Promise of the new covid-19 vaccine is immense

[JEK]

From the Economist


But don’t underestimate the challenge of getting people vaccinated



20201114_LDD001_2.jpeg

[NYCFred]

download.jpeg

[Izzy]

Sympathy, compassion, and empathy are said to be diminished and even lost in response to events with enormous death tolls.

"A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic" is a quote often applied to this "psychic numbing", which is now being described in relation to the pandemic. A few of the many articles doing so can be found here, here, and here.

One could long for a vaccine against becoming comfortably numb but the risk of such immunity would be losing a coping mechanism that saves us from recognizing, as that other quote goes, "statistics are human beings with the tears dried away".

[elgreaux]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/healt...614_story.html

[didier]

it would be hard enough to convince people to take one shot of the covid vaccine, two shots may not happen once people experience the side effects from the first shot. if the pharmaceutical companies don't come up with a one shot vaccine, they may be fighting a losing battle.

love your cartoon fred.

[amyb]

Hi Fred. Good to see you back.

Still amazes me but true--TO PARAPHRASE: you can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time.

[JEK]

We will happily suffer a little discomfort and the scheduling of a second dose, knowing travel to see our grandchildren would be in the near future. Might even squeeze in an early summer trip to SBH

[amyb]

Yay! Sounds like a plan.

[JEK]

Another part of the plan is seeing son John at home! We have been seeing him at a distance and outside. Starting to get chilly out on his porch! We have also accumulated quite a number of IOU-dinners. Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and this weekend his 47th birthday! Hopefully he and his DSPs will be among the first to receive the vaccine.

[amyb]

I hope so too.

[andynap]

Can't wait for the vaccine. One shot, two shots doesn't matter. Can't be worse than shingles shot.

[Izzy]

One can only hope that the information campaign that will accompany vaccine rollout in the US and France is not spearheaded by cartoon characters, who seem to have missed the news that both countries have already recorded about four times as many deaths as the percentage in the meme would suggest. I am not sure it is the characters who missed the news though - this clip raises the possibility the percentage was separately created for the meme (I am not a South Park follower so can't be the arbiter of that).

Here is an incentive from a different time:
IMG_2152.jpeg

This was part of a a campaign encouraging use of vaccine about which significant safety concerns had been raised and which required 3 doses over 7 months.

The campaign enlisted an idol to set an example:
IMG_2154.jpeg

The vaccine was aimed at preventing a disease that is asymptomatic in up to 95%, causes its most feared outcomes in about 0.05% of infections, is contagious in asymptomatics, and mainly affects individuals of a younger age group than the campaign’s target audience. Initial distribution had been to the most vulnerable and some reluctance was encountered in other groups when supplies became sufficient to expand the program.

The vaccine was one of the great success stories of the past century in the days before those numbers could be used and/or adjusted for internet memes.

[JEK]

One can only hope that the information campaign that will accompany vaccine rollout in the US and France is not spearheaded by cartoon characters, who seem to have missed the news that both countries have already recorded about four times as many deaths as the percentage in the meme would suggest. I am not sure it is the characters who missed the news though - this clip raises the possibility the percentage was separately created for the meme (I am not a South Park follower so can't be the arbiter of that).

Here is an incentive from a different time:
IMG_2152.jpeg

This was part of a a campaign encouraging use of vaccine about which significant safety concerns had been raised and which required 3 doses over 7 months.

The campaign enlisted an idol to set an example:
IMG_2154.jpeg

The vaccine was aimed at preventing a disease that is asymptomatic in up to 95%, causes its most feared outcomes in about 0.05% of infections, and mainly affects individuals of a younger age group than the campaign’s target audience. Initial distribution had been to the most vulnerable and some reluctance was encountered in other groups when supplies became sufficient to expand the program.

The vaccine was one of the great success stories of the past century in the days before those numbers could be used and/or adjusted for internet memes.

Izzy,

You work so hard to present the facts of this very hard reality. Only those that care to examine the reality will understand. Still, a noble undertaking.

[Jim A]

Sign me up once it's ready. My cousin was a part of the Pfizer trial. Who knows if she received the vaccine or the placebo but she didn't have an issue with side effects.

I'm not a smart man, but my guess is the side effects are much less than the effects of getting the virus and will protect not only yourself but everyone you come into contact with as well...

[jessica_ashford]

From the Economist


But don’t underestimate the challenge of getting people vaccinated

how COVID-19 vaccine works


20201114_LDD001_2.jpeg

Has anyone already been vaccinated here?

[PeterLynn]

Has anyone already been vaccinated here?

Wife and daughter work in healthcare and had their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine a couple of weeks ago. Slight arm pain, but nothing else. Bigger second dose is next week.

[amyb]

Thank you, Peter.Good to hear.

[JEK]

Just saw that at the current rate of vaccinations it would take 10 years to vaccinate all US residents!

[JEK]

A Famous Forum Friend has his!

F529EAD2-0C27-4989-986F-9E553F004A61.jpg

[GramChop]

Way to go, Dr. Norman!

[ccg]

Happy New Years everyone. Wishing everyone a safe and healthy 2021!!!

Ended 2020 with my vaccine!!! Just a sore arm at the injection site. Our hospital is getting all front line workers done so they can move on to the office and all support staff that have been "banished" from campus and are working from home. Hoping Bill gets his soon. My daughter is getting hers Sunday, which is one less thing for me to worry about.

It will be interesting to see how the vaccine changes travel requirements. Will we still need PCR tests prior to arrival on the island? Time will tell.

Need to get a Dr Norman mask :)

Charlotte

[JEK]

Happy New Years everyone. Wishing everyone a safe and healthy 2021!!!

Ended 2020 with my vaccine!!! Just a sore arm at the injection site. Our hospital is getting all front line workers done so they can move on to the office and all support staff that have been "banished" from campus and are working from home. Hoping Bill gets his soon. My daughter is getting hers Sunday, which is one less thing for me to worry about.

It will be interesting to see how the vaccine changes travel requirements. Will we still need PCR tests prior to arrival on the island? Time will tell.

Need to get a Dr Norman mask :)

Charlotte

Congrats! Now this headline is rather disappointing!

Ohio Gov: 60 percent of nursing home staff elected not to take COVID-19 vaccine

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-w...-take-covid-19

[ccg]

JEK - That is so disappointing.

Our employees can't wait to get the email letting them know they can schedule their injections. Our cancer patients are also very engaged in receiving the shots. I don't understand people's thinking, just baffling.

C

[pascaleschmidt]

Has anyone already been vaccinated here?

My son in law and son both got the vaccine... no side effects.

[marybeth]

Happy New Years everyone. Wishing everyone a safe and healthy 2021!!!

Ended 2020 with my vaccine!!! Just a sore arm at the injection site. Our hospital is getting all front line workers done so they can move on to the office and all support staff that have been "banished" from campus and are working from home. Hoping Bill gets his soon. My daughter is getting hers Sunday, which is one less thing for me to worry about.

Charlotte

Hooray for you and your daughter! Glad to hear you’re all safe and well.
Hope to join you for a drink in St. Barths...how about November?

mb

[JEK]

A friend in Israel writes on their vaccination progress

In israel over 20% of over 60’s have had Pfizer phase 1 including Smadar and I so that obstacle 50% overcome