Ireland AZ over 60s only.

[anyoldtime]

It’s being reported that Ireland is going to give AZ to over 60s only. Expected announcement at 7.30pm this evening.

200K have already been vaccinated with it and while it was paused, it then resumed although they knew there were issues surrounding it when it was resumed.

I’m pleased they are being responsible but a bit late for the 200K already injected...,!

J&J was going to be investigated. It’s DNA based as is AZ. It stands to reason the clotting issues would apply to it too.

@anyoldtime uk have more az so for now are using it , why turn it in to a competition each country is free to make their own decision based on their own circumstances
The uk may change or others may change a lot depends on vaccine availability as well, if J & J shows poss issued countries using this may have to take this into account as well
Its every changing if another vaccine shows problems further down the line it will change again
None of this is good news for any of us , we all want safe vaccines and the world vaccinated ultimately with safe vaccines that work surely

@anyoldtime I think its poss too soon to say it stands to reason as they clearly said they are not sure why these things ate happening , if they knew why we would be in a better place
Plus there have been issued with others just not big numbers so not sure if links etc
None are risk free totally

Ireland’s cases are also quite low at the minute. Less than 500 cases in total and 200 people in hospital - down from the 2,000’s in both in January

But by all means, be a good obedient girl and do what you're told without question, while feeling grateful to be 'allowed' to walk more than 5km past shuttered shops and restaurants for months on end

Feel sorry for Irish people to be honest. The lockdown will have hugely damaging long term consequences, and that's not even being acknowledged.

@Wildswim the U.K. has literally been out of lockdown for a day!!! It’s not that different to Ireland up until yesterday!

It isn’t a competition at all. Dr Tess Lambe , one of the co developers of AZ is Irish. Nobody wants to see any of the vaccines fail in any country. That doesn’t mean countries should be lambasted for taking precautions. People want J&J and AZ to be successful!

the U.K. has literally been out of lockdown for a day!!! It’s not that different to Ireland up until yesterday!

And when will we get to that position? We have no dates.

All NPHET are interested in is kicking that can as far down the road as they can.

Feel sorry for Irish people to be honest. The lockdown will have hugely damaging long term consequences, and that's not even being acknowledged.

Abso-fucking-lutely

[quote ForeverAintEnough12]@Wildswim the U.K. has literally been out of lockdown for a day!!! It’s not that different to Ireland up until yesterday![/quote]
All schoolchildren went back in England a month ago, only yesterday in Ireland. And 'stay at home' was lifted a few weeks ago in England, so it is quite different.

Also, the 4 nations all have a clear path out of lockdown, with reason to be optimistic that it will be adhered to and life will be close to normal, except maybe for international travel and large events, this summer. As far as I know, there is no clear exit plan in Ireland, and this vaccine decision obviously won't help.

[quote ForeverAintEnough12]@Wildswim the U.K. has literally been out of lockdown for a day!!! It’s not that different to Ireland up until yesterday![/quote]
There's been no 5k radius limit in UK. The Irish hold the dubious record of longest and harshest lockdown in Europe and they held that long before today.

@Wildswim how is a ‘exercise within 5km if possible’ guidance any different to U.K. ‘stay at home’ guidance?

@IcedPurple
So you feel sorry for the Irish but not yourselves because your children went back a whole 4 weeks before Irish children? That month is the only difference that matters - not the huge amount of time children have been disrupted in their education in both countries since covid hit?

So you feel sorry for the Irish but not yourselves because your children went back a whole 4 weeks before Irish children? That month is the only difference that matters - not the huge amount of time children have been disrupted in their education in both countries since covid hit?

I didn't say anything about 'feeling sorry for the Irish' but that month is not the only thing that matters. England and the other home nations are well on their way out of lockdown while Ireland has endured one of the longest lockdowns in the world with no end, or even significant easing, in sight. So the differences are significant and obvious. If the Irish are happy with that, great.

