Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston: volunteers, credit, house)

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

Trump is really twisting arms at the FDA. He has already accused them of being part of the "Deep State", and says they are holding off on approving a vaccine to make him look bad! Imagine that you are the head of the FDA, or work in vaccine approval there, when the president of the United States is telling the country that :-(. Meanwhile, the FDA doesn't even have anything to approve. No vaccines have completed Phase III trials, and only two of them are in Phase III trials.

Yes, he is pressuring them. But I think it's better to wait just a few more months until the trials are done. His motive is not to make us safe, it's to get himself elected. No one's even sure that the vaccine will be really that good when it does come out (Dec? Jan?). I would never take it or even get excited about pushing it out in October.

[porterhouse]

Would I be surprised if Trumped tried to push through a vaccine at all costs even if it means cutting corners? NO

Would I be surprised if many in the media and medical community decried any pre 11/3 vaccine simply because of politics? NO

Certain people are going to hate a vaccine on 11/1, but love it on 11/5, and vice versa.

I’m not looking to have my family be first in line when one does come out. However, it should be universally viewed as positive that several vaccines are successfully moving forward.

Regardless of how this proceeds, I’m looking forward to all those I never knew were epidemiology experts, race relations experts, economic experts, education experts, etc. now becoming vaccine experts and sharing their bona fides.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by redplum33

All over the news they're saying the CDC is telling states to prepare to distribute a vaccine on November 1.

Politics aside, even if there is no vaccine for months to come, states should have a plan in place to distribute, and it should be aggressive timeline to have this network in place and ready to go.

I’d rather they be ready to hand out nothing on Nov1, than have a safe, effective vaccine and botch the distribution badly...much like how testing came online.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

Yes, he is pressuring them. But I think it's better to wait just a few more months until the trials are done. His motive is not to make us safe, it's to get himself elected. No one's even sure that the vaccine will be really that good when it does come out (Dec? Jan?). I would never take it or even get excited about pushing it out in October.

Clinical trial success for vaccines is higher than it is for drugs, but it's still only about 33%, so the trials are absolutely not a pro-forma exercise. I am normally a big proponent of vaccines, but not if we can't trust the evaluation process.

[Urban Peasant]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

Trump is really twisting arms at the FDA. He has already accused them of being part of the "Deep State", and says they are holding off on approving a vaccine to make him look bad! Imagine that you are the head of the FDA, or work in vaccine approval there, when the president of the United States is telling the country that :-(. Meanwhile, the FDA doesn't even have anything to approve. No vaccines have completed Phase III trials, and only two of them are in Phase III trials.

Trump ought to play guinea pig and get the vaccine first or have it administered to Melania and Barron if he trusts an early vaccine that much. After all if we take his word, Putin did administer his vaccine to his daughter.

[Shrewsburried]

Originally Posted by Urban Peasant

Trump ought to play guinea pig and get the vaccine first or have it administered to Melania and Barron if he trusts an early vaccine that much. After all if we take his word, Putin did administer his vaccine to his daughter.

I mean, other than the occasional Polio vax oopsie (i.e., giving poverty stricken populations Polio because the virus within the vaccine was still very much 'alive') or an allergic reaction, there's only so much which can go wrong with an administered vaccine.

The biggest risk is one of efficacy. The vaccine fails to produce a robust immune response and the recipients take on more risky behavior assuming they are protected.

One thing is very clear ... the uninformed on this country, right or left, haven't a clue how vaccines work or what is in them.

[mdovell]

Implementation is going to take awhile. Even if it comes out November 1st it would take at least months for most of the country to get it. I'm thinking some vaccines will work better than others but that might make it hard to argue for someone to get another one to make it work "better". I'm all for competition to drive down prices but this shouldn't be like car trouble going place to place.

[redplum33]

We'll probably need to get the vaccine 2 times.


One shot of coronavirus vaccine likely won't be enough


"People will have to remember to come in the second time. They might have to take time off work - twice. They may have to wait in long lines -- twice. And possibly experience unpleasant side effects, like fever -- twice."

[charolastra00]

I think Trump is the greatest threat to American democracy in history and yet I would still be first in line for the vaccine if allowed.


I signed up for 3 separate clinical trials and even offered to travel to Seattle or Pittsburgh if it would get me in. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten a call but I also have a very specific set of risk factors that they may not have expanded testing to yet.



Honestly, my biggest concern about going early is that it's not as effective and having had the earlier vaccine prevents me from getting a more effective version.

[mdovell]

The other thing in the back of my mind is if developing countries don't have access we can kiss goodbye significant immigration even if Biden wins. Remember when Bush pushed for aids support in Africa? We need something on that level again and for latin america

https://www.ft.com/content/72424694-...c-fac8325aaa04