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

[disneychrista]

If true it would explain why cases are so high but hospitalization and deaths are still relatively low.

Not really. The person testing positive still had the virus at some point. It just means that a person can test positive after the virus is no longer active/contagious. This is why a negative test is no longer required to be released from isolation. At first it was.

 

[godisney14]

Since @spiders didnt reply, I’ll try...The difference is because the condition with the Max-8’s that caused the 2 crashes was known by the domestic carriers - mainly Southwest and the pilots knew how to handle. And once the condition was recognized, Boeing issued specific training guidelines on how to handle the nose drop on take off. Several pilots reported having to adjust the autopilot on take off due to this condition. Not all the airlines were quick with training their pilots - even after the first crash. I know I personally flew on Max-8’s on Southwest after the first crash and I had no concerns nor would I today if I was flying on Southwest.

Back on topic, taking a vaccine is the same concept as social distancing and wearing masks - you are doing it to help others, not just yourself. Even with operation warp speed - which I know is a cringeworthy name, the vaccine won’t get out to the majority of the population for a long time. Many people will have already taken it and at least the relative safeness will be known. Whether it will be effective I think is the bigger issue but I don’t think I would worry about taking the vaccine if it has passed all the trials and already administered to thousands more.

Just because the process has been fast doesn’t mean it is politically influenced. As much as I do not support the current administration, you have to give credit where credit is due. Rather than putting the development of a single vaccine in the hands of a bureaucratic government agency, they instead fronted the $$ and let the tech companies compete which will yield multiple vaccines a lot faster since tech companies don’t have to wait for the approval before they even start mass producing. Like someone said earlier, 9 women cannot have a baby in 1 month and we cannot cut corners, but in project management, tasks can be crashed to increase speed. And in this case, the government is taking on the financial risk.

And finally, it is amazing that people get so bent out of shape from this headline about end of October. The notice is to just start preparing. If the approval comes in November, December, January or next Spring, why does it hurt to start preparing early just in case it is ready in October. It’s a good thing to be ready early. Another good project management practice.

I don’t think you’ve read through the reports.
To be clear, the commotion with the FDA and CDC was that they made comments that an approval could be possible before complete trial results are available, and the CDC notified states to prepare for actually vaccinating certain groups sometime in late October/beginning November. It’s not about when the majority will get it. And why announce that they’ve chosen an undisclosed two candidates? I’m perplexed at the possible reasoning behind that since they’re not being transparent about any of this.

 

[DLgal]

Re: The BBC article about dead virus being picked up on tests.

We need to stop using PCR tests as a first line screening test. It's not appropriate. I await the day that I can go buy an at home paper strip test. THAT is what we need to be using. The virus is only contagious for a short window of time and PCR tests say nothing about whether the individual is actively shedding virus capable of infecting others or not.

 

[RamblingMad]

Good interview.

 

[DLgal]

Good interview.

The entire MedCram Coronavirus Update series of videos should be required watching for every adult in America. Such gold.

 

[RamblingMad]

The entire MedCram Coronavirus Update series of videos should be required watching for every adult in America. Such gold.

It's where I get my COVID-19 news. Better than my local news channel.

 

[EveDallas]

Keeps your kids in school and avoids the inconvience of itching, possible scarring and a light fever.. Sure less than 1 % has a worse outcome but its so minimal....

Speaking as one of the "few", it can be much, much worse than itching and a light fever. I had over a week of fevers bouncing between 101 and 104F, constant nausea/vomiting, and itching that drove me mad and left me with some ugly scars. I wouldn't wish that possibly on anyone - even less than 1%.

 

[ronandannette]

...Here they are shortly training dentists, pharmacists and even vets to give the vaccine.

I’m hoping in the UK at least it will be widely rolled out by Spring.

Why on earth would special training be necessary? All of these medical professionals should be competent to give an intramuscular injection - what's so different about this one?

 

[aprilchem]

Also culturally its viewed often as a vanity vaccine... Keeps your kids in school and avoids the inconvience of itching, possible scarring and a light fever.. Sure less than 1 % has a worse outcome but its so minimal....

I remember my sister getting chickenpox at the same time I did, when I was around 7 and she was around 6 or so. I was pretty much fine, but she almost died from it - my memory of this time was going to see her in the hospital, with her eyes completely swollen shut and her throat swollen to the point that they wanted to intubate her. A six year old child. She was sick for weeks and weeks.

