves to recover more than currently sat at home bored.. & I don’t mean that horribly. I suffered so badly for a year with glandular fever, I couldn’t get out of bed some days. But it was my GCSE year & so I forced myself to ‘live’. It was tough but I got straight A’s even with the brain fog, fatigue & illness. Life pushes you on. Life is currently paused.

@TheCap

Maybe I’m being stupid but I don’t understand your post. The vaccination program aims to have all adults vaccinated by the summer, so how would we be in a never ending cycle of lockdowns? Also Covid poses very little threat to most people under the age of 80. Once those vaccinations (and those for the clinically vulnerable) are complete, the stress on the NHS will drop significantly. Lockdowns are to prevent the NHS becoming overwhelmed - not to stop the virus (which is impossible because it’s a virus!)

Current estimation is for all adults to have been vaccinated by the end of December 2021. Then there will be the annual boosters already overdue for those who had the first vaccination last year...

In my job, we are due to get our second doses soon. We are still continuing exactly the same and will do for the foreseeable future. We will continue with biweekly Covid tests. We will continue wearing PPE. We will continue strict work hygiene practices.
Being lax at this stage will not help anyone.

Us CEV have been advised to stay shielding even after both vaccines so I'm not planning on going out and about when I've had my vaccine. Hopefully they'll start getting it known about the vaccinated still being able to infect others, unfortunately I think many will think they are immune and go out and about without thinking.

I think Matt Hancock said on GMB this week, that we will know in a few weeks time, whether you can catch and transmit covid once you've had the vaccine.

There should be much less of a need for lockdowns once the vulnerable have been vaccinated because they’re mainly the ones ending up in hospital.

We should have information on whether the vaccine reduces transmission in due course.

I agree with you Moiras I had "long" Glandular fever too, and was fine for ages, then would be really quite ill for a few days, on and off for over a year. Flu gave my sister quite bad post viral complications (Long Flu?)but because no one really cares about that much if it isn't happening to them, life goes on (as it should). Why are the post-viral effects of Covid different?
Anyway, yes I think vaccinated people will start going out more, and yes I think cases will rise again, but because there wont be as many deaths/hospital admissions there will be no need for restrictions.

I think so long as we get people vaccinated quickly. Which we are doing now ( rumour is 3.5 million a week eventually). Then the majority of vaccinated follow the rules still.

Like everyone else if lockdown and restrictions go on to long then people will start doing their own thing.

At current rate of vaccinations we will have all groups first dose by may. However as they are upping the numbers we could be looking at end of March for group 9.