If you had decided not to have the AZ vaccination, has the Indian variant changed your mind?

[nancysblush]

Or if you’d decided not to have your 2nd dose are you now going to go ahead and get it? Because it’s looking like the only way we’re getting out of this is for everybody who possibly can to get fully vaccinated.
Seeing all the people on the news this morning in Bolton who’ve been eligible for a vaccination for for months but for whatever reason haven’t bothered (apparently there’s 10,000 in Bolton alone) has really surprised me. Now they’ve realised they’re at risk they’re all rushing to get done. Bit late though and potentially this surge of cases could have been avoided.

Sooner or later this virus will mutate into a version that is more scary to you personally - or for example becomes more fatal to kids - and suddenly the vaccine won't seem so bad

Maybe.

Personally, my bets are on the virus mutating into a version largely unaffected by the vaccine and that everyone, vaccinated or not, will all be back in the same (unprotected) boat at sometime in the next year anyway.

One of the reasons I've declined any vaccine is the apparent lack of long-term plans or predictions.

Everyone talks about the vaccine like its a magic bullet that's going to fix the world and end the virus. The media, friends, politicians - they talk of 'getting back to normal' or 'putting it all behind us' and I find these comments kind of morbidly fascinating in their short-sightedness.

It's not going to be 'normal'. Not for years probably. The virus will keep mutating, gradually or dramatically until, at some point, the historic vaccines will probably be useless against the new strains.

New, amended vaccines are likely to be needed at regular intervals...possibly for ever. Like, literally for ever. And whilst I may have been willing to have one vaccine if I was sure that was it, I'm cautious about starting down a road of annual or bi-annual vaccines to keep a virus at bay that has a very, very low risk to me.

Should the virus morph into a more deadly version or until I get to an age or health status where CV would be highly dangerous to me, I'm more comfortable waiting and seeing what happens.

@RaiseTheBeastie

Sooner or later this virus will mutate into a version that is more scary to you personally - or for example becomes more fatal to kids - and suddenly the vaccine won't seem so bad

Maybe.

Personally, my bets are on the virus mutating into a version largely unaffected by the vaccine and that everyone, vaccinated or not, will all be back in the same (unprotected) boat at sometime in the next year anyway.

One of the reasons I've declined any vaccine is the apparent lack of long-term plans or predictions.

Everyone talks about the vaccine like its a magic bullet that's going to fix the world and end the virus. The media, friends, politicians - they talk of 'getting back to normal' or 'putting it all behind us' and I find these comments kind of morbidly fascinating in their short-sightedness.

It's not going to be 'normal'. Not for years probably. The virus will keep mutating, gradually or dramatically until, at some point, the historic vaccines will probably be useless against the new strains.

New, amended vaccines are likely to be needed at regular intervals...possibly for ever. Like, literally for ever. And whilst I may have been willing to have one vaccine if I was sure that was it, I'm cautious about starting down a road of annual or bi-annual vaccines to keep a virus at bay that has a very, very low risk to me.

Should the virus morph into a more deadly version or until I get to an age or health status where CV would be highly dangerous to me, I'm more comfortable waiting and seeing what happens.

Apparently we’re nearing a critical point whereby half the population has been vaccinated and half hasn’t.

It’s like the perfect environment for the virus to mutate to a more deadly strain, or a one that as a pp suggested could affect children (that’s an example as to how things could get much much worse)

It was one of the Doctors, on one of the morning shows, and they obviously know their stuff. They were saying that this is the critical point where there’s not enough people vaccinated for it not to be a threat to turn in to something more deadly. It’s like the perfect breeding ground to turn. The more people that are vaccinated the less chance it has to take a hold.

I’m more inclined to listen to her than anyone on MN I must say 😂

Oh can I play too

At some stage as a virus can only mutate so much evolutionary. The virus will become more transmitable but barely dangerous at all. Which is the ultimate state a virus needs to get to else it would die out.

In the mean time we now have vaccines that work on all know variants. To cut serious illness and death down greatly. As this virus has already played its ultimate hand in one of the mutations that is part of the south African variant. We know the vaccines work on that. So experts from around the world are already saying it isn't likely health people will need boosters. I have just had my first jab of AZ

This is a fun game.

