S08.E10: Coronavirus Vaccine

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Main Topic: Coronavirus Vaccine - conspiracy theories and hesitancy 

Also:  Guinea pig bridge; John's egg fantasy; the void steps out on John; Dana Perino grew up on a ranch; government Twitter accounts 

Original air date 2021.05.02

[scarynikki12]

There’s a guinea pig bridge? And it has a theme song? I want to play.

Congrats to The Void for the role in Mortal Kombat. 

I’m glad Ollie went into detail on the bullshit being spewed about the vaccine. I did convince my Lyft driver to get his the other day so that was nice.

The Vaccine Cicada is going to give me nightmares. Keep that thing the fuck away from me!

The Ranch interlude with the increasing graphics was funny.

I was actively typing a loving defense of the New Jersey Twitter account and then Ollie mentioned it! It’s absolutely hilarious and is the only one that should be allowed to be funny. Whoever runs it deserves a raise.

Ollie’s egg confession was so hilariously random. I hope it’s a recurring bit. 

[Annber03]

Here's a question Tucker Carlson could spend time examining if he actually had the ability for self-reflection: why the hell is he still on TV? 

This episode should be broadcast anyplace where people who are looking up information about the vaccines can access it. Anything to help try and squash some of these insane conspiracy theories and beliefs.

The worst that happened to me with my first dose was that my arm was a little tender for about a day or so. I'm getting my second dose on Wednesday, and if I get a few of the side effects some have reported having with it, hey, so be it. I'll just be happy to join the fully vaccinated :). 

[Kromm]

Vaccine Cicada was gold.  Gold, I tell ya! 

Better than the Egg. Now THAT was creepy... 

[swanpride]

It's really funny that the US media keeps talking about the Pfizer vaccine, while in most of Europe it is mostly known as the BioNtech vaccine. (which, btw, I would be very happy to get, but in my country, I still have to wait until more endangered people than I are vaccinated). 

The whole "visible Lesbian" hashtag in connection with "something dangerous in your kitchen" was extremely unfortunate. And strange. 

Every time Tucker looks confused I know that he will say something incredible stupid next. And he  looks always confused. It makes me despair that enough people take him serious enough for him still being on air....

 

[Kromm]

2 hours ago, Annber03 said:

The worst that happened to me with my first dose was that my arm was a little tender for about a day or so.

For the half day after my second shot not much happened. But I had dizzyness, loss of balance, and serious fatigue to the extent I weaved around like a drunk, the NEXT morning after my second Moderna shot. The arm pain was moderately bad too. And slept 16 out 24 hours that day.  And.. 

...big deal.

I mean they weren't mild symptoms. But they literally only lasted 24 hours of my life. It was a fair trade for feeling reasonably assured after that brief inconvenience that I'm not going to spread COVID around to my elderly parents and kill them. 

I get having some fear. But even as someone with more than slight reactions to the vaccine, I'm shocked by the sheer power of the hestincy on our population. 

[Takerholicx5]

I got my 1st Moderna shot two weeks ago and aside from a sore arm and a little nausea here and there, I feel great. My 2nd shot is the week before my birthday and while I'm scared of needles, the fact that I can keep both myself and the people around me safe is well worth it.

[paigow]

Solution: Gritty replaces Tucker Carlson until all Fox viewers get vaccinated.

[ahisma]

18 hours ago, Kromm said:

Vaccine Cicada was gold.  Gold, I tell ya! 

Better than the Egg. Now THAT was creepy... 

Noooooooo! Egg was hilariously bizarre. Cicada was DISGUSTING.

18 hours ago, swanpride said:

Every time Tucker looks confused I know that he will say something incredible stupid next. And he  looks always confused.

During this segment I had the desperate wish for him to get Botoxxed so he couldn’t make that stupid face! It would destroy 90% of his show, of course...

Edited May 4, 2021 by ahisma

[arachne]

I thought the guinea pig bridge was adorable. But I kept waiting for John to say that in some parts of South America, they'd be called "dinner." It just seems like something he would mention.

