I’ve not had the best few days. My parents told me yesterday that they intend to turn down the vaccine when it is offered. My mum says it isn’t tested enough for her to take the risk and my dad thinks he’s invincible. They said very condescendingly that I should get the vaccine if I think it’s right but then kept insisting that I won’t get ill if I get the virus. In fact my mum has decided that due to a sore throat she had before Christmas, she MUST have already had Covid and I must have passed it on to her and been asymptomatic. My dad is still insisting that the scientists have everything wrong.

 

My brother keeps running down the Welsh government for opening up at a ‘snail’s pace’ even though they’re technically ahead of England, not that it’s a competition. I reminded him that some children return to school next week and I could return to school on March 15th but apparently because he doesn’t have any children, none of that counts. Families should not be a priority.

 

So the only close family member I feel I can talk to without my anxieties being ridiculed is my sister who I haven’t seen yet this decade. But she really gets everything much better than any family who live closer.

Im sorry you have that experience Toby, i know it can be hard to hear such shite from your parents.

 

Unlike on Brexit, my parents are actually seeing covid with such sense and clarity. My sister has now had both doses of the BioNTech jag and my folks can't wait to get theirs. Dad, while lambasting all governments near equally (which is a success coz Sturgeon got almost faint praise earlier in 2020), is anti-school reopening and against releasing the lockdown too quickly. Considering growing up the newspaper in our house was more often than not the Daily Hitler, Im taking that as a giant win.

 

They just want the travel bans lifted so they can come visit me :lol: My dad is retired now so doesn't mind a quarantine period at home, so isn't particularly amused by the hotel quarantine for everyone as he wants to come visit for a couple of weeks

I’ve not had the best few days. My parents told me yesterday that they intend to turn down the vaccine when it is offered. My mum says it isn’t tested enough for her to take the risk and my dad thinks he’s invincible. They said very condescendingly that I should get the vaccine if I think it’s right but then kept insisting that I won’t get ill if I get the virus. In fact my mum has decided that due to a sore throat she had before Christmas, she MUST have already had Covid and I must have passed it on to her and been asymptomatic. My dad is still insisting that the scientists have everything wrong.

 

My brother keeps running down the Welsh government for opening up at a ‘snail’s pace’ even though they’re technically ahead of England, not that it’s a competition. I reminded him that some children return to school next week and I could return to school on March 15th but apparently because he doesn’t have any children, none of that counts. Families should not be a priority.

 

So the only close family member I feel I can talk to without my anxieties being ridiculed is my sister who I haven’t seen yet this decade. But she really gets everything much better than any family who live closer.

 

Sorry to hear that mate. Do you know anyone in your immediate family who has had covid? Unfortunately that is usually the sign that persuades people, I think a lot of people in their 40-60s will turn down the vaccine thinking they might be OK, which they may well be. The main thing I'd do is keep nagging at them, 16m+ people have had it in the UK and they're all ok. I think often people will say they won't get the vaccine but when it comes down to it they will change their minds.

Sorry to hear that mate. Do you know anyone in your immediate family who has had covid? Unfortunately that is usually the sign that persuades people, I think a lot of people in their 40-60s will turn down the vaccine thinking they might be OK, which they may well be. The main thing I'd do is keep nagging at them, 16m+ people have had it in the UK and they're all ok. I think often people will say they won't get the vaccine but when it comes down to it they will change their minds.

 

Thanks, I can try at least. And thanks Phil too.

 

No, no one in my immediate family has even had Covid. My mum’s cousin died last year with Covid but she had a lot of health issues all her life so my Mum just dismisses it. But they weren’t ever close really. I know people that have had it and even some that were hospitalised with it-people younger and fitter than me-but they just don’t listen. My mum’s parents have had their first dose and most of my dad’s older siblings have too-one sister in America has had both.

 

My mum was so frightened of Covid this time last year. She began shielding before anyone said to but I really think just them both being stuck at home has made them go mad. They don’t like lockdown so they look for anything they can find that says it doesn’t work. My mum still sanitises her groceries which is inconsistent but my dad has just become so arrogant, thinking he knows better than all the scientists because he has a degree in genetics from 40 years ago and yet hasn’t done any work in that field since. They keep telling me how they have science backgrounds and I don’t so I wouldn’t understand.

 

Well whenever I hear them complaining about lockdown, I’m just going to remind them that getting the vaccine may get them out quicker.

Thanks, I can try at least. And thanks Phil too.

 

No, no one in my immediate family has even had Covid. My mum’s cousin died last year with Covid but she had a lot of health issues all her life so my Mum just dismisses it. But they weren’t ever close really. I know people that have had it and even some that were hospitalised with it-people younger and fitter than me-but they just don’t listen. My mum’s parents have had their first dose and most of my dad’s older siblings have too-one sister in America has had both.

