Covid vaccination.

Yes I'm a epi pen carrier in my bag when I make it out because the reactions to the NHS allergy prick test was so big they said I have to have one with me plus antihistamine's in my bag too. Obviously I control what's in my home so I don't need it then.

They are looking into it more now so we shall see.

Well fair enough, if you are an epi pen carrier it's probably best to wait.

The Oxford jab has been approved for use in the UK today. The good news is that everyone in the trial that did get covid never had severe symptoms. The no so good/bit muddy is the effectiveness of the jab:

How effective is the Oxford vaccine?
There are three figures doing the rounds - 62%, 70% and 90%.

The first analysis of the trial data showed 70% of people were protected from developing Covid-19 and nobody developed severe disease or needed hospital treatment.

The figure was just 62% when people were given two full doses of the jab and 90% when they were first given a half dose and then a full one.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved two full doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

However, unpublished data suggests that leaving a longer gap between the first and second doses increases the overall effectiveness of the jab.

There was not enough clear data to approve the half-dose, full-dose idea.

All the vaccines are expected to be equally effective against the new variants of the virus that have emerged.

Here's the link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55280671

With this vaccine & the other one Matt Hancock said we now have enough vaccine on order to give everyone two jabs. People start to give the injections next Monday 4th Jan. They are giving as many vulnerable people the first jab as they can because with this one the second dose is due/ no later than 12 weeks. I don't know how many of the Oxford jab have already been made.

OK it's just getting a standard form up to date, but it's interesting that this form has been updated today to include "Coronavirus (Covid-19)" vaccines.

Probably it simply shows that someone is on the ball with updating forms and it's a 'just in case'. (Maybe they are not quite as confident as they make out).

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...ent-claim-form

I notice that the 'eligibility' page has also been updated:
https://www.gov.uk/vaccine-damage-payment/eligibility

I wouldn't worry about it too much, it's just interesting that they have considered it and updated the form.

Funny I saw on the news yesterday along with telling everyone how they approved the Oxford one, they also updated the first jab info saying now anyone who has allergies can have the first jab now. Hmm don't have a clue why they have said that because there has been more people having an allergic reaction in the UK than any other jab & also in the US too.

Perhaps they just want us vaccinated to stop the spread of this new version of covid & if you go into an allergic reaction oh well!

I'm going to keep a close eye to see if anyone has an allergic reaction to the Oxford one

Yes!

The UK has approved the Moderna vaccine for use in the UK, it needs two jabs needs to be kept at -20C for shipping which is similar to a freezer temp. Second dose 28 days after the first but who knows what the UK will decide on that. Link to the BBC website:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55586410

I wonder if anybody has done any testing on what the effects are if they start to 'mix-and-match' these various vaccines? (I doubt it).
ie. Your first jab is one vaccine but your second is a different one.

I can see a situation developing where for example they use up all the stocks of Pfizer doing first jabs and so want to (are forced to) use the Moderna to do the second jab 3 months later.

Difficult to know without testing, but doing it that way and giving two different vaccines may actually increase the effectiveness.

Read yesterday that folk are refusing to have the Pfizer/BioNTech one, preferring to wait for the AstraZeneca one that is British. More fool them, the Pfizer/BioNTech is 90% affective after the first jab and the AstraZeneca is only 70% effective after the first jab according to statistics.
I liken those to folk who are too stubborn to wear a mask, putting all contacts at risk.
As a doctor said, the important thing is to get it regardless of where it comes from.

I don't have the flu jab but I will have this as soon as it is offered.

Nuke, it was in the news a few days ago that the WHO do not recommend mix & matching the vaccines.

BUT

In cases where they don't know which vaccine has been given first then they can give the second vaccine as which ever one they have.

So make sure you know which vaccine they are giving you

It's also just come out that the Pfizer vaccine data say's that it is effective against both new variants the UK one & the South Africa one. This data is now going through the process of being checked the same way they go through all the data to make sure vaccines are safe & they will then officially say's it's good for both

The Pfizer (and the Moderna) do use modification of the recipients RNA which is a fairly new technique for vaccines although fairly well established in other forms of treatment, particularly cancer therapy; and so that will be making some people cautious.

I looked into gene modifying therapy last year when I was invited on a stage 3 trial of a new drug and decided it was nothing too much to worry about.
(I didn't join that trial but that was for other reasons, not because it was a RNA modifier).

For most objectors it's simply the normal human caution of something new.