Good news part 7

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

For all your vaccine news, treatment development stories and other positive things to make you feel there is hope for the future!
Good news only please!

Useful websites we are referring to a lot:

Government daily statistics

Worldometer for international case number comparisons

Covid Messenger for local authority figures, thanks to LittleOwl for all her hard work!

OurWorldInData international vaccination figures

Omnicalculator vaccine queue calculator NB Please don’t take this too seriously- it depends what vaccine delivery speed and uptake you estimate so it’s not written in stone.

I won’t tag everyone, but brilliant news re those who’ve been waiting on appointments - I love this thread!

And @littleowl1 - thank you for all the work on Covid messenger, it’s great to see the numbers improving. My area was in the Top 10 a week or so ago, so to see it slowly moving down the numbers is great.

Small fun fact - I only found out a couple of weeks ago that owls have long legs! Makes sense now, but never thought about it before. I’m easily pleased 😃

Fingers crossed for anyone else waiting on vaccine notifications - it seems quite slow in my area, mum still hasn’t heard anything and we don’t seem to have a huge amount of venues (though I may be looking incorrectly online).

I usually just lurk for the positivity combined with facts and knowledge but just had to post that my parents, both CEV and mid eighties have their vaccinations on Saturday. They live in the middle of nowhere and I was getting worried as most of my friends elderly parents have already had theirs.
Thank you everyone for this thread.

From the telegraph this evening:

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/01/28/first-real-world-data-vaccination-effectiveness-shows-really/

Pasted below:

First real-world data on vaccination effectiveness shows 'really promising' results

The first real-world data on the effectiveness of the vaccination programme shows “really promising” results, a member of the official vaccine committee has revealed.
Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) also said initial figures appeared to justify the delayed second dose approach.
He said the data – at this stage mainly relating to the Pfizer jab – shows that a “substantial proportion” of patients are protected after the first dose.

Professor Harnden said that while the JCVI had not reviewed hospital admissions or deaths at its meeting on Thursday, he expected the results to be even better than those for infection prevention.
Public Health England are expected to formally publish findings within the next fortnight.
“I've just come off JCVI and we're looking at these real-time vaccine effectiveness figures, it's really early stages yet, but it does look like our first dose strategy is proving to be a good one,” said Prof Harnden.
"And the early signs are very promising from the data that we've made the right decision on this."
He said the early results appear to justify the decision to delay administering second doses in order to give out greater numbers of first jabs more quickly.
The JCVI believes the approach could save the lives of up to 4,000 elderly and vulnerable people this winter.

And this is today's biggie
Will be made in TEESSIDE. 60 million doses on their way.

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-uk-trials-show-experimental-novavax-coronavirus-vaccine-is-89-3-effective-12201756

We're going to be awash with vaccines!
So much for the vaccine doubters!

Incidentally, I remember scientists originally saying that it would be treatments being developed first and then vaccines. It seems to be the other way around. I'm wondering if people will be vaccinated and there will be a schedule (annual?) for having Covid jabs to cope with possible waning immunity/variants. But soon it will be so well treated that it won't be anything like the concern it is now. Just my guesses.

(goes back under the rock didn't realise you all knew already)

@Frazzled2207

(goes back under the rock didn't realise you all knew already)

We don't mind hearing it again!

Frazzled2207 I enjoyed the repitition!

@Zogstart

Oh brilliant news! Does anyone know how long it’s likely to be before they can start getting this one into arms? I seem to remember Pfizer being really quick from results announced to the first person being vaccinated.

we were told they were aiming for spring 2021 (I am a volunteer). But that's quite a wide margin. It needs to be approved first but hopefully they can start production very soon if not already.

Go science! I’m so glad there are clever people getting us out of this mess. The scientists that is... not so much the politicians

This really has been a fantastic day for good news...long may it continue!

Fuzzy that is brilliant news!!!!

