Hamletter

Don't worry, nobody gets deported these days. Not even convicted murderers, rapists and wife beaters.

Metallic Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > Well I watched the ED access meeting led by Cllr > Rose and I remember distinctly the morning meeting > being crammed out with people who I know don't > live in the area being discussed. And as she had > the host lead she managed to get in many people > praising the scheme without a mention for a long > time of people living on these clogged up roads. Just think, it might have to be like the Southwark Recycling Facility whereby you don't get access unless you produce an official document with your address on it.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8236891/Does-wearing-facemask-REALLY-curb-coronavirus-outbreaks-Rates-countries-suggest-do.html

Agree strongly with social distancing outdoors. You only have to see, on a frosty morning, just how far one's breath carries - particularly in the case of joggers and runners. It is also really apparent when one sees people vaping or smoking cigarettes. Wearing masks outdoors has proven effective in other countries such as Korea, Japan and China.

Here's the full text for those who can't get access........... As AstraZeneca?s top managers held a virtual meeting on January 25, they were interrupted by breaking news. Germany?s Handelsblatt newspaper reported that the company?s Covid-19 vaccine ? seen as one of the world?s best hopes for conquering coronavirus ? was largely ineffective in people aged over 65. The shocked pharma executives scrambled to get in touch with their development partners at Oxford university before issuing an unusually emphatic denial: the claim was ?completely incorrect?. Official data published several days later helped to further undermine the article, but its central assertion ? attributed to German officials ? was ominous evidence of worsening trouble with the EU. Since mid-January when AstraZeneca told the pandemic-ravaged bloc it would be unable to deliver the expected volumes of vaccine, the relationship with the EU has been badly damaged. As it prepares to publish new data in the US, which is yet to approve the vaccine, the drugmaker also faces further scrutiny in the world?s largest pharmaceutical market. AstraZeneca must now defend itself against two separate charges: that its clinical trial data is weak and manufacturing inadequate. Meanwhile, the EU has found itself in the unusual position of demanding more of a vaccine that some member states believe may not work in the elderly. An endeavour that started with impeccable intentions ? to bring a low-cost vaccine to the world without profit ? has harmed one of the pharmaceutical industry?s star performers. This account of a turbulent period for the Anglo-Swedish company is based on interviews with more than 30 executives, scientists and government officials in the UK, US and EU. AstraZeneca is experienced in producing biologic medicines, but neither it nor Oxford had delivered a vaccine like this to market before ? Vicenzo Pinto/AFP via Getty Images An unconventional partner As the pandemic raged in the spring of 2020, Oxford?s scientists were working to bring a life-saving vaccine to the world at record speed. Needing a partner who could manufacture and distribute it, they auditioned some of the world?s leading vaccine makers, according to people close to the talks. Oxford wanted to distribute the vaccine to everyone, wherever they lived in the world. Early discussions with the UK?s GlaxoSmithKline foundered and more advanced talks with Merck ended, too, on concern that the US drugmaker would not produce enough to supply the developing world and that the White House would not allow the UK to be supplied first. Merck said it has always made its vaccines and therapeutics available to people who need them around the world and its conversations with Oxford ended cordially in late April. The Oxford scientists were ultimately sold on Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca?s urbane Parisian chief executive, whose ability to work almost round the clock through multiple time zones impresses fans and critics alike. Yet although AstraZeneca is experienced in producing biologic medicines, it lacks its rivals? grounding in vaccines. Neither the company nor Oxford had ever delivered a vaccine like this to market before ? let alone during a deadly pandemic. Vaccine production sites in Europe Trial and error Even before selecting their partner in April, the university scientists had made a head start ? but took a route that would cause trouble later. The scientists decided not to test the vaccine among large groups of over-65s, until they had plenty of evidence that it was safe in younger people. Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, told the FT the decision was ?cautious ? and at the time, that was right?. Almost a year later, however, the lack of data has led to many European countries advising against its use on older people. Emmanuel Macron, president of France, went further, saying ? without producing evidence ? that ?everything points to thinking it is quasi-ineffective on people older than 65, some say those 60 years or older?. The lack of data in testing the vaccine on those aged over 65 led to many European countries advising against its use on older people ? Peter Cziborra/Reuters Other vaccine makers realised regulators would want data on the older population, which is much more at risk of dying from Covid-19, and set up their trials accordingly. When the first phase 3 trial analysis was published in November, it sowed confusion. AstraZeneca disclosed that the efficacy was highest among a subset of participants who had received half a dose before a second full dose; many of those had also received the second dose after an extended interval. Scientists usually change one thing at a time to discern what is working ? but here, cause and effect could not be untangled. In the subset, the vaccine