I agree that it's now the perfect environment for a virus to mutate. But probably not into a more deadly strain.

A virus doesn't do well if it kills it's hosts, there's no one walking around and spreading it. It's why deadly viruses are relatively rare.

It's more likely it will mutate into different variations, no more or less deadly than the original, just different enough to be spread again.

@TruelyWonder

Oh can I play too

At some stage as a virus can only mutate so much evolutionary. The virus will become more transmitable but barely dangerous at all. Which is the ultimate state a virus needs to get to else it would die out.

In the mean time we now have vaccines that work on all know variants. To cut serious illness and death down greatly. As this virus has already played its ultimate hand in one of the mutations that is part of the south African variant. We know the vaccines work on that. So experts from around the world are already saying it isn't likely health people will need boosters. I have just had my first jab of AZ

This is a fun game.

But what about the Indian variant? That’s the thing that’s going to make it break it for us in the coming weeks?

Even if the vaccines do work against it that’s great, but I still recon that if the cases continue to rise in certain areas, they’ll still hold off opening up properly- even if the death toll is minuscule. It’s like any covid death is too much which is mental because people die for a million other reasons....

experts from around the world are already saying it isn't likely health people will need boosters

Ha! Experts from around the world have said a lot of things in the past year!

@RaiseTheBeastie

I agree that it's now the perfect environment for a virus to mutate. But probably not into a more deadly strain.

A virus doesn't do well if it kills it's hosts, there's no one walking around and spreading it. It's why deadly viruses are relatively rare.

It's more likely it will mutate into different variations, no more or less deadly than the original, just different enough to be spread again.

I would have thought the same, it’s totally logical, but this doctor was adamant that it could get worse and this is the crucial time.

Hopefully this nightmare will be over sooner rather than later

Number of people vaccinated wise we are on a knife edge with it but I think we may get away with that. The next two weeks should decide it for us.

If like the early data and anecdotal evidence out of India now suggest AZ can handle it. The Pfizer and Moderna can to in theory. All the experts are saying it doesn't matter which vaccine. They say that for a very good scientific reason. Once the vaccine has done isn't job and the antibodies are made your body acts the same no matter which vaccine you had. There is very little difference at all.

It really is just a matter of vaccinating as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time now. That is how we get our normal back. No excuses from the government and no broken promises after that. People and businesses won't stand for it.

@RaiseTheBeastie

experts from around the world are already saying it isn't likely health people will need boosters

Ha! Experts from around the world have said a lot of things in the past year!

Oh I know but the truth is we have had every Tom dick and harry claiming to be an expert. Then the statistics people making models of calculations on their computers etc.

All we ever had to do was listen to the real experts. The people that make the vaccines or the people that have researched viruses for years. Then we may actually have avoided some pain.

If you listen to the real experts know they are all basically starting to say the same thing about the vaccines. Which is amazing news for us. So long as we can get a lot more people vaccinated as fast as possible.

@TableFlowerss @Respectivehomelands hear hear!

Friend of a friend saying they know people in India who've had both vaccine doses and still died from latest variant. I think the gov are downplaying the danger right now to not panic people.

People here are selfish until they are personally affected. I also personally don't understand the suspicion around vaccines but maybe that's because I am a scientist.

I've noted that most of the aggression here is from the pro-vaccinators: snide comments about natural selection etc.

This reveals to me that these people aren't as public-spirited about saving lives as they claim to be.
They actively wish harm on those who choose not to have the jab.

The truth is a person who chooses the jab is not necessarily more morally good than a person who chooses not to have it.

Most of us act out of self-interest.

There was a poster who quietly stated they were doing it for others. I believe them to be genuine.

But the ones having it while wishing harm in those that don't are no more morally good than those of us that don't.
Their ego is invested in it somehow : the seemingly holier than thou nurse etc. Or to save their business or f* off to Spain for a fortnight.
Fair enough but, understand this: you're not acting less selfishly than me when I choose not to have it because I don't see the point.

