Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[arminisgod]

Reading betwen the lines from a statement by the German Health Ministry this morning, they are taking the view that they wont endorse Bild's story and in fact question their findings on the low % immunity for over 65s. However, a German media (DW) reports Health Minister Jens Spahn says this week their government will take a desicion on AZ and use of it for their population "on available data".

Which leaves it up in the air for now.

Why don't u just leave vaccine regulation alone... as you clearly know Jack [Poor language removed] on it.

 

[grandjoeblue]

Also, 8% of a study between 56 and 69 seems about right, doesn’t it?

unlike what Dave is saying, basically suggesting no testing was done on over 65s, 8% for an 11-year age group seems about right?

About 11m in the UK are between 56 and 69, so thats something like 16% of the population? It might be a little bit low but its not a shocking thing. Everyone has been aware of this since the results initially come out months ago.

 

[peteblue]

Reading betwen the lines from a statement by the German Health Ministry this morning, they are taking the view that they wont endorse Bild's story and in fact question their findings on the low % immunity for over 65s. However, a German media (DW) reports Health Minister Jens Spahn says this week their government will take a desicion on AZ and use of it for their population "on available data".

Which leaves it up in the air for now.

You are digging a big hole here....

 

[GrandOldTeam]

When it comes to medical emergencies the media should be accountable for the information they put out. If the sources aren't legitimate they should be fined.

Absolutely shocking by the german media.

The difficulty with that is in instances misinformation is state sponsored.

 

[jackyboy]

Heads need to roll for this. That Gregor Waschinski shouldn't find work in the media again.

Couldn't agree more. An absolute disgrace this.

 

[davek]

You are digging a big hole here....

I hope I am. I'd rather be wrong than right.

But taking everything in that we're hearing, I'd expect a decision from Germany later this week that'll see them say that while they endorse and give license to AZ's vaccine thay will limit its roll out. I'll be relived if they say they're happy to roll it out universally, because trust the German government more than the UK government to make right decisions.

 

[grandjoeblue]

The difficulty with that is in instances misinformation is state sponsored.

Yep, like Peston announcing government policy.

 

[peteblue]

Why would Pete believe a story in the equivalent of the German Scum speaks for the EU.

Last time i checked Sweden was in the EU.

I couldn’t care less about what Germany or the EMA say about the Oxford vaccine...

 

[Spadge Vernacular]

Right wing Tory commentator and sometime writer for Breitbart...a very objective voice then.

It's OK Dave, have a nap, you'll feel much better later.

 

[peteblue]

And irresponsible media reports for vaccines such as Oxford AstraZeneca really don’t help. The reporters and their papers should be sued by AZ. Any German officials involved in this should be fired......

 

[peteblue]

I hope I am. I'd rather be wrong than right.

But taking everything in that we're hearing, I'd expect a decision from Germany later this week that'll see them say that while they endorse and give license to AZ's vaccine thay will limit its roll out. I'll be relived if they say they're happy to roll it out universally, because trust the German government more than the UK government to make right decisions.

I am over 65, I will take the vaccine in a heartbeat. The UK MHRA approves it. The EU are really pissed off with the U.K. getting the jabs done and are furious that they can’t get enough of the AZ, hence their little tantrums and threats about exporting Pfizer to the U.K. This nonsense story in Bild is just someone playing silly buggers as part of the back covering exercise.....

 

[Billy Dean]

Heads need to roll for this. That Gregor Waschinski shouldn't find work in the media again.

Whose misunderstanding is it though? The journalist or his sources in the German government. If he has accurately reprted what he's been told then isn't the problem is whichever government official tipped him off (inaccurately)?

 

[Tubey]

A child - a literal child - could have told you that 8% figure made no sense for over 65s, if said child was also told it was 70% effective in under 65s. Yet you had senior journalists in Germany doubling down on it, asking no follow up questions or having the least bit of inquisitiveness.

This has been, as @GrandOldTeam says, state sponsored misinformation you'd expect from the Russians, with a German media only too happy to jump on board because it bashes a 'British' vaccine. It stems from nationalist fervour in the wake of Brexit.

I'm a massive 'Remainer', but Germany - and by proxy the EU - have shown their colours here and a lot of people will be horrified this has been allowed to happen. Sources in the German government and a partisan media have basically enabled an anti-vaxxers wet dream here; no one in their right mind should be defending this.

 

[Amw79]

If that's the case then that's a very real issue. An issue The Lancet and US authorities have picked uo on. And it's the reason that no western nation has ok'd this vaccine for the older age groups.

The Oxford vaccine were told that this was a glaring problem. They then announced more testing on that and went away early in December and remained silent. Then we had reports right at the end of that month from leaked reports that they were now happy with the efficacy of their vaccine and the UK regulators were minded to hand them an emergency license.

It seems to be as clear as day what's happened here: no substantive attempt has been made by Oxford/AZ to test the rigour of their earlier data on efficacy of their vaccine for older groups and they merely came back with another sales pitch - pushed hard by a UK government that hadn't secured the number of Pfizer vaccines they promised and who wanted their own catastrophic failures on keeping infections under control buried under a good news story of handing more vaccines out than anywhere else per capita...regardless of the ability of one of those vaccines to protect the most vulnerable.

If the EU knock this AZ vaccine back for over-65s this week then we are into an utter excrement storm here in this country. And it wont do for this government and their lap dogs in the British media to push a "EU trying to nobble AZ over witheld deliveries of it" line. That's a line for the birds and the serfs.

I don’t disagree with much of that.

It seems like the UK have applied the evidence of seeing some immuno response in the over 65 group, in combination with more generalised vaccine knowledge to steer their approval (as they’ve done with moving the 3 week 2nd dose to 12 weeks).

Both of which are a calculated risk.

As i said, if the EU say, we’re not approving AZ for over 65s as there’s not enough data to prove the efficacy level in that cohort, that’s a perfectly reasonable position to take, and is consistent with the UK gov clinical advice relating to AZ, as I linked to earlier in this thread.

 

[Neiler]

Its going to be interesting to see what happens this week, with the EMA and the AZ vaccine.

I think is clear now there is some misinterpretation to the 8% reports, which we all found strange last night.

AZ are right in their statement last night in terms of reporting their study, but it was from results of a small sample size of over 65s.

The EMA will either sanction it, or put in caveats, depending on their findings.

Individual governments i think are responsible for their vaccine policy and roll out so even if it is fully approved, Germany might decide to use Pfizer or Moderna for over 65s.

Hopefully there ae no concerns though and this proves a storm in a tea cup and bad journalism.

The EU could do with a third vaccine option.