CDN/US Covid-related political discussion

[Colin Parkinson]

Hope she is OK.

Some sort of heart condition, nobody is sure why, but it has a huge impact on her ability to function and I don't see a lot of options to improve things at this point. Thankfully her friend is a highly regarded Cardiologist in the US and has been helping us a lot for free.

 

[Weinie]

Some sort of heart condition, nobody is sure why, but it has a huge impact on her ability to function and I don't see a lot of options to improve things at this point. Thankfully her friend is a highly regarded Cardiologist in the US and has been helping us a lot for free.

Colin, my best to your wife, and to you. I hope that the prognosis is favourable, and that there are options available. Stay positive. We are here.

 

[lenaitch]

Yeah, sure. Medical field and the likes I can see the requirements for it. Some sacrifices must be made for certain jobs.

But for Joe blow on the street, grabbing a coffee, a burger, a tennis racket and a beer, no. Screw off with that nonsense.

I'm all for having as many people as possible voluntary getting the vaccines, and if some harm befalls them, they made that choice of their own free will.

It's another story when the government starts forcing people to do it. What do you say to people who have adverse reactions then?

I'm not supportive of government mandating vaccines for the general population either. I am supportive of the various elements of society doing it for them.

 

[mariomike]

Sometimes I wonder if there had been this much vaccine hesitancy in the 1950s, we might still be fighting polio.

 

[Altair]

Sometimes I wonder if there had been this much vaccine hesitancy in the 1950s, we might still be fighting polio.

Is there that much?

7 out of 10 have 1 dose. We should hit 75 80 percent.

How much were polio rates?

 

[Altair]

Would you just stop.

Did you guys stop when the popular opinion here was canada was dropping the ball?

No?

There is your answer.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Is there that much?

7 out of 10 have 1 dose. We should hit 75 80 percent.

How much were polio rates?

Was the polio vaccine listed as "experimental" and the companies insist on having no liability?

 

[Mick]

Was the polio vaccine listed as "experimental" and the companies insist on having no liability?

Serious question: At what point is a vaccine no longer considered experimental?

Have processes been skipped or neglected during Health Canada's approval process for AZ, Moderna, and Pfizer?

 

[Kilted]

Is there that much?

7 out of 10 have 1 dose. We should hit 75 80 percent.

How much were polio rates?

It's just the loudest people who are against it that makes it feel like it's much worse.

 

[Altair]

Serious question: At what point is a vaccine no longer considered experimental?

Have processes been skipped or neglected during Health Canada's approval process for AZ, Moderna, and Pfizer?

From my understanding due to the severity of the pandemic, it is being approved due to the emergency use authorization. When the pandemic is over it will need to apply for approval from the Food and drug administration (US) under normal procedures.

So while not experimental, it isn't technically approved under normal mechanisms, and that is one reason I would be extremely hesitant in forcing people to take it.

AZ, nobody knew about the threat to younger people, especially women, which resulted in a few cases of death. There is a risk of using vaccines under emergency use authorization. While the risks are rare, I am still of the belief that it is up to the individual as to whether or not they accept these risks, not the government forcing people to take it.

 

[RangerRay]

I am still concerned that our governments are saying mixing and matching vaccines are fine while the WHO has called the practice “dangerous”. I was concerned about this months ago. Canadians were subjects in a population level experiment without consent.

 

[Good2Golf]

I am still concerned that our governments are saying mixing and matching vaccines are fine while the WHO has called the practice “dangerous”. I was concerned about this months ago. Canadians were subjects in a population level experiment without consent.

No, WHO’s Dr. Swaminathan said there was a ‘dangerous trend’ that individuals were deciding on mixing and matching their own vaccines. She said people should follow the recommendations of their respective public health agencies.

That is in no way anything like a formal sweeping statement that mixing vaccines is dangerous.

WHO warns individuals against mixing and matching COVID vaccines

GENEVA, July 13 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization's chief scientist has advised individualsagainst mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccines from different manufacturers, saying such decisions should be left to public health authorities.