As for me, I got my second vaccine a month ago; felt a little pain in my left arm, only briefly. I guess it's different for everyone. 

[DoctorAtomic]

Wow, 'worst thing out of a Kennedy's mouth since the back of his head.' 

[swanpride]

Above all, there are billion of people out there who would love to get a vaccine. And the US has horded so many that by now, they are most likely throwing doses away because of people not turning up for their shot. It's aggravating. 

[xaxat]

21 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Wow, 'worst thing out of a Kennedy's mouth since the back of his head.' 

Yeah, that was not good.

I got the J&J and I fell cheated. I didn't turn into the Hulk, Captain America or a Boss Ass Bitch.

The show cited Fox News' Tucker Carlson and the New York Post as dubious/false sources of vaccine information. Both are owned by Rupert Murdoch who was vaccinated back in December! And yet he's OK with his companies being some of the largest movers in vaccine hesitancy in the US. Also, Tucker is only concerned about his own self interests and I wouldn't be surprised if he was secretly vaccinated and is just stringing along his audience because ratings. (That is just a conspiracy theory and should not be taken as fact.)

 

Edited May 4, 2021 by xaxat

[RedbirdNelly]

Tucker asking all those questions as if they don't have easy to find answers was so frustrating. How do people sleep at night knowing they are encouraging people to not get protected and thus put lives in danger? 

I got my 2nd pfizer dose about 3 weeks ago. I got chills that evening and felt kind of meh the next day--by the end of they day, I felt normal. I really don't mind feeling kind of off when you KNOW it's a vaccine doing its job--very different than when you start to get chills and realize "oh, no, I'm coming down with the flu and am going to feel awful for the next week!" That's always so depressing.

[Lady Whistleup]

This was a great episode. 

The Tucker Carlson clips as always are horrifying.

John Oliver did touch upon something though ... I think there is a tendency to laugh off the microchip concerns like Melinda Gates did. Lord knows I've done that. But laughing them off doesn't account for how seriously some people are taking them. It's better just to explain calmly and reasonably why this microchip in a needle doesn't even exist and a cell phone is an actual microchip of your location.

[iMonrey]

And Tucker Carlson will heretofore be known as "scrunch-face fear baboon."

Quote

Wow, 'worst thing out of a Kennedy's mouth since the back of his head.' 

 Yeah, did he actually say that? Is that a reference to the JFK assassination? I know it was 57 years ago, but wow. Still feels too soon.

[Kromm]

3 hours ago, swanpride said:

Above all, there are billion of people out there who would love to get a vaccine. And the US has horded so many that by now, they are most likely throwing doses away because of people not turning up for their shot. It's aggravating. 

Not "most likely". Are. It's public information this is happening. 

Many of these same states even had priority for amounts of doses shipped in January, into February and even March as inherited already-in-the-pipeline political payback for supporting the previous leadership. So many of the people that actually wanted it in those places probably got it awhile ago. 

I guess what I'm saying is that the story of all of this being wasted goes even deeper. Some of those places were throwing out doses even while other American states couldn't get enough doses. Now the problem is just magnified and more reported on. 

"Hoarded" is an interesting term. That probably WAS deliberately the case when certain states got shipped more off the bat, when they didn't need that much. Now?  The magnified problem of vaccine wastage has less intent behind it, but probably even more tragedy because of that. 

Logistically it's not easy to redirect this stuff either. The two dose versions, especially Pfizer, needs special shipping containers, specific carriers bonded to carry it, sharp time limits in transit, etc.  You can't just redirect it to India, let's say. Where this stuff was manufactured, where the containers and carriers were available, where the freezers at the endpoint are, all had to be decided months ago. 

Edited May 3, 2021 by Kromm

[Kromm]

1 hour ago, Lady Whistleup said:

John Oliver did touch upon something though ... I think there is a tendency to laugh off the microchip concerns like Melinda Gates did. Lord knows I've done that. But laughing them off doesn't account for how seriously some people are taking them. It's better just to explain calmly and reasonably why this microchip in a needle doesn't even exist and a cell phone is an actual microchip of your location.