 

My mum was so frightened of Covid this time last year. She began shielding before anyone said to but I really think just them both being stuck at home has made them go mad. They don’t like lockdown so they look for anything they can find that says it doesn’t work. My mum still sanitises her groceries which is inconsistent but my dad has just become so arrogant, thinking he knows better than all the scientists because he has a degree in genetics from 40 years ago and yet hasn’t done any work in that field since. They keep telling me how they have science backgrounds and I don’t so I wouldn’t understand.

 

Well whenever I hear them complaining about lockdown, I’m just going to remind them that getting the vaccine may get them out quicker.

 

Their attitudes might change though is their friends get it etc. - often these things then become a peer pressure thing. Plus do your parents like to go on holiday? I'd say international travel is going to be pretty impossible for the next 3-5 years unless you're vaccinated. While we won't introduce a vaccine passport, I'm pretty sure internationally there will be some form of one so that could be another way to increase their likelihood.

 

People get vaccinated gets us out of lockdown quicker and stops us from going back in to a lockdown again (hopefully). Not only that, but you're helping protect other people too. Anyone 50+ should be getting their jab as while the chances of death are far lower, I've seen it do some pretty horrible things to people who were apprently fit and healthy adults.

Thanks, I can try at least. And thanks Phil too.

 

No, no one in my immediate family has even had Covid. My mum’s cousin died last year with Covid but she had a lot of health issues all her life so my Mum just dismisses it. But they weren’t ever close really. I know people that have had it and even some that were hospitalised with it-people younger and fitter than me-but they just don’t listen. My mum’s parents have had their first dose and most of my dad’s older siblings have too-one sister in America has had both.

 

My mum was so frightened of Covid this time last year. She began shielding before anyone said to but I really think just them both being stuck at home has made them go mad. They don’t like lockdown so they look for anything they can find that says it doesn’t work. My mum still sanitises her groceries which is inconsistent but my dad has just become so arrogant, thinking he knows better than all the scientists because he has a degree in genetics from 40 years ago and yet hasn’t done any work in that field since. They keep telling me how they have science backgrounds and I don’t so I wouldn’t understand.

 

Well whenever I hear them complaining about lockdown, I’m just going to remind them that getting the vaccine may get them out quicker.

 

I have the same issue with my parents! Both of them are very anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine (well this specific vaccine) and the only reason they aren't breaking the rules is so they don't get fined. My grandad died of Covid last year and my dad (his son) is disgusted that Covid is even mentioned on the death certificate as they are adamant it was one or two cases in the care home he was in and so should be something else as cause of death.

It annoys me when people try to discourage others from having the jab and it’s usually the ones who bitch and moan about lockdown. If they don’t want it, don’t have it but just because you don’t want it, doesn’t mean others shouldn’t have it. If everyone listened to that person and refused the jab, we’d be in lockdown forever so if anyone says to me that they don’t want the jab, I’ll just remind them that having it gets us out of lockdown quicker

Edited February 20, 20214 yr by Hadji

Can we please remain on topic? Just a reminder of the forum rules - there's a perfectly good Labour thread to discuss the inadequacies of Starmer's leadership !

 

Some better news out today from Israel where Pfizer's vaccine stopped 89.4% of Covid-19 transmission (where the vaccination has been rolled out fastest in the world so far). There's also a clear vaccine effect in the case and hospital data which is really encouraging:

 

(with thanks to John Burn-Murdoch from the Financial Times)

 

 

We are also seeing cases being brought down successfully in South Africa where the B 1.351 variant emerged:

 

The news about transmission rates means it is even more important to start getting doses of the vaccine to other parts of the world as soon as possible. After all, a coupler days ago there were 130 countries where not a single person has been vaccinated. If transmission rates can be brought right down, that slashes the chances of further mutations developing.

The news about transmission rates means it is even more important to start getting doses of the vaccine to other parts of the world as soon as possible. After all, a coupler days ago there were 130 countries where not a single person has been vaccinated. If transmission rates can be brought right down, that slashes the chances of further mutations developing.

 

Definitely. From what I've been reading, vaccine production is starting to ramp up now and supplies are increasing. So hopefully it means that the vaccination effort will ramp up massively across the globe over the next few weeks or so. If the UK does offer a vaccine to every adult by July, it would then mean the UK could become a massive vaccine production base for the rest of the world which would be good.

I’ve not had the best few days. My parents told me yesterday that they intend to turn down the vaccine when it is offered. My mum says it isn’t tested enough for her to take the risk and my dad thinks he’s invincible. They said very condescendingly that I should get the vaccine if I think it’s right but then kept insisting that I won’t get ill if I get the virus. In fact my mum has decided that due to a sore throat she had before Christmas, she MUST have already had Covid and I must have passed it on to her and been asymptomatic. My dad is still insisting that the scientists have everything wrong.

