How is everyone feeling about the new “targeted approach” that is being muttered about now?

[Waynemanor]

I think they are hinting that only clinically vulnerable and elderly will be vaccinated? There seem to be experts coming out saying it is not practical (or necessary) to do population wild vaccinations in the future.
i have had two vaccines and booster myself and being told my immunity will wane now after 10 weeks is obviously disappointing. Admittedly I don’t really want to be boosted every 3 months but I am apprehensive about getting covid with zero protection from vaccine. Do we really know that omicron is milder? Or is it just because there are a lot of people with immunity now from either natural infection or vaccines? Once the vaccine immunity fades will it still be potentially dangerous to contract Covid? Just wondering what others thoughts are at this stage

I agree with it. It’s right to focus our resources on the most vulnerable.
The hospitalisation rates shows that omicron is milder.
The next stage should be to help everyone improve their physical and mental wellbeing so we’re not so vulnerable to the next wave, which hopefully should be milder than omicron.

I think they are hinting that only clinically vulnerable and elderly will be vaccinated? There seem to be experts coming out saying it is not practical (or necessary) to do population wild vaccinations in the future

Finally. Some have been saying from March 2020 that that is what shoul d happen. Makes much more sense.

Antibodies will wane but protection against severe disease will hold.

I think it’s right the vulnerable/elderly maybe get an annual booster. Nothing more for the rest of us.

I really hope travel won’t require constant boosters. Vaccines were the bridge when faced with a novel virus. We’re now in a situation where most adults have had 3 vaccines and probably a dose (for some 2!) of Covid. Our immune systems will recognise the virus in the future even if antibodies wane.

Plus we can’t afford to keep boosting healthy adults. Money needs to be diverted to health care. I agree we all need to take some personal responsibility for our health now going forward.

getting covid with zero protection from vaccine

This isn’t accurate really. Your antibody levels might wane but the other levels of immune response should last a lot longer. So you’re definitely not sitting there with zero protection.

If omicron is mild abs doesn't attack the lungs, I'm OK for the new approach.

But what concerns me deeply is covid changing again for the worst.. Say its all dandy now but something nasty rears it's head what then?

@JanuaryBluehoo

If omicron is mild abs doesn't attack the lungs, I'm OK for the new approach.

But what concerns me deeply is covid changing again for the worst.. Say its all dandy now but something nasty rears it's head what then?

We can't keep restrictions going on what ifs. If an incredibly lethal virus pops up we'll need a functioning economy to make the necessary adaptations. Right now we're burning through money and making no investment in the things that would protect us in fact we're pushing more people into poverty. If we'd invested the money we've spent on covid on making people healthier and wealthier we'd be in a much better position. Social care, housing, education etc all need massive investment. Instead I suspect we'll have reduced public spending to repay our debts.

I welcome this shift in approach

It's potentially dangerous to get any infection. Millions die from other infections every year and you don't even think about it. You've been taught to fear covid but there's no real reason to - every single bit of data shows that you are almost guaranteed to survive it, vaccine or no vaccine. Yes, some are unlucky but some are unlucky with an ear infection, some are unlucky when they get in a car. There really is no point in worrying about it. Honestly.

I think that "elderly" is a tricky definition. Plenty of people in 40s and 50s hospitalised. I'd say it needs to be 40+.

And what if omicron mutates into something worse than delta. I had delta (40s) and it was fucking awful.

It's been talked about for some time. That at some point vaccines would be for elderly and clinically vulnerable similar to the flu vaccine and probably done at the same time.

We cannot sustain mass vaccinations every few months.

@JanuaryBluehoo

If omicron is mild abs doesn't attack the lungs, I'm OK for the new approach.

But what concerns me deeply is covid changing again for the worst.. Say its all dandy now but something nasty rears it's head what then?

Equally, what if the next pandemic isn't a coronavirus? You can't continue locking down, restrictions, spending billions, etc., "just in case".

Hopefully covid 19 has been a kick up the backsides for all Western countries to put long term plans/precautions in place to prevent having to have ruinous lockdowns etc in the future, when the next pandemic happens.

We have to hope that, say, there's no return to stupidly cramped/crowded waiting rooms in hospitals and GP surgeries for a start. Plus bigger classrooms in schools so kids can spread out. Better ventilation in schools, hospitals, and other public spaces.
That's a very long term plan but I think covid has shown that crowding people into ever smaller spaces isn't a good idea!

@gsaoej

I think that "elderly" is a tricky definition. Plenty of people in 40s and 50s hospitalised. I'd say it needs to be 40+.

Sorry what?? 40+ to define "elderly"? I really hope I have misunderstood that.

Also depends how you define ‘plenty’

The usual profession for viruses is that the mutate into less harmful strains. So far this seems to be the situation with Covid
I know three people w omnicron right now

1. Very fit woman in her 40s. She feels like she has a cold. Two nights of quite a lot of swearing. Light fever
2. Her son and my son. Both totally ok. One a bit unwell -as in cold symptoms. The other you wouldn’t know he has Covid was it not for positive home tests and PCR.

I think it seems sensible to now focus on only vaccinating vulnerable people (perhaps specifically in a window in early autumn) and everywhere else in the world that hasn't had much vaccination to avoid further concerning variants.

Two nights of quite a lot of swearing

@Serenschintte

I think 'at last'

I think it is about the realisation that in order to protect against getting infection there would need to be constant vaccinations.

But protection against severe disease remains which is what we need. Given that it is the vulnerable and elderly whose protection against that wanes it makes sense

Also remember the huge impact rolling out the booster has had on other areas - GPs are spending time on this that actually should be used elsewhere. We cannot keep on using this resource

Equally, what if the next pandemic isn't a coronavirus? You can't continue locking down, restrictions, spending billions, etc., "just in case".

In the scheme of viruses covid is relatively light and a efficient virus as it spreads mostly without killing it's host.

Something like ebola with a longer time before symptoms showed but more transmissible would be the virus to be feared.

With our encroachment on natural habitats it's only a matter of time, before we see something that makes covid look like a cold.

Presumably it will fall along the lines of flu vaccine eligibility? Seems sensible.

Antibodies may wane but the t-cell response will still be there. I read earlier that experts reckon something like 98% of the UK population have some level of immunity to Omicron now.

I think this is a very sensible move. The govt shot themselves in the foot a bit making everyone so scared of covid, now that needs to be undone.

But we cannot vaccinate an entire planet of people every few months, it just isnt possible. We never managed this with vaccine #1, let alone #3.

@NightmareSlashDelightful

Two nights of quite a lot of swearing

@Serenschintte

Woop! Typo. Sweating

Happy about it but just know it won’t last.

We need to focus on boosting the clinically vulnerable and first-dosing the rest of the world.

Omicron has been shown to be pathologically milder, and that’s not just due to immunity. It does not replicate in the lungs like Delta did but stays in the upper respiratory tract.

And because it’s so incredibly transmissible it is actually unlikely to be replaced by another more harmful variant anytime soon - it has quickly displaced Delta and is likely to remain dominant.

This is good news for everyone.

I thought this was a new symptom I hadn't seen on the list before 😂