"It's a little bit of a dangerous trend here," Soumya Swaminathan told an online briefing on Monday after a question about booster shots. "It will be a chaotic situation in countries if citizens start deciding when and who will be taking a second, a third and a fourth dose."

Swaminathan had called mixing a "data-free zone" but later clarified her remarks in an overnight tweet.

"Individuals should not decide for themselves, public health agencies can, based on available data," she said in the tweet. "Data from mix and match studies of different vaccines are awaited - immunogenicity and safety both need to be evaluated."

The WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on vaccines said in June the Pfizer Inc (PFE.N)vaccine could be used as a second dose after an initial dose of AstraZeneca (AZN.L), if the latter is not available.

A clinical trial led by the University of Oxford in the UK is ongoing to investigate mixing the regimen of AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines. The trial was recently expanded to include the Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) and Novavax Inc (NVAX.O) vaccines.

(This story corrects spelling of Novavax in last paragraph)

Reporting by Emma Farge and John Revill; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Raissa Kasolowsky and Peter Cooney
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

 

[PuckChaser]

Vaccinated visitors from U.S. unlikely to spread virus, experts say

News that Canada may soon welcome fully vaccinated U.S. travellers comes as COVID-19 cases rise in some states south of the border, but infectious disease experts say the risk posed by vaccinated visitors is low.

www.ctvnews.ca

Vaccinated travelers won't spread COVID, but Vaccinated Canadians still need to wear masks and live in fear.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

"Unlikely" is not "won't"......need to hear that again? You seem to have somehow missed the meanings.

 

[PuckChaser]

"Unlikely" is not "won't"......need to hear that again? You seem to have somehow missed the meanings.

Won't is a pipe dream and unrealistic. As soon as we get rid of these COVIDZero crazy people who have somehow found thier way into positions to advise policy, we can get back to normal. If people want to live in fear of germs thier whole lives, go for it. But that is a personal choice and shouldn't be public policy especially when Canada is beyond 50% fully vaccinated which has effectively delinked rising cases from rising hospitalization/deaths in the UK.

 

[PMedMoe]

I love the whole "living in fear" narrative. Have we seen people roaming the streets in Tyvek suits with N-95 masks? No. Cowering in their bunkers and avoiding society? No. What we've seen is people being cautious, which is not a bad thing.

Vaccine uptake is pretty good, but it could be better. And IMO, if businesses still want to require that people wear a mask, that's their business. Don't like it? Don't shop there. Too easy.

 

[PuckChaser]

Could be better? It's upwards of 80% eligible first dose, and steadily rising above 50% 2nd dose. That's pretty good for a virus that had 80% of its deaths for people above 60 years old. Young folks and kids aren't rushing out to get it because A. COVID isn't risky for them and B. The vaccine doesn't stop transmission so as long as our 60+ have it they don't see the need.

The double speak on COVID rules WRT masks and vaccines are making people assess the medical ADVICE, and make a decision not to have it. Good for them, if they want to roll the dice on COVID have at it, but don't drag out restrictions and manufacture panic over a new variant every week when the risk is no different than a normal flu season now.

 

[PMedMoe]

Yeah, okay...

The Delta curve ball: How worried should Canada be about the COVID variant?

'This virus spreads so fast, and is so contagious that, if 20 per cent of the population is not vaccinated, that will be more then enough to keep this thing going'

Why the delta variant means some Canadians now more 'at risk' from COVID-19 than ever before

Delta COVID-19 variant now dominant strain worldwide; U.S. deaths surge

 

[Brad Sallows]

You don't have to do BL4 to demonstrate fear. A person wearing a mask outdoors, who steps into a driveway rather than pass me on the sidewalk, is by my standards living in fear. That is well beyond caution.

 

[mariomike]

How much were polio rates?

I don't know.

But, this Sunday morning, out of curiosity, I asked my mother if I ever brought a parental consent form home from school for her or Dad to sign.

She said she was never asked to sign anything.

Get in line. Don't ask questions. Do whatever the kid ahead of you in the lineup does.

Still have my vaccination scar, and remember how sweet the liquid vaccine tasted.