If we all get the vaccine this year, does it start again in December?

[MrsScarlett007]

Will it be a bit like the flu vaccine? Will the whole population still need the vaccine each year?

Just pondering really. No sooner will we have (hopefully) all been vaccinated, as it has to start all over again?

Will it be yearly like the flu vaccine or does it last longer?

You will definitely need a booster I think. At present they don’t really know how long immunity lasts.

No one knows yet but if it’s like other corona viruses we’ll probably all need boosters. No problem here.

It’s a huge undertaking each year isn’t it.

I’ve no problem here either, just the logistics of the roll outs are enormous.

Have heard reports that it may be administered with the flu jab, which takes account of 27 million. Yes, the remainder is a big undertaking but it will become even more efficient with time. Wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t become available at pharmacirs for a cost like the ‘flu jab in time, as production steps up. We’ll be quite happy to pay.

Sorry, 17 not 27 🙄

If it is the case that yearly boosters would be required, how can that be justified against the fact that some countries won't have even started vaccinating or at the very least only just be starting out on their vaccination programme due to their place in the ordering/manufacturing queue (and how much money they can throw at orders) - do the manufacturing companies just give us booster doses at the expense of those countries still making their way through first vaccinations?

@pennylane83 that’s a good question!

pennylane83, it’s simple economics. If there is a global demand for annual booster shots, manufacturers will increase production to supply the demand. It’s not a case of either/or, they’ll provide both.

Don’t know. With more and more vaccines coming online though - the Johnson and Johnson single dose is fantastic news for harder to reach, isolated populations, for example - and production stepping up in new facilities worldwide, this will become less and less of an issue.

A governments first duty is the protection of its citizens so of course it will vaccinate its population first, but we already have a surplus on order.

It’s slightly different than the flu vaccine though, purely for the fact that there ‘might’ be vaccine passports or proof of vaccine required before you can travel etc!

Would imagine that by this time next year, we’ll have more of an idea about how this is working out.

Other than health/care workers, I’m a bit on the fence about that. We would have no issue with “passports” but of course others feel differently.
It will all work itself out. Looking forward to the news at ten in a year or so when we hear new things most days 😁

@pennylane83

If it is the case that yearly boosters would be required, how can that be justified against the fact that some countries won't have even started vaccinating or at the very least only just be starting out on their vaccination programme due to their place in the ordering/manufacturing queue (and how much money they can throw at orders) - do the manufacturing companies just give us booster doses at the expense of those countries still making their way through first vaccinations?

Given time, the pharmaceutical manufacturers will ramp up production to match demand. Why wouldn't they? They can't build new factories in a few weeks or a few months, but given several months or a year, you could easily have new factories up and running. The pharma companies won't do that until they know that annual boosters will be needed - if and when that becomes clear, they'll start building.

I wonder whether we'll be able to opt in/pay to get it.
I don't normally get a free flu jab, though I did this year as I'll be 50 later in the year.
But yet I am also Group 6 it seems, having the covid vaccination soon, even though I'm not eligible for flu vaccine, as they're not quite the same grouping.
I'd be happy to pay to get the booster if I had to, just to make sure I was done and could visit family abroad!

As for actually giving the jab, we have thousands of pharmacies, thousands of GP surgeries, etc.

There've been many times I've had my flu jab at the chemist or it's been given by the practice nurse when I've been in for a routine matter.

If chemists and GP surgeries can be given a regular supply, and they have the right storage facility, the jabs can be given in just a couple of minutes when you go in for your usual visits.

Dr John Campbell believes that:

a) immunity will be long lasting, so boosters won’t be needed for that purpose

b) we will need boosters for any new variants which can evade current vaccines

c) the fact that the same mutation (one which increases transmissibility) has arisen spontaneously in different parts of the world implies there is a limited number of potential mutations which are advantageous to the virus, and once we have tweaked vaccines to cope with those we are good to go.

The Horizon programme on BBC2 last night had an interview with a vaccine expert who said (and I paraphrase) that we can think of the current vaccines as a good first attempt, but that over the next few years the virus will settle down and we will settle on vaccines which can control it.

So - repeated vaccines/boosters for a few years, but unlikely to be needed long term, was the overall picture.

I wonder whether we'll be able to opt in/pay to get it.

I would have happily paid for my vaccination voluntarily, as I think many others would have, but I guess logistically that was impossible to organise when time was of the essence and would probably have been misrepresented by many.

Thanks @PuzzledObserver that's good to know.

I had thought the mass vaccination centres would remain ad infinitum for the bulk of us and those who live rurally would get jabbed at their GP.

I'm hoping the vaccine starts to come in single dose syringes like the flu vaccine then we will be able to vaccinate opportunistically rather than in groups of 11 with a frantic call to get other people in when you find you have a 12th dose. It will make life much easier.

No idea. Nobody knows how long the current vaccines protection will last - hopefully a few years. Then there’s the fact that we are administering different types of vaccine; so some may offer protection for longer than others.

I’m hoping the under 50’s are still able to get a vaccine even if it does turn in to a programme like the annual flu one.