If we valued science education, and if there hadn't been a (now decades long) strategy of some to discredit the ideas of expertise, higher education, etc. this wouldn't be such an issue. 

The methodology of producing mRNA vaccines are too complicated for virtually all of us to understand, I think it's fair to say. But how and why it works once it's produced isn't.  There's a lot out there that's perfectly comprehensible to laypeople, non-genetic-scientists, I mean.  

Ditto for how tracking devices work. Not knowing how to create one is pretty standard, but is it too much to expect that people should understand that electrity is involved? Not that the human body doesn't actually generate quite a bit of energy, it's quite good at it, but what do people think is happening?  That the burger you just ate is successfully powering that microchip? 

Believe me, one day we'll be at a place where that's possible. But it's DECADES of complex genetic engineering away..  at best. I mean if you're evolving something inside your body to power electronics, a new organ or something like that, do the conspiracy-heads think it's happening from two needle shots, and with no fatigue or discomfort after 2 or 3 days?  Good lord. 

[Takerholicx5]

4 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Wow, 'worst thing out of a Kennedy's mouth since the back of his head.' 

Oof. That might be one of the darkest jokes I've ever heard John make.

[vibeology]

So Bill and Melinda just announced that they’re divorcing. Puts that weird clip in a whole new light. 

[Lantern7]

Another week, another lecture from John, and he’s still great at it. It’s staggering that there’s now vaccine readily available, and lots of it will go to waste. A lot of reluctance stems from misinformation . . . and I never thought of anti-vaxxers that were protesting before the pandemic.

8 hours ago, paigow said:Solution: Gritty replaces Tucker Carlson until all Fox viewers get vaccinated.

I have a slightly different idea: show this Tucker. He a lot cuter, and I like his low woofs over  rhetorical questions filled with bile.

5 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Wow, 'worst thing out of a Kennedy's mouth since the back of his head.' 

As Noob Noob would put it: “God DAMN!” I would’ve gone with the ex-MTV personality who has a show on Fox Business, mostly because if I have such thoughts like what John said, I would keep them to myself. Also, I like when The Daily Show takes shots at Sen. Kennedy.

18 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

Ollie’s egg confession was so hilariously random. I hope it’s a recurring bit. 

I think it’s part of a recurring hit . . . when John goes off on a tangent and delivers a monologue backed by music. Sometimes, I wonder if LWT needs to go back to filming in front of an audience. The egg bit would not have worked with a crowd. Ditto for intruders like Vaccine Cicada and Totes McGotes.

[SoMuchTV]

6 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Wow, 'worst thing out of a Kennedy's mouth since the back of his head.' 

I watched on YouTube where I couldn’t get CCs, and I wasn’t quite sure what what he said there. Even after reading it here, it took me a minute. Yikes. Morbid but true. 

[Kromm]

15 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

The egg bit would not have worked with a crowd. Ditto for intruders like Vaccine Cicada and Totes McGotes.

I'll remind you that a series of both wacky on-stage and in-video-above-John's shoulder mascot types have been on, and worked, on the regular show. 

 

[paigow]

Nutter. Butter.

[Lady Whistleup]

3 hours ago, vibeology said:

So Bill and Melinda just announced that they’re divorcing. Puts that weird clip in a whole new light. 

The vibe between them in that clip was weird. 

[ahisma]

5 hours ago, RedbirdNelly said:

Tucker asking all those questions as if they don't have easy to find answers was so frustrating.

And it’s just. So. Idiotic. It makes me want to send him a list of his questions in letmegooglethat.com links. For example:

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=does+the+coronavirus+vaccine+have+a+microchip+in+it%3F
 

Man, if they could make it type in extra slow, just for his dumbassery, I’d love it.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

5 hours ago, paigow said:

Nutter. Butter.

That's Mr. Nutterbutter.

 

And let's not forget the dancing mascots.

 

I am two shots in and happy to now that my region is doing well in terms of people wanting and getting vaccine and the infection rate going down.  I just hope that enough people join in so that we do reach herd immunity.

