If you didn't get the jab, would you consider having it now?

[AreYouVeryAnti]

You'd better be quick if you're healthy and under 50...

"The Telegraph understands the Government is also preparing to wind down the open offer of the first two doses over the coming months. The move will mean unvaccinated healthy under-50s will soon not be able to get a Covid jab unless one is recommended by a medical professional."

What a disgusting post. I took my vaccine to protect a vulnerable relative and she has not had covid as I am not selfish or like you an anti vaxxer. I also took it to reduce the strain on the NHS. Unlike you I follow the science and government advice. Can I ask, do you believe the earth is flat as well like my anti vaxxer friend?

What is it with anyone who questions anything about the vaccine immediately believing the earth is flat etc?
Is there some kind of strange pathology going on that makes vaccine lovers think anyone who disagrees with them in anyway is immediately insane in some way?
It's really strange.
It's obvious that with the mounting waves of information coming out that maybe something iffy went on with pfizer etc. that people who took the vaccine might now be worried about their decision and the long term effects, but why do they have to take this out on other people and be so rude rather than just following the story and looking at the current evidence?

From global guidelines:

Serious side effects that could cause a long-term health problem are extremely rare following any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination. The benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks.

There is greater risk of long term health problems from Covid itself.

What are the "mounting waves of information" though? @HelpfulMonkey

All I see is high profile people like Malhotra making claims, which when you attempt to follow them back to the source, have no evidence basis at all.

There is literally no evidence to suggest offering vaccination to the general population was a mistake.

I have no skin in the game and very happy to update my opinion if new evidence came out suggesting the opposite, but there isn't anything. Just various people profiting and making a career out of being a contrarian.

As I've said before, skepticism should go both ways, and I'd wonder why you're happy to blindly follow claims of anyone without evidence.

rather than just following the story and looking at the current evidence?
Again - what is the story, and what is this current evidence? If you actually have something, I'd be very happy to read it.

@Biochemist Check out Christine Anderson, MEP, she gave a recent speech called "Lessons Learned and recommendations for the future".
They seem to be asking a lot of questions on the continent, all looks pretty hectic.
Like you I have no 'skin in the game' (which is quite a bonkers way of putting this situation) but it does seem like there's lots of interesting things happening

Specifically what claims is she making, and based on what evidence? Why reference a politician, rather than a clinician or scientist?

I'm not sure what's "bonkers" about purely wanting evidence-driven policies regarding coronavirus and vaccines though.

Just have a look!
It's not about making claims or whatever, she's a politician investigating the situation on behalf of us, the people, which is kind of good I think?

Ok if she's not making claims, then can you explain what she's looking into?

What specific aspect of vaccination - development, roll out, post-authorisation monitoring?

I'm also a bit confused because this was in response to your post:

It's obvious that with the mounting waves of information coming out that maybe something iffy went on with pfizer etc. that people who took the vaccine might now be worried about their decision and the long term effects,

I asked for any evidence to back up this statement but we seem to be going round in circles @HelpfulMonkey

I was just suggesting that you have a look at something you might find interesting, not some kind of fight or claims!

I'm busy and can't find the right thing but this is a link to what she said in the EU parliament or something:

Excepting the vulnerable of course, which I presume you are. Not really relevant to my discussion with the previous poster, who was shouting about people not having the booster without apparently realising that the vast majority of under 50s hadn’t actually been offered it.

She claims "we have been lied to....lock them in their homes...all based on GIGANTIC LIE"

"need to hold Pfizer accountable for what went on behind the scenes...house of cards tumbling down"

"it was never about public health, it was never about breaking waves, it was always about BREAKING PEOPLE"

These are all just jumnled statements. I'm not sure what point she is making about the vaccines, and if she is making a point what evidence she is basing this on.

I'll refer to my earlier statement - there is absolutely no evidence that offering vaccination to the general population was a mistake, and this doesn't back up your previous claim there is "mounting waves of information coming out that maybe something iffy went on with pfizer etc."

Can't you see there's literally no substance here @HelpfulMonkey ?

I don't think that's fair - some didn't want the vaccine but were either forced or coerced to have it by their employers or due to social pressure etc. The ones who should really be ashamed are those who got on their high horses with the forced vaccinations for carers and virtue signalled about not wanted their parents cared for by the unvaccinated (when they'd been perfectly happy for them to do so until the vaccinations were available).

