Vaccines, Vit D and Variants

[LemonSwan]

I am obviously missing something here because I was just comparing Vit D deficiency of COVID patients (over 80% of hospitalisations) with efficacy of vaccines in reducing hospitalisations..

*Its hard to track down the exact figures as they are changing them all the time. But heres what I have:
Pfizer 52% (1st dose) going to 95% (2nd)
Oxford 70% going to 80-90%
Novavax 89% after two.
J&J single shot 66%

Now we have the SA variant which is messing up the efficacy.
Oxford 10%
Novavax 60%
Pfizer - 'Very modest difference' - SA variant not an issue.

If the virus keeps mutating (which it seems hell bent on doing) then would if have been more effective for everyone to just take vit D tablets and why has this not been pushed more by the Gov. Theres tonnes of papers on this and I haven't heard a peep about it from GOV/NHS - to the point where when I bring up taking Vit D I feel like a conspiracy theorist or a pseudoscientist.

It seems such an obvious solution that I am either being mad or have utterly missed the point. Some one please let me know

I'm CEV and we are advised to take vitamin D tablets. I got some in the post last week.

There are a lot of papers but actually the data isn't really clear (small numbers of participants, other factors etc.) and I don't think it is possible to say that it is definitively true that Vit D prevents serious Covid infection.

The gov has advised to take it (especially if you are BAME and may well have even lower levels) but can't fully recommend it if the science doesn't support it. This is sensible when we remember the hype about Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine etc. last spring being touted as effective treatments before there were any proper studies.

... and I say that as someone who takes around 4-6000IU a day precisely for this reason and tells everyone else to too as the (possible) benefit far outweighs the risk in my opinion (but that's a personal choice and assessment of risk).

I thought the government was issuing shielding individuals with vit D? I think that there has been publicity on it, I've seen plenty of announcements on it and they are cheap enough to buy. I suppose part of the issue is that there is so much info to get through with treatments, lockdown, vaccines etc that the info gets buried.

Yes I agree. As well as having vitamin c

Though vitamin c can be from food and is important for a well functioning immune system.

Look up the Cordoba trial OP. You'll be even more convinced that vitamin D was the answer all along. Also look up how deficient the population of Belgium are. Then look up their Covid deaths per million.

I can confirm that the shielding people have been sent Vitamin D through the post from the NHS - my Dh is category 4CEV and all his (many) shielding letters have mentioned vitamin D and a way to order them through the post. We have both been taking extra vitamin d since February last year.

I'm not sure why they haven't told the general population to take Vitamin D though. I guess the cost-benefit means protect the shielding as much as possible as they were the ones most likely to end up in hospital.

@DianaT1969

Look up the Cordoba trial OP. You'll be even more convinced that vitamin D was the answer all along. Also look up how deficient the population of Belgium are. Then look up their Covid deaths per million.

Although, Africa, Iran and Jordan are the most severely deficient. So not necessarily relevant in statistical terms.

So are you saying that we do not need vaccines, just vitamin D?

Are you saying that vitamin D cures Covid, OP?

Not cures, no. But it's looking very likely that Vitamin D helps your body fight Covid and in particular helps regulate your immune system to stop the cytokine storms that are causing a lot of deaths.

nobody is saying that - the research is indicating that but D plays a very important part in the functioning of the human immune system, so people who are vitamin D deficient - as many people are - are more likely to suffer badly from covid and more likely to need hospitalisation.

So conversely, people with good vitamin D levels are more likely to be mildly I'll or asymptomatic if they catch covid.

It all about the state of your immune system and its ability to fight off attack by the covid coronavirus (or anything)

I agree that vitamin D is hugely important in fighting all respiratory diseases. It really should be a well known fact now and everyone should be supplementing in Winter.

Would love to see more research done on it but existing research tends to get ignored / dismissed for some reason.

I haven't heard a peep about it from GOV/NHS
It's been on the NHS website for years that people should take vitamin D in this country.
CEV were sent Vitamin D in the post.
I take it but don't see it as some kind of alternative to the vaccine.
Don't you think if that had been the solution some clever scientist would have worked it out instead of a vaccine.

We are all popping our vitamin D tablets in this house this winter.

I've been taking vitamin D for a while, as has my husband and my kids. It is actually advised to take it anyway in the winter months by the NHS if you look on the website.

Sleep helps your immune system too and a decent diet.

I believe one of the problems with vitamin D as a good solution is the absorption issue with obese and elderly people.

I can't find all the exact studies on it, but essentially if you are obese, your ability to absorb vitamin D is decreased.

academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/72/3/690/4729361

It really is about getting everyone metabolically healthy - a proper drive on obesity would have helped much more.

We are happy to ban seeing your family, but not our precious toxic junk food

And get your blood pumping.

Why this isn't promoted in a long running public health emergency, alongside all the fear, I don't know.

Yes junk food aisles should have been fenced off before clothing.

Brazil has relatively low vit D deficiency & high death rate. Esp. in Manaus.

I sort of thought that very elderly have quite lower obesity rates, especially lower morbid obesity, than middle aged. But happy to be corrected.

The biggest risk by far is age related. Hence the vaccinations done by age group in the first instance.

I agree that the Government ought to be doing more to promote vitamin D, or at least fund a proper trial, as they keep on saying there isn’t enough evidence.

The amounts they are sending to the CEV (400 iU, 10ug) are nowhere near enough if people are deficient.

However, belt and braces - take your vitamin D (we take 100 ug) AND take your vaccine.

I will be taking both.

Those shielding have been sent letters and source for free Vit D, my parents started theirs last March.

It has been discussed on the podiums and just this week Matt Hancock reminded an MP, who was saying there should be something done about it, that this had been done and even one of the MPs who has just left the Commons had confirmed he had had his.

It pops up every now and then and more people get to hear of it, which is great. But people who would benefit most should have been told months and months ago!