was 90 per cent effective, but combined with other data, the scientists concluded it was 70 per cent effective overall. The unorthodox data that shook some experts? confidence came after early manufacturing fumbles. Oxford was working with a contract manufacturer, which ended up making a half dose by accident. Then, when the scientists decided to test a two-dose course, they were hit by production delays, which meant a longer gap between doses as they waited for supplies. Astra were rock solid because our contract is rock solid Ally of Matt Hancock, UK health secretary According to Oxford?s Pollard, this mistake has proved to be a blessing. ?At that time, it felt like a frustration, but in retrospect it turned out to be extremely useful,? he said. Later analysis showed it was probably the longer interval that made the vaccine more effective. This finding helped assure regulators that spacing out the two doses, as the UK has, would allow more people to be vaccinated with the bonus of added efficacy. However, when AstraZeneca and Oxford revealed the data in November, they did not initially acknowledge their mistake, leaving the public to do its own detective work. ?It hadn?t been war-gamed through from multiple perspectives. Instead, it was a very very narrow group who did it very, very quickly,? one person familiar with the matter said. In the UK, prime minister Boris Johnson exclaimed that the results from the UK drugmaker were ?incredibly exciting?. But the US response was more cautious. It was Moncef Slaoui, the Trump administration official in charge of the US government vaccine programme, who revealed that there had been fewer over-55s in the group which received the one-and-a-half dose regimen, potentially skewing the results further. One industry executive put the different reception down to the UK government desiring a ?national champion in post-Brexit Britain?. When surprisingly strong data from BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna had landed earlier that month, their share prices jumped. But after its data was published, AstraZeneca?s stock fell. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, part of a Californian hub for biosciences, said AstraZeneca?s data stood out for the wrong reasons. ?It was this hodgepodge, throwing all these different trials together and low dose, a standard dose, a dose by accident. I mean, you just can?t make this stuff up,? he said. AstraZeneca leads the vaccine race, Covid-19 shots under contract (doses bn) Uproar in Brussels While the UK and the US struck a deal with AstraZeneca in May, the EU did not sign its contract until late August. The first indication of supply problems in Europe came in November when AstraZeneca realised the yield from one manufacturing site was substantially below what had been expected. Hopes that subsequent batches would have higher yields were dashed; in a different plant some doses were lost because of contamination. Each lost batch would take 55 days to replace. Some problems were identified not by the company but by regulators. During testing last month, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) discovered that at least one batch contained less of an active ingredient than required, said people familiar with the matter. In mid-January, AstraZeneca formally told the European Commission at a meeting attended by dozens of officials that it could not meet the original delivery schedules. Emotions ran high on both sides, said people involved. The problems with the EU reflected in part a communication failure by the company, said bloc officials and diplomats. Another question is whether AstraZeneca sufficiently explained, and the EU sufficiently understood, the uncertainties inherent to vaccine making. ?With chemicals, you can mix things together and you know what you will get, whether it?s 200 grammes or 200 tonnes,? said one observer of the dispute from the industry side. ?With biologics, it doesn?t work like that. I think the biology of it is completely overlooked by all sides.? A mistake over dosing proved to be a blessing. The longer intervals between jabs made the vaccine more effective ? Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg A senior member state diplomat said AstraZeneca had not been ?sensitive enough to the crisis? gripping the EU as it tried to boost lagging vaccine rollout. They ?surprised the commission? with the disclosure that the deliveries would not meet targets, the official added. Allies of the drugmaker disputed that, pointing to weekly appearances at meetings of the commission?s vaccines steering group. At an emergency meeting, Soriot stood his ground, telling officials their criticism was unfounded and inaccurate and public attacks were not the way to build a relationship. ?Soriot handled it really quite well,? said one person familiar with the encounter. EU officials were particularly infuriated by AstraZeneca?s apparent suggestions that the EU and UK supply chains were separate. Soriot stressed that the company was obliged only to make its best efforts to stick to the initial delivery schedule. ?It?s Davos man,? said one EU official of the chief executive?s performance. ?These guys are never apologetic.? AstraZeneca?s chief executive Pascal Soriot stood his ground during an emergency meeting with EU officials ? Charlie Bibby/Financial Times Two days later, commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the company had agreed to provide 40m first-quarter doses instead of 31m ? an improvement, but one that made up only 13 per cent of the gap to the 100m doses the EU was originally expecting. The company also announced that it would start delivering a week earlier than scheduled and expand manufacturing capacity in Europe. Soriot has not been without internal critics in recent weeks. One person close to discussions said some AstraZeneca board members believed the situation in Europe should never have been allowed to deteriorate to the point of open warfare. They feared that, under