He’s got a lot of blood on his hands that bloke. We don’t hear from him as much these days after some bold predictions about the pandemic being over months ago.
I don't think he is the one mate. The Doctor I am on about works in a hospital and is often in his uniform with a mask hanging off.
Italy threatening legal action against Pfizer and AZ for the lack of delivery of promised vaccines due to production issues - the Italians don’t want compensation in cash but to get supply of the medicines. Rest of the EU countries similarly angry. I fear vaccine supply issues are going to be a big story over the next few weeks. Including, I’m sorry to say, here. We have fantastic rates at the moment, I think we are burning through stockpiles of already made vaccine, especially from AZ, but it will be a real struggle to maintain these levels when we rely on ‘freshly made’ stuff and have to start some second dose jabs as well - AZ has promised 2 million a week but won’t manage that until mid February at earliest, and Pfizer has already said that changes to its manufacturing process will reduce production temporarily, before helping to increase it. Temporary blip, but watch the media go mad, unfairly. Sorry, not glass half full. It’s not a disaster, just means we need to follow the rules properly, which is why we get a constant flow of scare stories from the government and their advisors. Interesting news coming out of Israel, where they are way ahead of everyone else in vaccinations (apparently they got a massive supply from Pfizer as Netanyahu negotiated the contract himself with the Pfizer CEO and paid top dollar). Still seeing infections, albeit less severe, after first Pfizer jab. Their health minister was great, said ‘as Pfizer expected - the big one to look at is what happens to people a week and more after second dose’.
Cant blame the other countries for kicking off to be fair, I’d be expecting us to do the same in similar circumstances. Any idea how many doses we have stockpiled already ? As you say, it will only be a short blip but you can bet the press will lap it up......but again, being the devils advocate.....in real terms will it make much difference ? I mean they are already hinting at schools being shut till April and no lockdown easing till March/April at the earliest, so that short term vaccine shortage doesn’t really make much difference in real terms. It’ll be a bit like the ‘shock/horror’ headlines we had a few days ago of the ‘30% more deadly’ strain of COVID.....makes great headlines and scares a few people.
From memory, which at my age is unreliable, I think there were millions, perhaps 10m but really not sure, staggered introduction due to batch level quality control. Makes no difference if everyone follows the rules and doesn’t panic about new variants etc etc.
Honestly, I’m not normally a “glass half full” person, and usually think the worse......but I dunno...right now I’m feeling better than ever about all this crap. If those in charge don’t make a hash of it and **** it up, I really think we’re on the final straight.
I think the way the media concentrate on all the negative stories is scandalous. They just want to scare people ****less. I have to turn it off as it's too depressing and imo, unescesarily so. It also seems to spread to social media.
Putting my tin foil hat on......Maybe that’s what those in charge want us to be ? After all, if we are scared, we are more likely to comply
I think there's a hint of politics in this. Before a budget there's always scare stories suggesting increases in this or that or the introduction of a new charge or tax, often these are deliberate leaks so that when the increases are not that bad people are relieved, not realising they've still been had for an increase. Same applies here, keep scaremongering and and if it's only half as bad they'll probably get some praise. That said just short of half a million vaxes in one day is some going...
Trouble is that the real rule breakers don’t actually access the propaganda machines and don’t believe them anyway, and the rest of us, who are inclined to do whatever works to get us out of this, are increasingly cynical about official and unofficial channels of communication, we have to negotiate our way through a minefield of contradictions and exaggerations to find a reasonable way to behave for ourselves. I have lost count of the times that ministers and experts have contradicted each other, it really doesn’t help.
Just spoke to my brother who has just come back from taking his Mother in Law for her first jab in Southall. Smooth, slick and packed. Very impressed. I’d rather one of the amazing volunteers who are making this possible get an honour in the future, instead of Nigel or Lewis......
Interesting though that here we might have a small minority who want to make a point by not wearing a mask or going to a rave.....whereas in Holland you have silly ****s rioting and burning down a test centre.
I am aware that being scared into doing something is actually a good thing...not worried about that...as anything like that has to be beneficial. Will not criticise the government for that. Not sure about delaying the second jab for the really compromised over 80s though. Get them fully protected and out of the equation please..
Really? I didn’t see that. Very worrying trends here (and I’m sure in other countries) with certain ethnic and religious groups having low rates of uptake for the jab. I don’t really understand it. In Birmingham in some south Asian and Afro Caribbean communities less than half the over 80s have accepted their invitation for the jab, and there are many, including junior doctors, from these backgrounds saying they won’t either, at least not yet.
Totally agree....I’m hoping to see the second dose numbers start to rise substantially at some time.......will make me feel even better.
That’s all I have wanted since the single jab policy came out, get the very vulnerable properly covered. The rest of us can take our chances. The scaremongering policy is only good if it works, but these people have very little credibility, whether politicians or their advisors.
