Re: Covid-19: Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine approved for use next week in UK
Hi Mups
I will try to answer some of your questions based on the questions I have heard posed to the scientists.
Three of the things that bother me at the moment are -
1. The temperature needed for storage. How much leeway is there with this?
I know with food hygiene, fridge and freezer temperatures have to be checked regularly, but if someone's storage facilities are a degree or two out, even for a short time, will that render the vaccine unsafe?
There is some leeway, the vaccine can be stored a number of days in a fridge away from the main storage facility in a hospital freezer which is carefully monitored . To prevent the Pfizer vaccine being moved around too often the aim will be where possible to vaccinate large numbers of people in 'hubs' close to the main hospital cold storage facilities.
So with places like small nursing homes it may be that the staff will be vaccinated first in their local hub . Ways of splitting the vaccine into smaller amounts are also being looked at but that means another movement out of cold storage so not the best option.
The Oxford vaccine should be available soon and that can be distributed in smaller amounts without the need for cold storage and can be taken to the patient by a GP or medical staff.
As Annie says if the vaccine is not stored correctly it doesn't become unsafe but it won't work.
2. Regarding temperature again - is this very cold temperature likely to be more difficult to maintain in surgeries when this winter has passed and the summer heatwaves return?
We have only purchased enough of the Pfizer vaccine to vaccinate 20 million people, that will all be used up by the spring. The other vaccines like the Oxford that are following on don't need such strict temperature control. Pfizer are also working on a second generation that are not so temperature sensitive.
2. They admit they don't yet know how long this vaccine gives protection for, yet I heard someone on the radio today talking about re-vaccinating every winter.
Call me sceptical if you like, but his sounded more about possible recouping expenditure than a necessity.
Over-vaccination exists. They over-vaccinated domestic pets for many years after all.
I have heard no mention of titre testing to test whether people are still protected before considering re-vaccination.
We don't have to have Polio jabs, or Tetanus jabs every year, do we!
We can't possibly know how long the vaccine will give protection with a new virus and vaccination and will find out in due course by monitoring antibody levels in people long after the vaccinations have taken place. That will tell us if further vaccination is necessary.
Over vaccination is highly unlikely, the NHS are going to have to purchase the vaccines once first mass vaccination has taken place and won't want to spend money unnecessarily.
It may be that we do need the vaccine every year or maybe just the vulnerable groups. I don't have a problem with that and it was suggested that if that is the case it might eventually be combined with the flu vaccination.
3. Can a human body take a flu shots, covid shots, shingles shots, pneumonia shots - plus those considered necessary for holidaying abroad and so on? This worries me.
The human body 'meets' and copes with a wide variety of illnesses and makes antibodies to some, having a vaccine is like 'meeting' an illness and forming antibodies.
4. I have heard talk of not being allowed in certain places unless we provide proof we have been vaccinated . . e.g. pubs. But how far will this go?
Could people lose their employment if they don't want the vaccine, or be refused jobs, or refused health insurance, or refused to board planes . . . . . the list could easily become much more extensive.
So we will be forced into vaccination whether we want it or not.
No one will be forced to have the vaccine, your body your choice.
It may be that as is the case now with other disease that you have to be vaccinated before entering a county.
Dogs have to have up to date vaccination before they can board in a kennel and when we stay in holiday cottages with the dogs they have to have been be vaccinated so there are existing restrictions it won't be a first.
Hopefully once mass vaccination has taken place and the virus is well under control it will be easer to sort out what is and isn't required for insurance etc .