pressure from the UK government and heavily focused on securing approval for his company?s jab in the US, the chief executive may not have paid enough attention to what was happening in another vital region. Recommended News in-depthCovid-19 vaccines EU circles wagons against Covid vaccine rollout criticism Sharpening the sense of resentment from the EU side is a belief that the UK, where the rollout of the vaccine has been one of the most successful in the world, has been granted preferential treatment. While the tense talks with the commission have burst into public, there has been constant quiet high-level contact between the company and the UK government, said people familiar with the matter. Both Johnson and the UK health secretary Matt Hancock have regular conversations with Soriot ? ?almost daily?, according to some government insiders. Meanwhile, Oxford?s Pollard has appeared alongside the UK prime minister at a Downing Street press conference. Showing the closeness of the relationship, it was the Johnson government that alerted AstraZeneca to the fact the commission had accidentally published a poorly redacted version of its contract with the EU, which included sensitive pricing information. The US trial for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is fully enrolled, with data expected in the coming weeks ? Reuters UK officials do not dispute that they have a stronger relationship with AstraZeneca but ? rather than warm and fuzzy patriotism ? they put it down to early commitments and cold hard cash. ?We put a lot of money in manufacturing, co-funded the clinical trials with Oxford university,? said one senior official. ?We were the first country to sign a deal with AstraZeneca, first to authorise and the first to deploy.? The government was always confident AstraZeneca would honour its contract to supply 2m doses a week to the UK. ?Astra were rock solid because our contract is rock solid,? said one ally of Hancock. ?It?s quite simple: we have an exclusivity contract with them and the EU don?t.? US regulators reject UK data If AstraZeneca?s relationship with the UK government is rock solid, in the US it is more like quicksand. In May, the company signed up to Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration?s programme to develop vaccines, saying it could deliver the first doses as early as October. Recommended The FT ViewThe editorial board The global race between vaccines and mutations As then-president Donald Trump piled on political pressure to get an approval before the election, AstraZeneca spoke to the White House about bypassing the usual regulations. One plan was to approve it on the basis of the UK study of 10,000 people, even though the US scientific agencies had asked for 30,000, according to people familiar with the matter. Had this plan worked, AstraZeneca would have been the first vaccine to be approved in the US ? not, as it looks now, potentially the fourth. When AstraZeneca?s trial was forced to pause enrolment on a potential safety concern, the company pushed the US Food and Drug Administration to rely on the data it had, rather than waiting for a whole new clinical trial. One US official briefed on the conversations said: ?We were coming under a lot of pressure to allow the company to apply for authorisation using the data from the UK and elsewhere. But we simply had too many questions over that data.? Two officials told the FT they were concerned about the number of older people enrolled in the trials so far, and the confusion around the one-and-a-half dose regimen. Former US president Donald Trump?s Operation Warp Speed gave AstraZeneca and Oxford up to $1.2bn to support trials and manufacturing ? Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images One of those officials said Peter Marks, the chief vaccines regulator at the FDA, personally told AstraZeneca staff that they should complete their US trials before applying for emergency approval. Marks did not respond to a request for comment. The FDA said: ?In evaluating a request for an Emergency Use Authorisation, the FDA can consider foreign clinical trial data. However, sponsors should consult with FDA regarding the specific clinical data that they propose to support their EUA request.? Natalie Dean, a biostatistician at the University of Florida, said the FDA is looking for a ?clear regimen?, not the ?confusing? data presented by AstraZeneca. If they did not ask for a new trial, she said, we would never have enough data to tell how well it works in the older population. Warp Speed, which gave AstraZeneca and Oxford up to $1.2bn to support trials and manufacturing, also set conditions, emphasising enrolling older adults and people with comorbidities. Now the US trial is fully enrolled, with data expected in the coming weeks. AstraZeneca is hoping for an emergency approval by April. Soriot has been busy talking to the US regulator, in meetings that one person close to the company described as ?very constructive?. The data will be an important test not just for the US, but eagerly awaited by other countries wanting more information. Oxford chose AstraZeneca because it was willing to pursue a moonshot: vaccinating the globe, while charging less than the price of a cup of coffee for each jab. But like a space mission, every small slip-up has been scrutinised by politicians and broadcast to billions. The company may yet emerge as one of the heroes of the pandemic, responsible not only for preserving lives but allowing locked down economies to open faster. In that case, Soriot will be garlanded for his public spiritedness and foresight. But further missteps will bring more opprobrium. ?It is the biggest vaccine supplier for the world,? said Topol of Scripps Research. ?It just can?t mess it up.? By Sarah Neville, Hannah Kuchler in New York, Kiran Stacey in Washington, Michael Peel in Brussels and Anna Gross, Sebastian Payne, Donato Paolo Mancini and George Parker in London Get alerts on AstraZeneca PLC when a new story is