Children have been going back to school in Ireland since March 1st. It was done on a phased basis starting with lower primary and exam secondary. 2 weeks later upper primary went back. Then easter holidays. Then yesterday the remaining secondary also returned. My children (lower primary) have been back since 1st March.

exercise within 5km if possible

It wasn’t ‘if possible’. It was ‘exercise restricted to a 5k radius’

Primary school here is age 4/5 to 12/13. Before that there are 2 preschool years 2/3 to 4/5. Preschool returned in march also.

@IcedPurple why did you quote my post then which was in reference to @Wildswim feeling sorry for the lockdown Irish people are going through - which up until yesterday was virtually the same as the U.K. lockdown and mention the school diffference?

Also we do have a roadmap. It’s ok the website.

From April 12th inter county travel permitted, two households permitted to visit outside, from April 19th sports training resumed, from May 4tn remaining restrictions are reviewed. It may not be as bombastic as the U.K. ‘hit the pubs from this date’ but there is information out there and it will change based on vaccination rates and progress. I anticipate Ireland will also be opened up by summer. Cases are low, hospitalisation are low and vaccinations are increasing.

Yes we have been restricted to 5km, you can leave that for essential reasons.

@TheKeatingFive yes but it’s not this ‘you must stay within 5km’ doom mongering. It’s regarding exercise only I.e don’t go driving an hour to the Wicklow mountains for a run. How is it any different to the U.K. stay at home guidance?

@TheKeatingFive

exercise within 5km if possible

It wasn’t ‘if possible’. It was ‘exercise restricted to a 5k radius’

Yep and garda were and are policing movements quite heavily.

Guys, it isn't a competition. The pandemic has been shit for the UK, and it has been shit for Ireland.

We are all dealing with imperfect information. We only know a little about the potential clotting issue associated with the AZ vaccine, and now possibly with the J&J one as well. We also know very little about what unknown issues might surface as a result of any of the vaccines further down the line, but for the time being, we have to make the best decisions that we can on the basis of the information that we have got.

Both the UK and Ireland are taking a bit of a gamble. The UK has chosen to bet on the AZ vaccine, taking the data that has been collected so far as evidence that the benefits will far outweigh the risks posed by covid itself. Ireland has chosen to bet on the availability and safety of the other vaccines, the willingness of its people to stay in lockdown if it turns out that there is a delay in the vaccination programme and/or the likelihood of not being hit by another significant wave of covid in the interim.

None of us really know what's going to happen or how things are going to pan out. Let's just hope for all of our sakes that both of these calculated risks work out well for all concerned.

@IcedPurple why did you quote my post then which was in reference to @Wildswim feeling sorry for the lockdown Irish people are going through - which up until yesterday was virtually the same as the U.K. lockdown and mention the school diffference?

This is getting silly. I quoted your post because I wanted to respond to it. That doesn't mean I share the sentiments of posts which went before, does it?

From April 12th inter county travel permitted, two households permitted to visit outside, from April 19th sports training resumed, from May 4tn remaining restrictions are reviewed. It may not be as bombastic as the U.K. ‘hit the pubs from this date’ but there is information out there and it will change based on vaccination rates and progress.

Each of the 4 nations has their own plan and the dates are 'not before' not 'by this date', with caveats that they may change depending on a number of possibilities. Not sure how that's 'bombastic'.

I anticipate Ireland will also be opened up by summer. Cases are low, hospitalisation are low and vaccinations are increasing.

I've heard rather less optimistic scenarios but if that turns out to be the case, great.

From my relatives in ROI I know it's been very different to the UK experience. A much heavier police presence in Ireland.

How is it any different to the U.K. stay at home guidance?

Well I don’t think they had police empowered to fine people if they went 6k from their home on a walk.

Correct me if I’m wrong.

[quote ForeverAintEnough12]@TheKeatingFive yes but it’s not this ‘you must stay within 5km’ doom mongering. It’s regarding exercise only I.e don’t go driving an hour to the Wicklow mountains for a run. How is it any different to the U.K. stay at home guidance?[/quote]
Is it also just 'guidance' in Ireland? Or is it law with the possibility of fines for 'flouters'?