Viruses / Vaccines

dignin said:

oftenreading said:

tish said:

^ I read that because of the many and new spike mutations, the fear is that it escapes the vaccinations we have, along with increased transmission.

The good is news is the mRNAs can be tweaked quite quickly. The bad part is is this happened because people are taking 2nd shots, boosters, and we didn't share equitably with Africa etc... 

So rinse and repeat.

Edit: for accuracy 

We (the wealthy nations) are reaping what we sowed by being greedy and not sharing vaccines equally. 

That's not actually the case in South Africa.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/new-variant-omicron-who-south-africa-b-1-1-529-1.6263826

"Only 24 per cent of South Africa's population had been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Johns Hopkins coronavirus research centre. The number of shots being given per day is also relatively low, at less than 130,000. That's significantly below the government's target of 300,000.

While the continent struggled initially to obtain sufficient doses, some countries, including South Africa, now have too much stock, with vaccine hesitancy and apathy slowing the inoculation campaign"

I don't think it's accurate to say that it isn't the case in South Africa, because that only looks at a snapshot of today. The situation there and in so much of the world might have been a lot different if the vaccines were more equitably distributed right from the beginning. Now everywhere is facing a more complex situation that includes greater division and distrust, more "pandemic fatigue", and greater anger in countries that feel left behind yet again. 

I did the double yesterday  booster and flu. No side effects,  not even sore arm. 

Maybe I got placebo. 

mrussel1 said:

I did the double yesterday  booster and flu. No side effects,  not even sore arm. 

Maybe I got placebo. 

Sugar shot 

Zod said:

mickeyrat said:

  https://www.reuters.com/world/concerns-over-covid-variant-trigger-more-travel-curbs-southern-africa-2021-11-27/

I think it's cute that countries still think they can stop the spread of Covid by restricting travel to the country where the virus or the variant originated.  Totally ignoring the fact the world is global and it would of already gotten footholds in other places.  If you were really worried you'd completely shut down international travel, except the transport of goods.  Otherwise all it really does is delay the inevitable.  It's like they've learned nothing in almost 2 years.

I think there's value to delaying.  Understanding the nature of the variant and whether the current treatments are effective,  etc.

oftenreading said:

mrussel1 said:

I did the double yesterday  booster and flu. No side effects,  not even sore arm. 

Maybe I got placebo. 

Sugar shot 

Yup. The hot shots we save for the incarcerated pedophiles.

I am shocked to read there were more Covid deaths in 2021 vs 2020. How? There was no vaccine last year so i can’t fathom the “unvaccinated” argument. Are masks more effective than the vaccine? 

nicknyr15 said:

I am shocked to read there were more Covid deaths in 2021 vs 2020. How? There was no vaccine last year so i can’t fathom the “unvaccinated” argument. Are masks more effective than the vaccine? 

My educated guess is yes, currently that's likely true.

tish said:

nicknyr15 said:

I am shocked to read there were more Covid deaths in 2021 vs 2020. How? There was no vaccine last year so i can’t fathom the “unvaccinated” argument. Are masks more effective than the vaccine? 

My educated guess is yes, currently that's likely true.

No offense,  but that's not a very educated guess.  The scientific evidence is overwhelming that the vaccine reduces hospitalization and death compared to no vaccine,  regardless of wearing masks.  The evidence is also clear that delta is worse than alpha.  Again,  more powerful year 2 mutations is exactly what occurred with the Spanish flu. 

mrussel1 said:

nicknyr15 said:

I am shocked to read there were more Covid deaths in 2021 vs 2020. How? There was no vaccine last year so i can’t fathom the “unvaccinated” argument. Are masks more effective than the vaccine? 

I wouldn't interpret it that way.  First, vaccines were not widely available until April/May/June.  So you have at least a third of the year right there without a vaccine.  Second, Delta variant was more contagious, more likely to send one to an ICU and more deadly than the original.  This is consistent with the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-20 where year two was much more deadly than year one.  https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/delta-variant-has-235-percent-higher-risk-of-icu-admission-than-original-virus#Increased-risk-from-the-Delta-variant

punchline:  However, the highest risks were from the Delta variant. In the Delta cases, there was a 108% increase in the risk of hospitalization, a 235% increased risk of ICU admission, and a 133% higher risk of death, compared with the original variant.

Ok. Thanks for the info. Helped ease my mind a little. 

tish said:

Anyone think it's pointless to use kids 5-11 vaccines when they become available in BC in the next couple weeks given that Delta peaked in my small town during summer tourism?

Not much news about how this formula is being tested and changed for the young ones.

Not pointless at all. Vaccinating kids will reduce the reservoir of infection in the communities. By late October kids under 12 made up 20% of the cases in BC, and I saw recently that covid is now within the top 10 causes of death for kids.

The formula doesn't need to be changed for children. With virtually all of the other vaccines in the usual schedule, kids get the same version of the vaccine that adults get, unless there is a different mode of delivery (like the nasal flu vaccine). Kids get the same vaccine for measles, rubella, etc. They get a different version for Hepatitis B but the only difference is dose. Their immune system isn't really all that different from that of adults; they have all the same components, it's just that some are more active, because their bodies are naive to more new infectious agent, and some are less active, since they don't have that prior exposure to work from.