CDC Notifies States, Large Cities To Prepare For Vaccine Distribution As Soon As Late October

[gwynne]

Why is California having the same growth rate as Florida and Texas (or worse) with far stricter rules?

Because lockd....uh...strict closure policies...are driving people inside to hang out in far smaller spaces with no masks or social distancing.

I think it's the effect of the much easier to spread variant. And what's going on in CA should be of serious concern to us all.

 

[DLgal]

Why is California having the same growth rate as Florida and Texas (or worse) with far stricter rules?

Because lockd....uh...strict closure policies...are driving people inside to hang out in far smaller spaces with no masks or social distancing.

I still maintain that Disneyland should have been allowed to open to give people a mostly OUTDOOR place to gather.

Your argument is valid. The other side of the coin is that frustrated Californians have traveled out of state to do the things they can't do here, like youth sports and yes, WDW, and have been infected elsewhere and brought it back here.

The lock downs and excessive restrictions had the opposite of the intended effect, it seems. Also, our Governor lost confidence when he was caught violating his own guidelines. That didn't help.

But really, what we have is certain places of business "open anyway" in defiance of the orders, but community spread that is far worse than we are seeing in places that are "fully open." That is where something epidemiological has to be at play.

 

[gwynne]

Why can’t the US govt buy more outside their agreement? That’s what I don’t get.

It appears the old team seems to have passed.
New team on the way soon.

 

[DLgal]

Why can’t the US govt buy more outside their agreement? That’s what I don’t get.

They CAN. They chose NOT to. And now, that same amount isn't available for purchase anymore because Pfizer moved down the line to countries that wanted it. They might be able to fulfill smaller orders from individual states, though.

The government works in contracts with large purchase amounts. It's a complex process. They can't just call up Pfizer and place an order.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think it is because the US has an AGREEMENT to purchase a set number of doses, but that's not all the doses the company is making, obviously. Remember how the US turned down the option to purchase more doses a couple months ago? Well, Pfizer has to sell the vaccine to someone, right? States have budgets and money that is not federal money. They can use it as they see fit.

I would absolutely detest this idea of allowing states to purchase it because of the inequity that would present. Even if my state could pay $$$$ (and I seriously doubt they can) I would hate that where you live becomes even more of a determining factor over when you can get the vaccine than it already is based on one's occupation and health and age and where you fall in a given bracket. I understand people's disgust at the lack of government purchasing but on an ethical level I just can't get behind the solution presented of states being allowed to purchase it. It would be disheartening to me to see that happen. And we were just talking about monetizing the vaccine..that's what allowing the states to purchase it does.

FWIW Pfizer and the U.S. did make a deal 2 weeks ago I believe for 70million by end of June, an additional 30million by end of July. June and July may be far off but given the issue last year it's something.

 

[Jonfw2]

I think it's the effect of the much easier to spread variant. And what's going on in CA should be of serious concern to us all.

I think the evidence of a way easier to spread variant in California is far less meaningful than the timing of their spike- right at the holidays.

Further, many states that have not reported easier to spread variants have also seen spikes at the same time.

 

[amylevan]

Where does everyone think all these extra vaccinations are available to buy? Pfizer has to manufacture them. They’re not just sitting around waiting for someone to show up with cash. Just the other day Europe was up in arms because Pfizer had to reduce their delivery amounts due to reduced production at a factory. I’m not sure NY buying vaccines on its own is really going to hurry things along that much.

 

[Jonfw2]

On the broader topic of vaccine availability, JNJ said today that they will have NO supply constraint (their words) and that they expect to get EUA approval in March.

 

[gwynne]

Novavax continues to recruit volunteers for their phase 3 trial. It's interesting to me that 2/3 of the volunteers will get vaccine and 1/3 will get placebo.

Let's hope the trial goes well and we eventually have another vaccine supplier.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think the evidence of a way easier to spread variant in California is far less meaningful than the timing of their spike- right at the holidays.

Further, many states that have not reported easier to spread variants have also seen spikes at the same time.

