Vocal Voices

News is out that a vaccine tested on 43,538 people is 90% effective with 94 of them catching the virus. It is being hailed as the saviour of humanity from all quarters and we'll all be back to normal in months. Dissenting views are hard if not impossible to find. And of course the stock markets soared on the back of all the positivity.

But hanf on. There is no release date only a 'plan' to seek approval for use by the end of the month - that's not 100% certain to be given by that date. Then there is the rate of production of the doses. Then there's the 90% claim. For evey 100,000 people vaccinated 10,000 will not gain immunity and 215 will actually be given the virus. 90% sounds good but the actual numbers left without protection in a given population will be massive. I wouldn't be happy if my car brakes only worked 90% of the time.

The next bit was the press conference about the mass testing in Liverpool and the methods used. We were given details of the tests, how they work, how long they take and how soon before results are known. All it lacked was a practical demonstration. And the news was for ALL of us - hint, hint.

What we were not told about were the logistical problems being found in getting almost 1 million people in the city region tested even once never mid regularly - as was promised. Even if the test rate is doubled it will take six weeks before the second test programme can start. To ramp it up for the country is an impossibility, but it is still being sold to us as a positive.

Ah, but the Oxford covid vacceine is 100% eff3ective with 2 doses. But it takes 56 days to be totally protected. It gives absolutely nobody the virus because it doesn't contain the virus.

I detect a fudge.

There is no doubt the coverage has for months been all doom and gloom yet when the press release was made the world's media flipped and got all giddy. It was Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, get your glad rags out we're going to partaay.

It wasn't till the evening that a more cautious approach was taken, and by that time BioNTech and Pfizer stocks had risen across the markets.

Sweet fudge.

It was good to see Johnson and Van Tam being more measured and today the journalism has a lot of 'ah buts' and 'ifs' and questions and explanations of potential pitfalls. So much for it being a "profession".

More news articles coming out.

Covid vaccine: Betsi Cadwaladr could start jabs next month

Plenty of caveats, though: "could"; "when it arrives"; plans "well advanced"; etc..

However, it should not be "news" all health boards should be in the same or better positions.

I also have a quibble about how the process is prioritised. Front line heath and care workers as well as all other essential and key workers in other sectors should be first in the queue. The next groups should be those in the 30 to 65 age range who are known to be more likely to catch it and become ill, some seriously. They are the ones keeping the economy going through working.

Winter is coming on and the elderly and most vulnerable through illness are already shielding in many ways; they are not likely to be out and about. They need continued support, but not necessarily by being a priority for a jab.