[peeayebee]

22 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

I did convince my Lyft driver to get his the other day so that was nice.

Wow. Good on you! I don't personally know anyone who doesn't want to get it, but a long-time friend of my sister's believes that the virus is a hoax and all that hooey, so she's not getting the vaccine. How can you change these people's minds? Reason doesn't work.

I've had my second shot, and the worst side effect was tiredness. My son gets his second shot this Friday. I'm hoping he has a mild reaction as well.

9 hours ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Wow, 'worst thing out of a Kennedy's mouth since the back of his head.' 

Like others here, I was rather stunned by this joke. 

 

[Lantern7]

18 hours ago, Kromm said:

I'll remind you that a series of both wacky on-stage and in-video-above-John's shoulder mascot types have been on, and worked, on the regular show.

I'm aware. I think it might be hard for me to describe. With the format of The Void, anyone can sneak up on John. With an audience, the entrances of mascots are more public. Does that make sense?

And I'm still wondering -- in general -- if John needs an audience. Same goes for Trevor Noah and Sam Bee.

23 hours ago, xaxat said:

I got the J&J and I fell cheated. I didn't turn into the Hulk, Captain America or a Boss Ass Bitch.

I got that as well. I wasn't looking for a one-and-done . . . it just happened. And ever since the J&J vaccine was taken off the table for a short time, I wondered if I would wake up finding that my arm had exploded. But that's just me being silly.

Edited May 4, 2021 by Lantern7

[Dewey Decimate]

9 hours ago, RedbirdNelly said:

I got my 2nd pfizer dose about 3 weeks ago. I got chills that evening and felt kind of meh the next day--by the end of they day, I felt normal. I really don't mind feeling kind of off when you KNOW it's a vaccine doing its job--very different than when you start to get chills and realize "oh, no, I'm coming down with the flu and am going to feel awful for the next week!" That's always so depressing.

I got Pfizer dose 2 last Weds and had a sore arm (like dose 1) and then a mild fever, fatigue, and slight chills the next day. Still worked out, had a few online work appts, didn't need a pain killer - I was honestly too excited, thinking about those antibodies doin' their thing! (Plus, I haven't had a cold in years, and feeling a little logy was a perfect excuse for an indulgent nap.) Next day was totally fine other than a sore arm. Coincidentally, last Weds the NYT had a super-cool visual article about exactly how the Pfizer vax is made - in simple terms and steps. I honestly got a little teary thinking "that's what's in my body at this very moment... YAASS, SCIENCE!!!"

I can't decide if John will be better with an audience back or not. I think Stephen Colbert needs one at this point, while I absolutely want Trevor Noah to stay remote (the stuff they do with the graphics and his accents is absolutely perfect). I think John could go either way.

Table for one: I thought the vaccine cicada was cute. The needle still stuck in his arm cracked me up. 

[andromeda331]

I finally get a chance to watch the show from beginning thanks to the Xfinity Watchathon and not on Youtube with the first part cut off and John skips this time. Thanks a lot John.

I loved the guinea pig bridge. It was so cute. 

I'll never tire of John insulting Tucker Carlson. I'll never understand how such an idiot could land a TV show let alone have followers.   

Talking about odd timing for Bill and Melinda Gates. 

[swanpride]

10 hours ago, Kromm said:

"Hoarded" is an interesting term. That probably WAS deliberately the case when certain states got shipped more off the bat, when they didn't need that much. Now?  The magnified problem of vaccine wastage has less intent behind it, but probably even more tragedy because of that. 

....just for the record, I wasn't even talking about how the US shares the vaccine within its own borders. I was talking about the fact that the US government has seized everything vaccine related. The only vaccine it exported so far were some batches of Astra Zeneca, a vaccine which hasn't even been approved yet in the US, and that was after it hold off the export of the vaccine (which was only in the country for filling btw) for weeks until it was close to use becoming useless. Do you have ANY idea how frustrating it is to see the US throw doses away, while in Europe the governments have carefully crafted priority lists in order to at least cover the most vulnerable with the vaccines they have and even elsewhere, people are dying in droves with no chance of even getting a vaccine? I will be lucky if I am vaccinated by the end of the summer, and I am one of the fortunate one. 