Blah Blah Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > One glance at the flippant tone brought by Troll > Snatcher and your endorsement of his (or her) > notion that disagreement equates to bullying, > speaks for itself. Can't see how Trolley's post could be seen as flippant. My endorsement was by way of encouraging him/her not to be bullied into silence going forward. Two posters quickly jumped in with comments which were clearly intended to be put-downs. These comments contributed nothing had nothing to do with the thread but were deliberate to denigrations. To save you scrolling, here they are... Spartacus >>> "You are a strange fish Trolley, or are you just out of your ..." Sue >>> "The clue is in the first five letters of the name ...." Time to reflect, eh?

Bic Basher Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > My mother is having her vaccination at 107A > Rosendale Road SE21 next Wednesday. No idea what > vaccine they use? Based on the location, 99% certain it will be Astra Zeneca

Nigello Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I agree that this gel/spray is to be used in > conjunction with masks, handwashing, distancing > (probably the most important), ventilation, etc. > > I wonder whether smearing your nostril insides > with Vicks or even petroleum jelly would help in > any way in blocking viruses/bacteria? Indeed, it is one additional precaution to be used alongside the others you mention but it is a very effective one. Every extra bit of protection minimises risk. Smearing with petroleum jelly would have limited efficacy because it could not be applied in the upper nasal tract ie in the area of conchae & nasal meatuses - which is where the virus would find it easiest to penetrate. This upper area is where you feel the very first symptoms of a cold or 'flu. The two products I mentioned have anti-viral properties whereas petroleum jelly does not.