So no - I wouldn't call the chickenpox vaccine a "vanity vaccine".

 

[GreatLakes]

I'm generally pro-vaccine. I get all my recommended vaccines and so far my child has gotten every recommended vaccine. I started getting a flu shot as well after having a child. That being said I would not be rushing to get this vaccine day one or even year one. I prefer to wait until anything is more mainstream.

I see a lot of people skeptical of any new vaccine pained with the same bush as the wack jobs that are responsible for almost extinct diseases coming back. I don't think the two are compatible. YMMV.

 

[loves to dive]

I'm all for the states starting to prepare to distribute. Who know how long it would take them to prepare so getting ready in advance, or at least having a plan isn't going to hurt anything.

As far as getting the vaccine, I really don't know what I will do. I don't get a flu shot, I'm one of those people that sometimes the cure is worse than the disease and since I don't get the flu every year and when I do get it, it's not that bad and I stay at home while I have it, I don't see any reason to get the shot. As far as shingles, I have had them. I think I was probably around 55 when I got them. I had chicken pox as a child, well I had about 3 pox but still technically had it. When I got shingles it was a rash under the skin and only on my thigh of one leg (yes the leg that had the 3 poxes). I hurt for about 3 days before I finally went to the doctor and by that time it was too late to take anything but pain meds for it. The meds they gave me did nothing for me so I ended up taking advil and using over the counter lidocane. I did not got get a shingles shot after that. Why? To be honest, I was just too lazy. The doc didn't write a prescription but I was (am) old enough to get one without a script. I could never get an answer from my insurance company as to whether it was covered nor could I find out how much it cost paying out of pocket. So, I just didn't (haven't) bothered. Because mine wasn't that bad, I'm just going with the wait and see approach. My mother had them and they never actually went away. She had the lesions and pain over almost her entire upper body, if you touched her she would almost cry. She also had Lupus so there is that.

I will need a lot more information before I decide. What will it do? Will it keep me from getting Covid or will it just mean I get a mild case? Is there an actual season for Covid or will the vaccine have to be administered multiple times a year? If you have already had Covid, I know you can get it again but will it be a milder case than before? Too many questions right now.

 

[Suger Mag]

I remember my sister getting chickenpox at the same time I did, when I was around 7 and she was around 6 or so. I was pretty much fine, but she almost died from it - my memory of this time was going to see her in the hospital, with her eyes completely swollen shut and her throat swollen to the point that they wanted to intubate her. A six year old child. She was sick for weeks and weeks.

So no - I wouldn't call the chickenpox vaccine a "vanity vaccine".

I still remember her name... Daria. I dont remember what grade we were in at the time, but it was my first real brush with death... I think it was 4th grade, but she died from chicken pox.

I never had chicken pox, my brothers did, but they were 9/10 years older than me, so I was not exposed. When my daughter was getting the varicella vaccine i had a titer search done to verify i had never had it, and then I was also vaccinated.

1/3 people who have had chicken pox will get shingles, after watching my dad deal with shingles, i would not wish that on anyone. Going to pay for the vaccines out of pocket this year for both my husband and I (50/52) as I think we are too early for insurance coverage, but spending the money is better than shingles.

 

[Suger Mag]

Although I am still waiting to see how the development process plays out for the covid vaccine... and as long as it is not too much of a political circus....I will get the covid vaccine. I am not that concerned with safety as much as I am concerned with effectiveness. I understand how vaccines stimulate an immune response to generate antibodies, and I am familiar with how clinical trials are conducted (was a clinical study coordinator during my post doc for a statin investigation on muscle pain). I figure by the time it gets to human trials, they pretty much know it is not going to 'hurt' the average person... but will it be sufficient to provoke a robust and lasting immune response... we shall see. But getting the shot itself does not really concern me.

I am state mandated to get a flu shot this year (Massachusetts teacher)... actually my whole family is as my husband is also an educator and both the kids are in college. It will be my first. I hate the yearly thing... and the flu shot is always a bit of a crapshot at effectiveness depending upon which strains are active.