The manager of our local hub has posted on Facebook tonight that GP receptionists are calling to book Group 4 people in for the vaccinations on Wednesday.
I emailed our surgery again for more clarity about the text that me and my son both received last week, first telling us that we’re eligible for the vaccine and then another telling us to ignore that text if we were under 70 and wait for further information. I’ve had a reply saying that the PCN have advised that the group is split so that anyone shielding isn’t mixing with those who are just eligible due to age.
I’ll be keeping my phone very close to hand.

Look at the difference to how we were all feeling a few days ago! Not saying this is all done & dusted coz it obviously isn't. But it seems more possible that it will be one day.

Just been reading the comments under Ben's post about it on FB (he can be quite good at replying) and he said April hopefully. MHRA sign off expected in next few weeks. Means likely injections start April are his exact words.

And this is today's biggie. Will be made in TEESSIDE
Good news. If it’s made in the UK it’s harder for the EU to prevent us accessing it, which seems to be what they’re trying to do with the other vaccines.

@Glenchase
eu are planning to manufacture in Germany so hopefully no wrangles there.

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum

1990s

A local nurse posts our hub news on Facebook. She is now tell people if they or a relative is over 80 and hasn't been done to call their GP. As hub has moved on to 70s. So they were not on list.

Also on tha vaccination thread here they are saying to try the online booking site. Apparently it does say you need a letter first but if you have your NHS number and a letters been generated but still missing it will work.

Thank you!

Can't keep up with everything today. This week sure has been a interesting one. Just glad we will be making it ourselves. Wonderful news.

Just waiting for someone to come on and tell us we are ridiculous for being pleased about this because (insert doom scenario)

😁

[quote Frazzled2207]@Glenchase
eu are planning to manufacture in Germany so hopefully no wrangles there.[/quote]
Why doesn't if surprise me that both Pfizer and this one will be manufactured for EU in Germany. Got to hand it to Merkel. She is one smart lady.

I'm going to be called the doom&gloom person, but just a reality check: according to gov published article today...
"Thanks to the work of the government’s Vaccines Taskforce, the UK has secured 60 million doses of Novavax’s vaccine to be delivered in the second half of this year,..."
www.gov.uk/government/news/novavax-publishes-positive-efficacy-data-for-its-covid-19-vaccine

Probs won't speed up vaccinations now, but will add to booster and last-of-the-list vaccinations.

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum
I am guessing here, but it might have to do with the fact that not all countries have facilities to produce these vaccines in huge quantities?
It might not be a conspiracy by Merkel, but a simple logistics issue.
I only know about Hungary, but they used to have many manufacturing plants for pharma (incl AstraZeneca), but in the past 2 decades these manufacturing plants have been downscaled and outsourced more and more to places where labor is cheap - eg India.
Hungary's own Richter Gedeon (used to be one of the biggest in the region for OTC meds) now only has 1 plant and 1 smaller for biotech research and small(er) batch products in the country.
(had multiple projects with both AZ and Richter at different points)

@TheSunIsStillShining but Matt Hancock also says that once approved the NHS is set to roll it out as quickly as possible (on that link). It also uses a plant based ingredient which could mean excellent news for those with allergies unable to receive any of the current vaccines.

[quote TheSunIsStillShining]@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum
I am guessing here, but it might have to do with the fact that not all countries have facilities to produce these vaccines in huge quantities?
It might not be a conspiracy by Merkel, but a simple logistics issue.
I only know about Hungary, but they used to have many manufacturing plants for pharma (incl AstraZeneca), but in the past 2 decades these manufacturing plants have been downscaled and outsourced more and more to places where labor is cheap - eg India.
Hungary's own Richter Gedeon (used to be one of the biggest in the region for OTC meds) now only has 1 plant and 1 smaller for biotech research and small(er) batch products in the country.
(had multiple projects with both AZ and Richter at different points)[/quote]
Did I say it was a conspiracy?

I was complementing Merkel on getting the gig. It is a smart move. Germany has a very good scientific community and manufacturing facilities. That is well know.

Having both vaccines made there will benefit Germany a lot in the coming months. Like us have two or three vaccines made here soon.