Blah Blah Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hamletter Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > As expected, more bullying intended to > suppress > > views that you don't agree with. > > It is clear that you are here to pick fights and > nothing else. Hey, just hold on a moment. I merely supported Trolley Snatcha's comment and went on to expand that theme with a wider proposal. That proposal embodied principles of philanthropy and generosity. And all I get in return is a bunch of bully boys who zone into suppress any dialogue that does fit their views. So why not resist the urge to issue accusatory and judgemental remarks and save some credibility.

As expected, more bullying intended to suppress views that you don't agree with.

diable rouge Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hamletter Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > > Hang on in there & don't the usual forum > (Liberal) > > bully boys. > > Hiya Trinny!...oops, I mean Hammy!! > How's it going, have you posted any more fake > recommendations for your other accounts lately? > Send our love to tomdhu and Dulwich Dyson, and our > sympathies go out to all those previous accounts > you had to close. > Keep smiling! > Lots of love, > The EDF Liberals (Hardline Centrist Division)... Seems someone may have a persecution complex. I never had to close an account.

@ Trolley Snatcha, Hang on in there & don't the usual forum (Liberal) bully boys. The first priority/obligation of any government is to look protect its citizens and getting everyone in the UK vaccinated before we look beyond our borders is absolutely correct. We are fortunate that our Govt had the good foresight to make an early and massive commitment to vaccine procurement and even negotiate a no-profit deal with AZ. When we have done all we can possibly do for our own citizens then we should help out the others including even the EU. But more importantly, we can help out the less developed countries. The UK has an aid budget of around ?8 billion and much of this goes into useless projects many of which just create corruption and waste. DFID can never find enough sensible projects to sponsor and have even resorted to handing out bundles of cash to individuals in countries like Zambia. Much better to switch our entire international aid budget into Covid support - vaccines, resources, training etc etc. Covid is going to be around for a long, long time and as long as it is out there ( as it was with polio & smallpox) then we are all at risk.

keano77 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > My prediction - the EU will relax its rules I agree, but it may only happen when they have cocked up again because of their visceral desire to punish the UK. It's not just Von Der Whatsit but most likely Macron (who has been already been bad-mouthing the AZ vaccine) who will overstep the mark and precipitate another fiasco border/trade. He needs reminding that the UK has a big trade deficit with France so France has more to lose if he puts up artificial barriers. The UK is by far the biggest market for champagne and one of the largest for French cheese.

Given that Covid infection is transmitted by breathing in minute airborne particles of virus, I have been following my doctor's advice and have been using a nasal spray. The spray is a gel type which coats the inside of the nose and stops the virus particles from penetrating the nasal membranes. There are two different brands which work on the same principles :- 1. Boots Nasal Guard Cold & Flu Block Topical. 2. Vicks First Defence Both contain carragelose https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/how-not-to-get-a-cold-515435.html https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/ear-nose-throat/a8888/vicks-first-defence-nasal-spray/ https://www.carragelose.com/en https://www.boots.com/nasaleze-cold-and-flu-blocker-powder-spray-800mg-10280749

Have you thought of making him a cup of tea with salt in it. He'll not ask a second time. And suggest he writes to Santa to for a Thermos. He will get the message.

Nigello Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > https://www.hsj.co.uk/coronavirus/hospital-offered > -covid-jabs-on-demand-for-several-weeks/7029346.ar > ticle I have my doubts about HSJ Healthcare. Ultimately they are a limited company (Wilmington Healthcare Limited" and their website doesn't really give much insight into who they really are or what their real purpose in life is. Lots of jargon and they comes across as a lobbying group. Perhaps someone could provide more information

Sue Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I have a Scottish parent. > > Does that mean if Scotland gains independence I > can have a Scottish passport? Most probably, because you can get an Irish PP if you have one Irish grand parent from either the North or South.