 

[_19disnA]

Is it still not certain that any of the current covid vaccine trials will be successful. It is too early to tell and none of the trials have gone on for long enough. The medical community doesn't yet know if having antibodies from these vaccines prevents you from getting covid or if they do, how long the antibodies last in your bloodstream. We can't just assume this works and that it won't cause any harmful side effects. That is typically why the phase 3 trials use much larger test populations and take several months of monitoring. Something like 1/3 of all vaccine developments don't work and the research has to scrap that approach and start all over. With some diseases, scientists and medical professional have worked for YEARS to develop a vaccine and have still not been successful, not clear why so many just assume the efforts with covid will somehow be different.

 

[quandrea]

I wonder when these two thirds will deem it safe to take? What will be the trigger? A year, 5? By then the economy will be in the toilet whilst other countries take advantage of the US economy.

This comment would be laughable if it was not so scary:

I feel like their testing is a trial and error," Dew said. "And I also feel that they don’t really know all that much about this virus, so how can they create a cure for it just yet?”

People are painfully ignorant of science.

 

[RamblingMad]

People are painfully ignorant of science.

People seem to struggle with the idea that science changes over time.

 

[godisney14]

Although I am still waiting to see how the development process plays out for the covid vaccine... and as long as it is not too much of a political circus....I will get the covid vaccine. I am not that concerned with safety as much as I am concerned with effectiveness. I understand how vaccines stimulate an immune response to generate antibodies, and I am familiar with how clinical trials are conducted (was a clinical study coordinator during my post doc for a statin investigation on muscle pain). I figure by the time it gets to human trials, they pretty much know it is not going to 'hurt' the average person... but will it be sufficient to provoke a robust and lasting immune response... we shall see. But getting the shot itself does not really concern me.

I am state mandated to get a flu shot this year (Massachusetts teacher)... actually my whole family is as my husband is also an educator and both the kids are in college. It will be my first. I hate the yearly thing... and the flu shot is always a bit of a crapshot at effectiveness depending upon which strains are active.

I need to correct that statement.
Going into human trials (phase 1) does not mean that a drug or vaccine is not going to “hurt” the average person. Plenty of drug and vaccine candidates in history that have stopped short of completing phase 1, 2, or 3 due to adverse effects compared to placebo. There’s still so much to learn from a phase 3 because now you’re working with thousands of people and you’ve cast a wider net to monitor for unexpected cases.

 

[Suger Mag]

I need to correct that statement.
Going into human trials (phase 1) does not mean that a drug or vaccine is not going to “hurt” the average person. Plenty of drug and vaccine candidates in history that have stopped short of completing phase 1, 2, or 3 due to adverse effects compared to placebo. There’s still so much to learn from a phase 3 because now you’re working with thousands of people and you’ve cast a wider net to monitor for unexpected cases.

thank you for that break down,I was being rather generalized, but I did not mean to imply there was no risk at all.... of course even with all the trials, adverse and unexpected reactions can and do occur, but they are very rare.The amount of work and testing that goes into a drug before it ever hits a human.... is enormous. What is it...10 years and 10 billion to bring a drug to market through development and approval? Part of the reluctance of pharma to spend the money on the development of new antibiotics or other medications that may not be viable long enough to see a return on the investment...

 

[Colleen27]

I think a lot of it is going to come down to what they want to do and who requires it. Will college students be required to get it if they live in the dorm? Will airlines have requirements? We know health care workers will likely have a requirement. But what about other offices? Mass gatherings like professional sports? Much of this story still to be written.

Yep. That is probably going to be my deciding factor. I'm hearing buzz from teacher friends about how to respond to a mandate... which tells me that at least some people in the union structure believe that's likely to happen. I sub and am pursuing a full teaching certification, so that may force my hand. My kids might be forced to get it to attend school. And I fully expect we'll be required to get it to travel internationally.

But if it is up to me? I don't know if or when I'd choose to get it on my own. We're all low to moderate risk for complications from the virus and live in an area where it isn't and hasn't been widespread. And the politicization and rushed approval makes me nervous enough that right now, international action matters more to me than the FDA or CDC. If Canada and the EU are rolling out a vaccine, I'll be much more willing to consider it than if the US is going it alone. And there's no way I'm getting in line for an "October surprise" vaccine, if it comes to that, until it has been around a good while and proves itself safe and effective. Because I just don't think that kind of timing would be entirely coincidental.

 

[mefordis]

People seem to struggle with the idea that science changes over time.

Thank you. Finally someone states what should be known to anyone who took a remedial science class. Many things that were once seen as scientific fact, underwent the scientific method and were found as false.