Andy Onchan

Probably both!

Seems the folk who stood outside at Ronaldsway Hub were not alone: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/fife/1959034/covid-vaccinations-elderly-woman-collapses-as-fife-pensioners-queue-for-hours-in-snow/

Am I correct in saying that neither the new DHSC management/policy structure (or the old one for that matter) and the new Manx Care board have lay or patient representation on them? I find it quite incredible that the main stakeholder in all of this is effectively sidelined and doesn't get a look-in or a say in any of this road crash waiting to happen.

I stand corrected. Although the early reports that I saw only mentioned the University, there was no mention that AZ themselves were involved. Take a House Point!

AZ is not saying that at all. The South Africans have halted the AZ roll out because they say in a trial of 2,000 people (with an average age of 31) the vaccine provided "minimal protection" against mild and moderate cases. The original COVID in UK is still the most prevalent virus, the SA variant is circulating but not, it would appear, in huge numbers yet so the AZ vaccine will still work. Having said that no vaccine has 100% efficacy anyway. Read this all the way through (not just the headlines) to find out what AZ and PHE have to say: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55921815

It wouldn't surprise me if in say two years time there'll be one vaccine for both flu & COVID.

Some vaccines (flu for example) have to be tweaked to allow for greater efficacy depending on the hemisphere/climate. So the noise coming out of South Africa about the poor efficacy of the AZ jab might not hold true for UK, even if it's the same strain. WHO says of flu vaccines:

Read Wrighty's post at the top of page 139.

There's lots of press reports of Boris coming under pressure from within his own ranks and from commerce & unions unless Sunak extends the furloughing and he (Sunak) is under pressure to reduce the creation of new money. As soon as economies start to recover the cost of borrowing will rise which in turn will create pressure on government to limit public spending.

Rubbish. Any vaccine is better than no vaccine.

The UK will be open end of April, the majority on the Island won't have been anywhere near a needle by then.

Some over 70s have already started having theirs in UK. Why is IOM starting the next cohort from 75+, why not 70+ like UK? I posed the question earlier in the thread how does IOM DHSC know if they have received the correct allocation of vaccines. Is this a reason why we have the age differential, because haven't received own proper allocation?

How do you know Sid? You only joined in 8th Dec 2020!

100% disincentive.

Don't worry I'm not putting my head above the parapet on this one, not when Uhtred's got his dander up like that!

I reckon that if the UK is not fully open by April 19th (when the schools go back after Easter) then I think Boris will have some major civil disorder issues to deal with. That will add to the pressure for IOMG to open up as well.

You're accusing me of being obtuse? Ha!

The criticism I have is that they spend inordinate amounts of cash on creating jab centres but can't at the same time organise crucial vaccinations for a cohort that's got left behind. Something wrong somewhere.

It's very different to flu/pneumonia and you know that. Most who have the annual jab for those two already have some immunity created from the previous jab. Most probably zero will have immunity for COVID, or will be seriously ill if they manage to get that far. A lot of elderly people who live independently do so because the mobility they have is only enough to allow them to move within in their own home. Anything beyond that is a real struggle.

I was using 3rd Feb data. And why should there be a discrimination between housebound/non-housebound and care homes? Aren't they all in the same age cohort?? That's why I ask who is making the decisions.

Because two of them are relatives and another is a neighbour across the road.

The UK has passed the 10M mark for vaccine jabs. If the IOM pro-rata calcs are correct (0.0013) then DHSC should have done 13K by now. They have done 9.6K. Why haven't DHSC administered the equivalent? Also, what checks/protocols are in place to ensure that IOM DHSC are actually getting the correct number of vaccines delivered? And why are some +90 & +80 year olds living out in the community only getting their vaccinations this week and not done at home at the same time as care home residents? Just because they are living independently doesn't mean they are less vulnerable. Who's making the decisions on who gets vaccinated and when?

IOMG/DfE wouldn't recognise the fact that quality needs a legislative framework to go with it. DfE will wing it, as usual.

Biology will determine what will or won't work and I'm pretty sure that the scientists will have a fair idea about the efficacy based on other vaccines that they've worked on in the past. And I'm sure it won;t be the first time that vaccines have been mixed, albeit in trials.

I'm sure there'll be some but there'll be a lot of young professionals looking to find a way out of HK before Beijing implements some kind of exit controls, especially as they no longer recognise BNO passports.