Having analysed the result, Pfizer have just announced that the success rate of their vaccine is better than they expected at 95%, which is comparable to the claims about the Moderna vaccine.
Best of all, however, is that it achieved 94% success in patients over 65 - a group that was a concern as the immune system works less well as you age anyway. This bodes well for us - while it may not be perfect, it will probably provide a degree of protection even for us and then, providing enough other people take up the vaccine so herd immunity is achieved, it sounds pretty promising.
They are applying for accelerate approval - because the size of the populations in each of the 3 stages of the clinical trials were enough to fulfil all the normal criteria for release of the vaccine. Phase 4 trials ALWAYS happen post-launch because they require millions of subjects to be involved.
BUT - that won't happen yet. Even after you have had the 2 jabs, you need to wait a few weeks before immunity will be achieved. Maybe Easter ...
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Thanks you for the information. Great news. However it seems to be safe enough for older people whose immune system is naturally not as strong as expected when one is younger. The problem still remains concerning older people and other people who actually have a very compromised immune system due to serious autoimmune illnesses and treatments they receive. I don’t think anyone in that category has received a vaccine to test how affected or not they are. Still a concern.
Most of us have had the flu vaccine, some have had the pneumonia vaccines. I think it is far more likely that the lack of immune response is of greater concern than an over-stimulated one.
Yes, I understand. I have always had the flu vaccine (a few years ago I reacted very badly but ok since then) and the pneumonia vaccine. I can’t have the shingles vaccine because it’s a live vaccine. However I believe there’s a different shingles vaccine available now but my GP has not informed me. Have you had this vaccine, and if so how did it affect you?
Thanks again for useful information. Much appreciated.
The non-live shingles vaccine isn't available on the NHS yet - there was such a massive uptake by the US that the stocks ran out. Making traditional vaccines is not a speedy process and so most state funded heathcare systems had not been supplied simply because there was not enough to give them the amount each country would require at once for all the eligible patients. It has been offered privately in the UK at a cost of IRO £420 per person for the 2 shots.
I've never been offered a shingles vaccine - I certainly wouldn't try the original Zostavax one, its listed adverse effects include PMR and shingles ...
Thank you again for this information. So that explains why my GP didn’t mention it, I suppose. Rather expensive for 2 shots!
I was told by a nurse at the surgery that I couldn’t have the shingles vaccine because of my autoimmune diseases, quite a while ago. So no vaccine naturally.
I had the original vaccine 2 years prior to getting PMR. Even though two years is a fair time period, I'm not lining up for the new version given it took years to identify PMR as a side effect with the first one.
That’s the first time I’ve read that my PMR might have been caused by the shingles vaccine !!! I don’t know which one I had but surely they couldn’t risk giving someone 5.9 years of PMR ?
The fact that one of the warnings of the Zostavax vaccine is a possibility of PMR has been discussed many times over the years on here....and used to be stated by the manufacturers in their blurb! Not in the revision 2020 edition, so maybe the ingredients have altered, or the risk is too small to be mentioned. But it’s probably not something your doctors surgery is likely to tell you.
Not sure that anyone knows the percentage of people who contract PMR after the vaccine, but it’s probably deemed acceptable by the powers to be when balanced against the risks of shingles.
I had live Shingles vaccine 2 years ago when I turned 70. Now been diagnosed with PMR and immediately got Shingles! Thankfully not too seriously as I had had the vaccine. Just needed cream for it and it cleared up in 2 weeks.
Shringrix is the new shingles vaccine. It requires two doses several months apart. I have taken the vaccine. It seems that side effects vary among people. The only side effect I had was a very sore arm for three days. Certainly worth it to avoid shingles.
I just completed the 2nd of the two Shingrix shots about 3 weeks ago. I took them a little over 2 months apart. Both times I reacted with fever and chills the night of the shot, and three days of a very sore shoulder (similar to but perhaps a little stronger than a Tetanus shot). A lot of folks are finding the Shingrix shot to affect them like it did me, but some people have a mild reaction.
Thank you for letting me know about the side effects from the Shingrix vaccine. Always best to know what to expect. Hope it will protect you from getting shingles.
Pfizer has applied for emergency use in the US which means another level of testing, actually, for those of us further down the chain. There is a bit of a problem with this vaccine which involves distribution because it needs to be kept at -70C which would be unusual in the average doctor's clinic. Our respective heath departments are probably already on the case, purchasing more refrigeration units to be distributed to various centres in order to accommodate this. The Moderna vaccine on theother hand can be kept at standard fridge temperature.
Thought you had a grip on my sense of humour by now 😳🤣.
1947 was obviously a significant year - and not just for my appearance .... although we couldn’t manage -62c in England we did have snow ❄️ on the ground on my birth day in early April!
Can't say I remember, and there is no one alive now to ask! But what I do remember of African weather, living in Kenya by then, was sun, with rainy afternoons. I suppose the rainy afternoons were only for part of the year.... I do remember my first winter in the UK, standing outside the back door of the house crying to be let in because I was so cold. Maybe that was where my rheumatic conditions had their genesis?
I do remember days when temps were about -50C in Edmonton and even colder in Saskatchewan back in late 70's. Maybe with global warming that has changed. But not -70 for sure.
The winter we spent in Ottawa I remember times when the wind chill was -50, which didn't feel any worse than milder temperatures in NS because the air was so dry by comparison.
The financial markets are working on 2021 still being totally disrupted by Covid and the B-word that is also going to cause trade problems in January, so my gut feeling is I'm going to be pretty much isolating for much of next year and maybe get offered the vaccine towards the end of the year at the earliest, it'll be pandemonium trying to get everyone vaccinated after the pandemic. I've started writing my memoirs as something to do, other ideas for keeping out of mischief very welcome.
Writing memoirs sounds better than cleaning out cupboards!
Didn’t do that in 1st lockdown, spent all the time in the garden, unfortunately can’t use that excuse this time around...too cold even in sunny Dorset!
But I am going to make my own Christmas cake this year, been a few years since I did that....but it is rather scrumptious....might share it with family....but if we are going to have another lockdown after Christmas which as been mooted today - maybe not!
Am also “housekeeping “ my old PC and transferring everything to new laptop (only had it since last Christmas!).
PS - son who works in financial sector had just done all the budgeting for next year when current lockdown started - so everything went to rats......
..but as he said, “can’t blame me this time if we don’t hit targets!” But I did notice he has got significantly greyer over the last few months.....
extremely glad I’m not working any more - must be a nightmare trying to plan anything.
Funny - I'm baking my 2nd xmas cake today - this one to give away to neighbours - it's in the oven as we speak, hence contributing a lot today as I'm waiting for the timer to ping! 60th birthday in January which will be a lockdown one, so writing memoirs is very interesting - I'm inspired by finally getting round to reading Michelle Obama's 'Becoming', which has been sitting on my coffee table for 2 years now. I'm gong to read and write my way through 2021
I’m having new internal doors fitted this week (day off today, so got out for a walk in the sunshine) - then a week’s break - so baking next week. Following week, hall being painted... and boiler serviced! Deep joy!
New one for me, my Dad has always baked the Christmas cakes as he's an ex-chef but he can't do it this year so I'm having a go following his recipe from a 1950s cook book. I have no intention of trying to make banana bread and disrupt my low-carb lifestyle!
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