[Kromm]

I'm sorry that's the case, that you are having to wait, but you're making statements about things being "seized" that don't totally align with how vaccines are produced. There's a logistics chain. This is especially important with Pfizer and Moderna.  The doses are manufactured with that logistics chain in mind. And the US may be flush with vaccine now, but that wasn't true a mere 6 or 7 weeks ago. There was plenty of scarcity. 

I hope now that that's the case, they start exporting. But that's extra complicated with Pfizer and it's temperature and speed requirements, and the slightly more forgiving Moderna is (so far) being manufactured less. 

[Kromm]

The wasted doses, the germ of this discussion, can't really be packed back up and reshipped either. There's a short effective lifetime on the doses. 

[RedbirdNelly]

9 hours ago, Dewey Decimate said:

I got Pfizer dose 2 last Weds and had a sore arm (like dose 1) and then a mild fever, fatigue, and slight chills the next day. Still worked out, had a few online work appts, didn't need a pain killer - I was honestly too excited, thinking about those antibodies doin' their thing! (Plus, I haven't had a cold in years, and feeling a little logy was a perfect excuse for an indulgent nap.) Next day was totally fine other than a sore arm. Coincidentally, last Weds the NYT had a super-cool visual article about exactly how the Pfizer vax is made - in simple terms and steps. I honestly got a little teary thinking "that's what's in my body at this very moment... YAASS, SCIENCE!!!"

I can't decide if John will be better with an audience back or not. I think Stephen Colbert needs one at this point, while I absolutely want Trevor Noah to stay remote (the stuff they do with the graphics and his accents is absolutely perfect). I think John could go either way.

Table for one: I thought the vaccine cicada was cute. The needle still stuck in his arm cracked me up. 

I worked like normal the day after and did my workout--but cut it shorter than normal because I wasn't feeling it. Ironically, my arm was fine--I had moved it like a crazy person the day before. Even standing in public while watching my boys' ultimate frisbee practice swinging it around and just letting people wonder if I was nuts. At one point that night, I woke up feeling a little stiff/sore everywhere but my arm!

I agree that John could go with or without an audience. I'd prefer he move to a more lively background at some point. i remember when this first started, it felt like the void sucked out some of his energy but then he adjusted (or I did--it takes a minute to get used to not having the audience laughter to pace things/energize things).

I liked the vaccine cicada. I was hoping for some mascot

[paigow]

5 hours ago, Kromm said:

The wasted doses, the germ of this discussion, can't really be packed back up and reshipped either. There's a short effective lifetime on the doses. 

The Americans sent a lot of AstraZeneca doses [far less temperature sensitive] to Canada about 6 weeks ago. At the time, reports from the UK about blood clots from that formula were emerging. It was probably a combination of being a good neighbour and dumping a potential problem. I think I got one of those and am still alive! 

[iMonrey]

Quote

Table for one: I thought the vaccine cicada was cute. The needle still stuck in his arm cracked me up. 

There were actually multiple hypos in multiple arms!

Quote

I got Pfizer dose 2 last Weds and had a sore arm (like dose 1) and then a mild fever, fatigue, and slight chills the next day.

After my 2nd shot I felt like crap the next day - achey, weak, tired and a mild throbbing headache. Plus my arm was so sore I could barely lift it to put on a shirt. But I've read that the stronger your immune system is, the more likely you are to have bad side effects, because your immune system kicks into high gear trying to fight it off. Don't know if that's true or not but it sounds good.

[Victor the Crab]

On 5/3/2021 at 9:27 AM, paigow said:

Solution: Gritty replaces Tucker Carlson until all Fox viewers get vaccinated.

As a lifelong Pittsburgh Penguins fan, I wholeheartedly agree! >:D

Here in Canada, our rollout has been less than stellar. Our federal government handed the vaccine distribution over to the provinces, and it's been a mess for a lot of them. Weeks ago, a local report gave a list of places in the region where one can get the vaccine, and our local pharmacy in a town of over 2,000 was on it. So, the first thing I did, when I woke up the next day, was to call the pharmacy about setting up an appointment. But they immediately told me that they weren't doing any of that and that they had no idea how they even got on that list to begin with. I can only imagine how they were bombarded with questions about it, and how many people were left disappointed by it.

