Actually the word is correct. Maybe I should have used it differently? Sadly because of all the silly arguments I decided to put 2 people on ignore. Only for the sake of mine and the boards sanity. Both fab posters on the footy threads and I miss their contribution (seriously) It's just we always seem to clash over politics and I got bored so I moved on. I would ignore myself if I could.
EU to order more Pfizer vaccine after declining earlier offer By Francesco Guarascio 4 Min Read BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union will take up its option to buy up to 100 million more doses of Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine after turning down an opportunity in July for a much bigger deal, according to EU officials and an internal document. FILE PHOTO: A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a "Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine" sticker and a medical syringe in front of displayed Pfizer logo in this illustration taken, October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic The plan comes after some of the vaccine candidates ordered by the EU faced unexpected delays in clinical trials, forcing the bloc and other wealthy nations to rely for now on shots from fewer manufacturers than initially planned. The Pfizer/BioNTech shot, the first COVID-19 vaccine to be approved by Western drugs regulators, is being rolled out in countries including Britain and the United States, and is expected to be approved for use in the EU next week. The European Commission decided on Tuesday to exercise its option to buy up to 100 million additional doses under an existing contract with Pfizer and BioNTech, a spokesman for the EU executive told Reuters on Thursday. Under the same contract it has already ordered 200 million doses. “We want to be sure to get more doses because there is big demand,” the spokesman said. An EU official said talks were underway over how many of the extra 100 million doses might be taken. Pfizer did not respond to a request for comment. BioNTech declined to comment. Advertisement Under the EU contract, the two firms have committed to rapidly deliver 200 million doses after regulatory approval for 15.5 euros ($18.8) apiece, EU officials told Reuters in November. The extra 100 million doses would be supplied at the same price, but with the timetable to be negotiated, EU officials said. Pfizer and BioNTech have said they can produce about 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021, but they are trying to expand manufacturing capacity as global demand surges. DECLINED ORDER The discussions to order more Pfizer shots, even before the first shipments have arrived, underscore the pressure on the EU to secure more supplies to tackle a pandemic that has already killed 470,000 Europeans and is picking up pace in winter. That contrasts with EU negotiators’ more relaxed stance in the summer, when the pandemic was waning and the bloc was sealing supply deals with multiple vaccine makers. Related Coverage EU concludes preliminary talks to buy up to 200 million doses of Novavax COVID vaccine At a meeting with EU diplomats in July, a Commission official said the EU had declined an offer of 500 million doses from Pfizer and BioNTech because it was too expensive, an internal EU document seen by Reuters shows. The Commission and BioNTech declined to comment on this. Pfizer did not reply to a request for comment. With a population of 450 million, the bloc is now relying only on the 200 million Pfizer shots it has already ordered for its first vaccinations, which could start around Christmas. In January, the EU is also expected to approve the shot developed by Moderna, but it has an initial order of just 80 million doses, with an option for 80 million more. The Commision this week has also decided to take up that option immediately, the EU spokesman said. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses per person. Pfizer’s vaccines for the EU are produced at a plant in Belgium, but the factory is currently also supplying the United States, Britain and Canada. Advertisement “We have millions of doses ready (..) for distribution, depending on regulatory approval,” a spokesman for the plant told Reuters, when asked whether shipments to countries outside the EU could temporarily reduce supplies to the bloc. In total, the EU has booked nearly 1.3 billion vaccines in deals with Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca/Oxford, Sanofi/GSK and CureVac, and has options to buy another 660 million. But clinical tests of the vaccines being developed by AstraZeneca and Sanofi have suffered delays, and CureVac has not yet begun large-scale trials. Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca could submit applications to EU regulators by March, the head of the EU drugs regulator said last week. ($1 = 0.8207 euros)
Maybe the reason is that the Germans have decided not to use the AZ/Oxford on the over 65s. The reason is stated that there is insufficient evidence that the Oxford/AZ vaccine is effective in older patients. Now this is worrying, as I am assuming that our regulators have seen the same data as the German regulators.. Stan....what have you heard.
please log in to view this image Dr Zoe Harcombe, PhD @zoeharcombe · 10h I suspect the most undiagnosed cancer during the past year will be lung cancer. One of the main symptoms - persistent cough - being dismissed as Covid-19. Friend of a friend has just been diagnosed too late - now terminal please log in to view this image
I saw this today but didn't have time to comment but it really is beyond comprehension that in the current financial climate, particularly across the performing arts, they can introduce such a punitive fee. It seems deliberately timed to land in the middle of International Venue Week, a large online 'festival'. Majority of members are rightly seething at this and I won't be surprised if there's a climbdown before the week is out...
Breaking:COVID-19: EU told to consider legal action over AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine row https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19...-astrazeneca-coronavirus-vaccine-row-12201563 actually I will move this to the politics thread as it’s in that area now.
My former work colleague Rita, whom I wrote about on here last year, who spent most of last year in hospital has finally passed away today. She was already quite ill when she contracted Covid in March but survived after many months in ICU. However, she never fully recovered and sadly deteriorated in the New Year. She won't be classified as a Covid death but it undoubtedly did far more damage than her initial condition. We only see numbers when the statistics are published but they were all someone's relations, family or friends whether in or out of the statistics. RIP Rita...
Not heard anything, but I think we noted ages ago that there are simply not enough elderly patients in the trials to come to a firm conclusion on efficacy. The Germans cite a lack of data, and man do I know to my own cost that these guys can eat up data, insatiable for it. I’m not impressed with the AZ trial set up and administration/analysis at all, and as I think you have pointed out before that traditional vaccines are usually less effective in the elderly (usually much less effective than the claims for the AZ one). But they do have some effect and are way better than nothing, so I’m not sure if the Germans are cutting off their nose to spite their face here. It may not be as efficacious, but if it is over 40% and is safe that’s as good as lots of existing vaccines. I know I am happy that my Mum got the Pfizer jab and would prefer that one myself, but unless there is endless quick supply of it you have to cut your coat to fit your cloth (boy am I up on the proverbs today!). So, lack of data, I think.
Thanks Stan. I agree stupidly AZ/Oxford did not look for over 65 in their cohort. And agree some protection is better than none. But now again seriously worried about the efficacy of AZ vaccine in older patients
I think you need to stop worrying for a while Beth. I genuinely don't think it's good for you. Our regulators have said they're happy with the vaccine.
I’m not sure how many of the over 60s were included in the trials of the other vaccines either. Usually we wouldn’t aim at a big elderly cohort because of the myriad of co-morbidities which can bugger up the results, without telling us anything about the medicine being trialled. But AZ and I think the others made the decision to make specific claims about efficacy in the elderly, which is pretty nuts. I’ll get slaughtered for this, but I certainly think the bar for emergency use approval is lower in the UK than in the EU or USA. But it is an emergency. The flu vaccine isn’t very efficacious in the elderly yet it’s precisely them who get it. I’d still prefer to have the AZ vaccine than nothing. Even though, as must be apparent by now, I hate the company.
