Covid-19

[Chicky]

Glad you are feeling better Annabella.

My dad’s golf chums (aged 70-80) who haven’t yet been vaccinated have been told by their GP surgery that there are supply issues with the vaccine and they shouldn’t expect to be vaccinated before the end of Feb. How are there supply issues? I thought the gov had this under control?! (Hahahahaha).

[Cerise]

There is no supply issue. There are many other issues but lots of vaccine batch tested and ready to go.

[Derek Nimmo]

So why are GP surgeries being told that there is? Is this an NHS bureaucracy issue? (I'm asking you Cerise because if anyone would know, you would!)

[Mountain Goat]

Supply issue could mean loads of things though anywhere in the supply chain, such as other surgeries getting it and them not.

[purple_dress]

There's an article on the Guardian about supply issues today: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/ ... tt-hancock

[Cerise]

So why are GP surgeries being told that there is? Is this an NHS bureaucracy issue? (I'm asking you Cerise because if anyone would know, you would!)

I believe it was the ability to get them to where they needed to be with people to administer them. Unsurprisingly, some things weren’t ready in the system. When we were told there were 500,000 doses ready to go, it wasn’t entirely true. There was way (WAY) more than that ready to go but the procedures to get them out to people weren’t ready.

So Mancock’s “supply chain” comments are not about the start, more the in between.

[Derek Nimmo]

So basically not enough refrigerated trucks?

[Derek Nimmo]

Unsurprisingly, in that article Hancock is blaming the pharma companies directly -

“The good news is we are managing to get it out into arms as quickly as the two companies are delivering to us.”

[Turtle Bean]

Would you go to the dentist? I have an appointment tomorrow for a broken tooth but it is not hurting.

[Flora Poste]

I would Bean. I went to the hygienist a couple of months ago (and the kids had a check up the week before Christmas) and they were honestly the safest place I think I've been - the hygienist was in full PPE, they have made the appointments longer to give the room time to be cleaned and aired between patients. I was really impressed.

[Disco]

Hmmm, do you think it will end up hurting? Or simply annoying?

[Disco]

They will be very well versed in minimising aerosol spray contamination.

[Loralei]

So Twat Hancock is lying? What a fucking surprise. My 92 year old friend phoned this morning. She's distressed because she still hasn't had her jab and some of her younger friends (70s and 80s) have had both. It seems to be a problem with someone coming out to her but I've said I'll take her to the surgery if it speeds it up.

I would go, Bean. I expect their safety measures are good and you never know when a tooth will start hurting but it's most likely to be 1am (or 2.30, obvs )

[Cerise]

I think they also wanted/needed a slow start to check that all was good. They can’t easily come out and say that because the first batch of people would totally feel like guinea pigs. Anyway, I’m probably not supposed to be telling you all this stuff.

[Derek Nimmo]

I don't know, but it's all very odd. I'm not sure why they're all being so mealy-mouthed about saying where the hold-up is - if it's because each batch has to be quality-controlled and sampled from before leaving manufacturing sites (which is the right thing to do!) then say so because it will increase public confidence in the vaccine. If however it's a problem in actual physical delivery (ie trucks) then say that too, as we need a Dunkirk spirit here with all hands to deck - didn't one supermarket chain, with suitably equipped trucks, already offer to help out?

I know I'm no expert, but if the blame doesn't lie with manufacturers unable to keep up with demand, or with delivery, and if it doesn't lie with surgeries being under-staffed or prepared, then

(I'd go too Bean. I had to go in the summer for a chipped tooth - thank you popcorn - and as the others have said, it felt like they'd adhered to as many safety measures as they physically could.)

ETA Sorry, cross-posted Cerise - I'll try not to harangue you for the inside track

[Turtle Bean]

It's bound to start hurting at 10pm on a Friday night isn't it. I better go.

[Disco]

yes, it will be fine! They'll be ultra cautious. They're surgeons after all.

[Mountain Goat]

I've been to the dentist frequently due to a difficult mouth, and honestly it feels like the safest place to be. Dentists are potentially massively vulnerable due to all the mouth particles flying around so they are SO careful. At one appointment they were dressed up practically in armour, I've never seen PPE like it. Safer than the bloody park, is my verdict.

[Edith Bacon]

Just to add to all the dentist confidence, all of us have had dental and hygienist appointments in the last few months and poor A has had all that plus several orthodontist appointments too - they feel to me like the safest places I’ve been outside of the house.

The supply chain shadiness is so typical - they’ve made ridiculously massive - unnecessary - promises again and can’t bear to admit it. I don’t ever believe a word that comes out of any of their self-serving mouths.

[Heebie Jeebie]

The dentist felt safe when I went.


The graph on the front page of the Zoe app is pretty grim for Glasgow right now. From a steady drip over may weeks, to an almost vertical line. I hope its not right.