Always interested by the posts oh threads such as this which say things like 'they talk up xxx variant as they want everybody to get vaccinated', but then can never seem to explain why 'they' might want this

@Covywovy Who is wishing harm on other people?

@diddlediddle

Vaccines are important because they reduce transmission. Reducing transmission reduces virus mutations. Sooner or later this virus will mutate into a version that is more scary to you personally - or for example becomes more fatal to kids - and suddenly the vaccine won't seem so bad

Well of course!! This is a pointless post!

If the disease was more deadly for the young and fit, then on balance of risk the vaccine WOULD be a good idea

I also don’t agree with your assumption that it definitely will mutate into a more deadly form!

@HarrietOh

If everyone refused the vaccine, and deaths were through the roof and no access to NHS as over run, wonder how these people would feel. Wait 10 years so it’s “properly tested?”

The ones who would of overwhelmed the nhs are now vaccinated. Many reports that we have already reached herd immunity. At this point I don't think it matters too much who does or doesn't have it. The original plan anyway was to only do the over 50s and vulnerable.

[quote BunsyGirl]@bumbleymummy we will need restrictions if there is a big uptick in cases. Maybe it won’t happen but getting vaccinated will help to stop it.[/quote]
Not unless they’re causing hospitalisation/deaths. That’s what the vaccines were for. They’ve broken the link between cases and hospitalisations/deaths.

Bunsygirl hi, don't mean this negatively as you could be visually impaired- in which case I'll go back and quote for you- but yeah comments about natural selection etc ARE here.

I had read that the vaccine only reduces NON -serious symptoms.

Now IF this is true I am guessing that the average person can't see the point of this, however, what they fail to realise is that it's to stop people going sick.

Because this has never, ever been about saving lives but about not disrupting supply chains.

@bravefox

Always interested by the posts oh threads such as this which say things like 'they talk up xxx variant as they want everybody to get vaccinated', but then can never seem to explain why 'they' might want this

You can’t think why the government might want to ensure the maximum uptake of the vaccine? Surely that’s pretty obvious?

@Covywovy

I've noted that most of the aggression here is from the pro-vaccinators: snide comments about natural selection etc.

This reveals to me that these people aren't as public-spirited about saving lives as they claim to be.
They actively wish harm on those who choose not to have the jab.

The truth is a person who chooses the jab is not necessarily more morally good than a person who chooses not to have it.

Most of us act out of self-interest.

There was a poster who quietly stated they were doing it for others. I believe them to be genuine.

But the ones having it while wishing harm in those that don't are no more morally good than those of us that don't.
Their ego is invested in it somehow : the seemingly holier than thou nurse etc. Or to save their business or f* off to Spain for a fortnight.
Fair enough but, understand this: you're not acting less selfishly than me when I choose not to have it because I don't see the point.

Well put!! I am not a bad person, I donate blood 3 times a year, donate to various charities, compete in sponsored events, support small local businesses, do volunteer work but because I'm choosing to not have the vaccine at this moment in time I am classed as selfish and vile to some people. I have learned now to stop caring but still wanted to post here as reading from others who are choosing the same path as me is helping me and hopefully may help others too.

I’m in my 20s and I don’t have health issues. I won’t have any of the Covid19 vaccines. I know a quite a few people in their 20s and 30s who have had awful side effects from feeling sick and weak for days to developing blood clots. On the other hand, I know people who have had Covid19 and either felt a little sick for 1-2 days or were asymptomatic.

Thankfully, not many people are dying with Covid19 in the UK. If you’re elderly or medically vulnerable then feel free to take the vaccine.

I had read that the vaccine only reduces NON -serious symptoms.

What? Where have you read this.

It’s the wrong way round.

Your post is 100% what I mean @bumbleymummy . Go on, enlighten us as to the govt's hidden agenda

There was quite an aggressive first post on this thread @Covywovy saying that they had lost respect for anyone having the vaccine. Think it was you.

@baldafrique

Seems like Bolton is full of absolute idiots

From what I read on another thread, there are a lot of Indians who are afraid to get involved with the authorites. Especially those whose paperwork may not be quite in order. Apparently, even if you have settled status, the authorities still want more paperword. I am only going by what I have read on another thread on MN.