Disunited it is and sadly becoming more so. I say this a an expatriate Scot who despairs at the Anglophobia being stoked up by the SNP. Their devolved government has made changes to the content of history education which can only generate anti-England feelings. Some of us know about the suppression of the 1715 and 1745 uprisings and the subsequent violent Highland clearances resulting in the diaspora of the Scoots to places like Canada, America and Australia. But this was never part of the history I was taught taught. It was 250 years ago and best left as a distant memory rather than used as a fire to be stoked to achieve nationalist ambitions. Sadly the kids in Scotland are now being brainwashed with a version of history that suits only the aims of the SNP. Negativity towards the Union is emphasised throughout the curriculum and in the exam questions. Allegedly us Scots have been "downtrodden for 800 years". Sadly also, like all nations, Scotland has not only its share of ignorant, misguided people but they sometimes make it into government.

Sephiroth Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > TrinnyDad is back I see Is he/she your nemesis or it is a case of paranoia?

Not forgetting Monaca and Cyprus also.

Sephiroth Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > There is a lot to unpick over the last few days > with a lot of people rushing to judgements that I > don't feel comfortable with at all > > What is undeniably true is that the EC has had a > nightmare and cocked up royally - not just in one > heated day's exchange, but over several days of > escalating tensions. The EU cock-up with vaccines goes further back with Macron's attempt to influence Brussels into placing the bulk of the EU ordering in favour of the Sanofi vaccine. Sanofi encountered delay after delay and consequently the EU was way behind the field when it came to securing contracts with firm delivery commitments. And where is is the Sanofi vaccine now. It's nowhere. it didnt work and it has been ditched. The EU has only itself to blame and that's why it's lashing out. And it proved again that France and Germany pull all the string in the EU and the smaller members dont have any influence.

If it's illegal advertising such as fly posters, then feel free to remove them or deface them. I recall one town was plagued by illega posters going up every week for events so they developed a tactic of applying a sticker with "CANCELLED" on it. It was really effective. If they cannot be removed readily the tactic is to deface it with a broad marker pen by obliterating the contact phone number or by writing "SCAM" or "CHEAT" across it. For those attached to street furniture with zip ties, then I find a small side cutter to be very effective The worst are the "Van & Driver" fly posters as they are difficult to remove but can be defaced fairly readily. If one makes operated a concerted campaign against the fly poster, they seem to give up fairly quickly.

OK, I'll fill in your blanks for you 1. Vaccines were developed in record time 2. These vaccines have excellent efficacy - much better than the 'flu jab. 3. The UK invested massively in vaccine production production 4. The UK fast tracked approval for vaccines 5. The UK has approved more types than any other country 5. 8 million UK residents have been vaccinated so far 6. 480,000 vaccinated yesterday alone 7. UK vaccination rate betters all other countries apart from UAE and Israel. 8. The vaccines can be tweaked quickly to work against new variants. Oh, and one more... 9. If you are reading this then you are still alive. That's a real winner! I could go on KidKruger Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Well one certainly would have to look pretty hard > for the positives. > Do you actually know of any of these positives > yourself ? > Could you list just 5 of them please ? > 1. > 2. > 3. > 4. > 5. > > > Hamletter Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > > > Spot on Cat. These remoaners need to look for > the > > positives and I bet none of them would opt to > > defer getting their jabs so that the EU could > > decide who should get it instead.

malumbu Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Not sure if articles quoting the WHO on vaccine > hoarding have been discussed yet. Quoting briefly > from one: > https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2021/01/29/ > who-vaccine-hoarding-would-be-a-catastrophic-moral > -failure-that-keeps-pandemic-burning/?sh=558ebb201 > 5ac > > During a virtual briefing Friday, Tedros Adhanom > Ghebreyesus, the WHO director-general, said that > vaccine hoarding would not only be a "catastrophic > moral failure," but that it would keep "the > pandemic burning" and would result in a "very > slow" global economic recovery. > Sadly, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is totally discredited because he took China's shilling. They pushed for him big time to become head of WHO and he dithered whilst deflecting blame away China. The spouted support of China when they were patently trying to run a cover-up.

Yes, I would even take it it my most sensitive/precious part of my anatomy. One doesnt mess with Covid19.