@biochemist I'm just looking at things that seem interesting.
I reckon an MEP has loads of people looking at data and evidence and stuff in their team so I'd rather listen to them than some random on the internet

Not saying that you are 'some random on the internet' @Biochemist, I phrased that badly, I'm not into fighting

I find this baffling @HelpfulMonkey

Obviously yes I'm just a random poster, but the "data and evidence and stuff" has been scrutinised by tens of thousands of experts worldwide.

I'm not sure why you think an MEP would come to a different conclusion (hard to know when she hasn't stated what this conclusion is...) when looking at this same evidence base.

If the claim she is making is based on a specific piece of evidence, like a study, then she needs to share it.

It's ridiculous the amount of big names in the anti-vaccine industry who say they have proof for one thing or another, but are unable to actually produce it.

As I've said, I'm perfectly open to changing my mind, but I'm not going to blindly believe random statements someone tells me, unless they actually have something backing it up. Otherwise it's just more of the same speculation and rambling.

Posted as you posted, sorry and yes I guess I did phrase it badly and you took it the wrong way. Sorry again.
But I totally agree - looking for evidence and facts is what it's all about. Not sure what the "anti-vaccine industry" is but they must be doing pretty well if they are in the EU parliament!
It's really late now but yeah, speculation and rambling needs things to back it up - who knows what new things will happen tomorrow!

Great use of 'baffling' too, that's a Mumsnet classic word isn't it?

I'm not sure how you can be unware of the anti-vaccine industry (or put it in quotation marks), when it is existed long before COVID and these particular vaccines.

Large disinformation groups, and specific individuals, use vaccine hesitancy to profit in a number of ways - it can be by generating publicity, monetising things like substack/youtube, selling consults, vitamins, supplements etc, and is a lucrative career that pays far more than a standard scientist or clinician salary.

But I totally agree - looking for evidence and facts is what it's all about.
Well then in that case surely you can agree that the video you linked is completely unhelpful, given she does not articulate what these claims are, or mention any evidence behind them.

I have no idea what specific aspect of vaccination she has taken issue with (development, roll out, post authorisation monitoring?), and without that how can anyone comment?

It is classic to just rile people up with big empty statements with no substance behind them.

As I said, I'm not sure why you think an MEP would come to a different conclusion (yet to be articulated) when looking at the same data that has been scrutinised by tens of thousands of experts worldwide.

Not sure what the "anti-vaccine industry" is but they must be doing pretty well if they are in the EU parliament!

Now you're swerving from one MEP to "they"? Presumably to make it sound like there's a whole gang when there isn't @HelpfulMonkey

We had Dingle, we had Bridgen. If people had taken their ramblings seriously it would've been a sorry state of affaris.

So to be clear, there are 145 MEPs sitting on the Special Committee on COVID-19 pandemic: lessons learned and recommendations for the future, looking at the EU website.

The MEP you linked, isn't listed as being part of it at all. Her rambling video is not mentioned.

It is ironic given one of their aims is:

looking into the reasons of vaccine hesitancy and the spread of disinformation in this area,

It took me about 10 mins to check this out for myself @HelpfulMonkey , why don't you start doing this too? Surely "doing your own research" means checking primary sources, not just believing tweets and youtube videos.

Whoa, not sure what's going on here @henlee?
Why do you think this member of the EU parliament is wrong?
There's some sort of conspiracy that people are making money off anti-vaccine claims not just looking for the truth?
Is the MEP going to further her career by talking about this or something?

I do doubt her judgement. Last month she shared an article about Pfizer's Covid vaccine effectiveness in all seriousness without noticing it was published by the Babylon Bee. She had to retract it, but not before plenty of anti-vaxxers had piled on with predictable "Pfizer evil" comments (and they still are, oddly).

And in the same month, she refused to say if Earth was round or not.

I don't believe this person is going to expose everything for you. Sorry.

And I do check primary sources and stuff, I just posted that link quickly to give a pointer to someone who seemed to not be able to find stuff for themselves, Please don't be so quick to denigrate and cast aspersions without reading properly

@MeetPi Wow, posted at the same time!
More flat earth stuff!
Why is there such a desire to make everything binary - that everyone who believes one thing must believe lots of other things as well?
Questions about the vaccine do not automatically mean that someone thinks the earth is flat or that 5g is some brain fryer or something, it just means they are questioning the actions of a massive multinational that wants to make money and hasn't got the shiniest of reputations over the years.

Let's just wait and see what happens eh? Rather than just shutting things down as they are developing, you never know, we might all learn something new?