But you do have to keep in mind few genetic sequencing has been done. We're really bad at that. So the mere fact of not reporting easier to spread variants is a limiting statement given we haven't actually done the leg work to know much of that. If we actually did this and had been doing it robustly all along wouldn't be as much of a guessing game of trying to figure out what may be driving the spread or if it's a combination of things.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Where does everyone think all these extra vaccinations are available to buy? Pfizer has to manufacture them. They’re not just sitting around waiting for someone to show up with cash. Just the other day Europe was up in arms because Pfizer had to reduce their delivery amounts due to reduced production at a factory. I’m not sure NY buying vaccines on its own is really going to hurry things along that much.

It's where our impatience is coming into play, understandable largely but production isn't ramped up enough to feed the demand of the world. We're having growing pains for that reason. We desperately want and need the vaccine but the vaccines in general are needed by the world too. There are some countries taking backseats which marginally help. I know Australia for example is not in as much fervor over the vaccine. Their COVID situation is allowing them to not be in as much arms race as many places are. They still want and need the vaccine it's just not like the U.S., Canada and most of Europe's situation.

 

[Jonfw2]

And I'm not sure if it was mentioned here or not, but Moderna announced that starting this summer, they will be giving a one-year booster to everyone who received the real vax initially. I don't think that was part of their original plan.

 

[okeydokey]

We saw early on what happened when the states were left to fend for themselves for PPE and were in bidding wars with each other, and then the feds came in and took PPE states had ordered.

An every state for itself approach to vaccine distribution would be a very bad idea.

 

[okeydokey]

There aren't...this is a whole other thing.

So there is no cost of any kind to anyone to get the vaccine, but if I wanted to pay somebody some money, I could cut the line? Is that how it would work?

 

[Jonfw2]

So there is no cost of any kind to anyone to get the vaccine, but if I wanted to pay somebody some money, I could cut the line? Is that how it would work?

It was just a hypothetical.

 

[okeydokey]

It was just a hypothetical.

It’s a terrible idea, I think we can all agree. I would hate to see buying their way to what should be a public service to all.

 

[gwynne]

It’s a terrible idea, I think we can all agree. I would hate to see buying their way to what should be a public service to all.

Most agree. And it's not going to be the solution going forward.

 

[DLgal]

It’s a terrible idea, I think we can all agree. I would hate to see buying their way to what should be a public service to all.

If people think this isn't already happening, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

People are already buying their way into receiving a vaccine. Guaranteed. Slimy people will always exist and there will always be someone with money willing to pay their way to the front of the line.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

And I'm not sure if it was mentioned here or not, but Moderna announced that starting this summer, they will be giving a one-year booster to everyone who received the real vax initially. I don't think that was part of their original plan.

I remember reading that. It made me wonder because Pfizer is so close to it will they have one as well (or see the need).

For Moderna it's 1 year from initial vaccination with exception to those who apparently had lower dose amounts as they were doing trial and error on getting just the right amount. I think right now they are mainly focused on trial participants. They are doing this on a data-driven aspect. I don't know if they are really planning yet for those who received it after it got EUA approval yet or not. I suppose it depends on what their data shows.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

If people think this isn't already happening, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

People are already buying their way into receiving a vaccine. Guaranteed. Slimy people will always exist and there will always be someone with money willing to pay their way to the front of the line.

An individual who is choosing to be only for themselves is one thing and I wouldn't condone that though I don't know how many are actually paying their way. I do know deception has occurred with sometimes laxness in proving you are eligible.

But a state buying it up? It looks really bad IMO because NY is trying it out. I though Cumuo beat COVID? Shouldn't he be willing to allow other states before his? Unless he's buying it and going to distribute it to all 50 states and our territories..which no state would actually do that if they were to buy it. It just makes us look like greedy people even though the object being fought over is a vaccine. It would, IMO, make even more of a mockery of the whole "we're all in this together" spiel that many people have come to joke about because it couldn't be farther from the truth in many ways.