Fortunately for me, after I signed up to get my vaccine, I got an email notice telling me to go ahead and book an appointment. And I was able to get one for the very next day, which has now been eleven days ago. A dose of AstraZeneca, which I didn't even feel and was wondering if I even received the needle. The downside now is that I have to wait at least FOUR MONTHS until I get my second dose! <:(

Meanwhile, I found out today from my brother that all of our relatives down in Houston, including the ten and twelve year olds, have received their full two doses of their vaccines. So you can see how frustrating it is for a lot of us up north of the border.

9 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

Talking about odd timing for Bill and Melinda Gates. 

Yeah, I just watched the show last night and it was most certainly awkward. To be fair to Ollie, the show is taped on a Saturday before it's released, which was before Bill and Melinda announced they were splitting up.

Scrunch-face fear baboon. Love those names Ollie gives to Tucker Carlson!

[swanpride]

Over here in Europe, most countries are able to organise the roll-out well enough, but the lack of vaccines is a problem, partly created due to Astra Zeneca not fulfilling its promises, partly due to certain countries (above all the US and the UK) basically seizing vaccine productions in their borders and partly because the EU is thinking more globally actually bothered to share some vaccines. Again, in this context the idea that vaccines in the US are getting thrown away by now frustrating. Especially considering how much the vaccine is needed in other countries on the American continent. 

(And yes, that they insist on calling it the "Pfizer Vaccine" and pat themselves on the shoulder for it is frustrating, too. The vaccines were all an international effort). 

[Kromm]

5 hours ago, swanpride said:

seizing vaccine productions in their borders

Not to press the point too much, but I hope you elaborate on what you mean by this. I'm perfectly willing to believe some dick move happened (especially since with the long logistical planning I spoke of it may have been planned under last year's government), but I'd like to understand what exactly you're saying was done. Seized how? What was taken away from who?  What should have been done differently? 

Also, are you aware that Pfizer, for example, has a vaccine production facility in Puurs, Belgium, and that the EU's EMA has been responsible for the approvals of how much they can produce (and only JUST approved an increase). Moderna has a similar plant in Spain, again with production approval controlled by the EMA. How does this process interact with the seizure you've been speaking of? 

Edited May 5, 2021 by Kromm

[meowmommy]

I need a vaccine to watch Alex Jones without gagging.  John's research staff should get hazard pay for having to review InfoWars video.

I got pretty sick after the second Pfizer.  Small price to pay not to die of a horrible, cruel disease.

Just noticing the resemblance between Tucker Carlson and those guinea pigs.  The difference, of course, is that the guinea pigs are both adorable and sentient.

[SnideAsides]

On 5/4/2021 at 2:39 PM, Dewey Decimate said:

I can't decide if John will be better with an audience back or not. I think Stephen Colbert needs one at this point, while I absolutely want Trevor Noah to stay remote (the stuff they do with the graphics and his accents is absolutely perfect). I think John could go either way.

John needs an audience. Or, more accurately, I need the hilarious endings like Eat Shit Bob and the giant cake of the dictator falling off a horse.

[xaxat]

Biden administration commits to waiving vaccine patent protections

[I Want My MBTV]

On 5/3/2021 at 11:45 AM, RedbirdNelly said:

I got my 2nd pfizer dose about 3 weeks ago. I got chills that evening and felt kind of meh the next day--by the end of they day, I felt normal.

This was my exact reaction.  Basically I took two Tylenol's and call me in the morning.   I may be completely ignorant but I just don't understand what the benefit is to Tucker and the other morons to discourage people from getting vaccinated?  Is it that they think if enough people don't get vaccinated the economy will fail and they'll win back the WH?  Whatever it is it's sick and they should be ashamed of themselves but they have no self-awarness.  