 

My brother keeps running down the Welsh government for opening up at a ‘snail’s pace’ even though they’re technically ahead of England, not that it’s a competition. I reminded him that some children return to school next week and I could return to school on March 15th but apparently because he doesn’t have any children, none of that counts. Families should not be a priority.

 

So the only close family member I feel I can talk to without my anxieties being ridiculed is my sister who I haven’t seen yet this decade. But she really gets everything much better than any family who live closer.

 

 

Hi T.Boy. I wouldn't argue with them if I were you and leave it up to them now. Wife's employer, who is a scientist, a bio-chemist with a PHD and string of letters after her name, isn't having it either. She says new drugs are usually tested for years and they've just rushed this through. Her sister's a GP and they've argued about this a lot. Her husband's having it as we both are but she's been trying to persuade Nita not to have it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56148160

 

Can't believe (but actually can because Tories making the wrong decision can always be relied on apparently) that there are early reports of schools actually being reopened on 8th March. They've been pushing this "15 million vaccine" message for ages which is a good figure, well done NHS, but they're all FIRST DOSES because the government made the terrible decision that people shouldn't be properly vaccinated, just half vaccinated. They're then using the 15 million figure as justification for reopening schools, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of people in schools haven't had even the first dose of the vaccine. If schools are SUCH a priority for them why the hell haven't they prioritised vaccinating the people in schools??? All this means is the virus is going to rip through schools again among the non-vaccinated population and cases are going to skyrocket again. It's like we FINALLY get the r rate below 1 and instead of pushing the advantage we have, the government squanders it by reopening too soon, inviting another lockdown in a couple months time, or worse, they just ignore the death rates this time around because it's "irreversible". I am so done with this shit and we're not getting back to normal if the crisis keeps getting mishandled like this.

 

Also what the hell is the point of opening schools for two weeks before Easter then closing again for the holidays?? It would be so easy to start a new term fresh after Easter with a good full 6 weeks to increase the vaccination program but no, for the sake of 10 school days they're pushing sending them back on the 8th.

 

 

Not only that, comparatively astronomically lower risk "non-essential" businesses are also unlikely to reopen at a similar time. Look at China, schools were one of the last things they reopened and they got it under control in a matter of months.

 

Oh yeah and edited to add:

 

 

Cases may be coming down but we're still at roughly TWICE the peak we were at in April last year. To get some perspective.

Disappointed but not surprised to see six months on Boris Johnson poised to repeat the exact mistake that led to the second lockdown and the huge cases surge by bringing ALL schools back 100% at once.

 

"But we've vaccinated loads of people now!"

 

Yeah, but no teachers, no students, and no-one the age to be parents of the kids going back and mixing.

 

Once again it also undermines 'no mixing' too.

A phased return like Wales and Scotland have begun today would have been a much better idea. Although Wales have announced today that phase 2 of the vaccine rollout will focus on jobs and school staff will still be right down the list.

 

Like I know we’re not more important than anyone else but I’m fed up of people listing people who they think are more important than me. This doesn’t happen to any other kind of worker.

Schools went back today in Berlin for the youngest ages and the school leavers. (As in Scotland/Wales)

 

Im not sure it was the right idea tho. The cases have kinda plateaued here around the 55 Marker.

Oh yeah there's 1000% gonna be another lockdown after this one. That's if we even really end the current one which doesn't look likely if schools are gonna reopen.

Part of me wonders of Boris is announcing this today only to suddenly change his mind due to ‘pressure’ from the unions because he needs everyone to remember who the villains are.

Some more good news regarding the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines:

 

Research led by Public Health Scotland found at four weeks after the first dose, hospital admissions were reduced by 85% and 94% for the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs respectively.

 

It is the first sign of the real world impact of vaccination in the UK.

 

Figures for England are expected to be released later.

 

Among the over 80s, there was an overall 81% reduction in the numbers admitted to hospital.

 

Link

Edited February 22, 20214 yr by Envoirment

I too think they're making a mistake by opening all schools on 8th March, which is apparently what Boris will announce tonight. For the sake of two weeks why not wait until after Easter holidays? Gives more time for more people to be vaccinated and cases to fall even further. I'm usually one wanting schools back but hope we don't get a 4th wave with this decision.

Oh yeah and edited to add:

 

 

Cases may be coming down but we're still at roughly TWICE the peak we were at in April last year. To get some perspective.

I agree with everything you said but this is slightly misleading, we’re testing over 10x as much as we were at the peak last year, so we’re arguably in a considerably better position than we were in April. Still too early to open schools though. Give it a month.