Raffin

...but not any Gazza! Unlike the Geordie footballer of the 1990s this one is comprehensible. His prolific use of "we's" just shows he's proud of the NHS and the UK in general in the fight against covid.

Gazza-d

The use of we was purely from a geographical perspective as I'm currently in the UK for the next 3 weeks.

RedApe

The more standard Glaxo Smith Kline/Sanofi is having only about 55%-60% success and they have delayed the release until late next year. That one is capable of a higher storage temperature (0˚ C.) so sad that the Covax consortium won't be getting it until later.

https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/s...y-deal/587933/

abner

[QUOTE=Stokkevn;12944461]When the vaccines eventually turn up here. Would you take one?/QUOTE]

1) "Not yet", under any circumstances, in whatever country. I'm not an anti-Vaxxer by any stretch, but all of the leading candidate jabs have been developed in one helluva hurry. Me and mine currently live in a low case-count environment and follow all basic hygiene precautions, so there is no need to jump the gun. And in any event, not all of us would qualify as candidates for the earliest distributions.

2) In a Philippines context, I'd want to know more about which particular vaccines are on offer, at what cost, and under which distribution conditions. In particular, for the ultra-low temperature versions, I'd want some solid reassurance about the reliability of the low-temperature logistics (delivery) chain. Otherwise, I'd wait for a more traditional vaccine candidate (more traditional production technology, no exotic temperature requirements) to get approved for Philippines conditions.

Thairetired2016

If you come from a country which hasn't been able to get any vaccine how can an airline demand pax to be vaccinated? I know Qantas considers requiring proof. In Europe they are thinking about it but e.g. Austria considers it discrimination.

Gazza-d

[quote=abner;12945884] This was aired last night and I found it was interesting.

Gazza-d

[quote=abner;12945884] This was aired last night and I found it was interesting.

Stokkevn

Looks like the vaccine will not be arriving here until after June next year at the earliest, gov bods seem to have misunderstood the contract and the fact that the vaccines need to be paid for.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2...e-dropped-ball

Bealinehx

As usual they want something for nothing. Nothing changes

abner

10M doses of the Pfizer vaccine would have meant 5% of (the richest) part of the Philippines population covered--*maybe*, assuming the currently non-existent -70C distribution network was suddenly invented, and succeeded--at a price roughly 10X that likely for a vaccine based on traditional (not mRNA) technology, which can be distributed through normal channels.

So even though the stuff-up Stokkevn references rings true, it may be a blessing in disguise for the Philippines as a whole.

A few-months-longer wait, for a *much* cheaper vaccine that has no exotic low-temp distribution requirements, strikes me as a much better/cheaper/more-effective whole-of-population solution for the country.

Stokkevn

Any vaccine required for the provinces will come across transport problems. In the main town I have seen freezer lorries being unloaded at one of the supermarkets while water is running out of the container, so you know none of the contents are still frozen. I don't suppose vaccines will be treated any better.

Bealinehx

The Pfizer vaccine cannot be a serious option for the Philippines for the reasons stated in the previous post

abner

[Somewhat joking] If I was Philippines, Inc, as opposed to the Philippines government, I would buy the expensive Pfizer CoVid-19 jabs with first priority for Pinoy/Pinay workers overseas, to maintain the cashflow. [/Somewhat joking.]

Gazza-d

Any front line filipinos in the UK would have received their first jabs last week.

Stokkevn

Having messed up the purchase of a vaccine ( Pfizer ) that had a 95% efficacy the government is now opting for a Chinese one ( Sinovac ) that has only 50% efficacy, barely scraped through the safety testing requirements and is more expensive than the Pfizer vaccine. With the present budget that means that less than 25% of Filipinos will get the vaccine in 2021 and only 12% will actually be protected from the virus.

Seems not worth taking this one.