[Gothish520]

On 5/4/2021 at 9:07 PM, Kromm said:

Not to press the point too much, but I hope you elaborate on what you mean by this. I'm perfectly willing to believe some dick move happened (especially since with the long logistical planning I spoke of it may have been planned under last year's government), but I'd like to understand what exactly you're saying was done. Seized how? What was taken away from who?  What should have been done differently? 

Also, are you aware that Pfizer, for example, has a vaccine production facility in Puurs, Belgium, and that the EU's EMA has been responsible for the approvals of how much they can produce (and only JUST approved an increase). Moderna has a similar plant in Spain, again with production approval controlled by the EMA. How does this process interact with the seizure you've been speaking of? 

 

On 5/5/2021 at 7:10 PM, xaxat said:

Biden administration commits to waiving vaccine patent protections

Thank you both.

Another article on the waiver, which would help to distribute vaccines to other countries:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2021/05/07/pfizer-ceo-biden-backed-covid-vaccine-patent-waiver-will-cause-problems.html

@swanpride Interesting to note that Germany is against the waiver.

Edited May 8, 2021 by Gothish520

[Gothish520]

On 5/4/2021 at 4:01 PM, swanpride said:

(And yes, that they insist on calling it the "Pfizer Vaccine" and pat themselves on the shoulder for it is frustrating, too. The vaccines were all an international effort). 

Who's "they" and in what ways are they patting themselves on the shoulder?  Is it your contention that Pfizer is taking all of the credit and giving none to BioNTech? 

I see no evidence of that in the States. It is almost always referred to as the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, but occasionally it is shortened to Pfizer which makes sense because it is less of a mouthful and Pfizer is a huge well-known company here. They are partners and both have done their share to create, test, and distribute the vaccine. 

Edited May 8, 2021 by Gothish520

[izabella]

On 5/4/2021 at 12:01 PM, Victor the Crab said:

Meanwhile, I found out today from my brother that all of our relatives down in Houston, including the ten and twelve year olds, have received their full two doses of their vaccines. So you can see how frustrating it is for a lot of us up north of the border.

That isn't possible.  None of the vaccines have been approved yet for 10 or 12 year olds.  Pfizer has done a trial for 12-16 year olds, and have requested FDA approval, which will likely be soon, but not yet.  10 year olds are not able to get vaccines of any kind yet, and the trials on kids under 12 have not been completed (or even started?) yet.  J&J is approved for 16 and older.

As for vaccines being thrown away, that's only when the vials have been unfrozen and people don't show up for their appointments.  Otherwise, states that can't use them because of lack of demand are simply not re-ordering more at this point, and the government is redistributing them to states where there is a greater demand.  They are also setting up mobile clinics and other plans to get the vaccines to places where people want them but are not able to drive or take multiple buses to get to a vaccination site.

Edited May 9, 2021 by izabella

[swanpride]

I fear this is drifting up too much into political discussion...so just that regarding the US attitude, to make clear that my anger about the US specifically most likely wasting doses is justified: 

https://www.businessinsider.com/us-as-millions-unusued-astrazeneca-coronavirus-vaccine-shots-not-sharing-2021-3?r=DE&IR=T

(The original article was in the New York Times)

Granted, now that the US is reaching saturation level, Biden might finally change tack. Hopefully. We can only solve this together. 

Edited May 9, 2021 by swanpride

[izabella]

That's an old article from March when the US barely had any vaccines here.  This article is from April.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/26/covid-vaccine-us-to-share-60-million-astrazeneca-doses-with-other-countries.html

 

[Victor the Crab]

20 hours ago, izabella said:

That isn't possible.  None of the vaccines have been approved yet for 10 or 12 year olds.  Pfizer has done a trial for 12-16 year olds, and have requested FDA approval, which will likely be soon, but not yet.  10 year olds are not able to get vaccines of any kind yet, and the trials on kids under 12 have not been completed (or even started?) yet.  J&J is approved for 16 and older.

Well, it IS Texas, you understand. Perhaps they got an exemption or something else. I'm just saying what my brother had told me.