[News] The Coronavirus Good News thread

[crookie]

Pfizer expect to apply for vaccine approval by the third week of November:

So let me be clear, assuming positive data, Pfizer will apply for Emergency Authorization Use in the U.S. soon after the safety milestone is achieved in the third week of November. All the data contained in our U.S. application would be reviewed not only by the FDA’s own scientists but also by an external panel of independent experts at a publicly held meeting convened by the agency.

The timelines above reflect our best estimates of when these important milestones could be achieved. For 171 years Pfizer has been known for our high-quality standards. Our purpose is to discover breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. I cannot think of a breakthrough that would be more meaningful to a greater number of people than an effective and safe COVID-19 vaccine.​

https://www.pfizer.com/news/hot-topics/an_open_letter_from_pfizer_chairman_and_ceo_albert_bourla

Thanks for that, as a London Pub owner, that is just what I needed to hear !!

 

[peterward]

And yet the US still haven't restarted the Oxford vaccine after their scare. I think you're being harsh on the FDA - they´re actually quite cautious

Whilst the overall rush to get a working vaccine is hugely positive are the USofA being so cautious because its a non US vaccine candidate - I wonder after this long how much of the ongoing delay is really required and how much is politics in trying to ensure the US manufacturers get the flag in the ground and the mega contracts first?

 

[macbeth]

This thread really does remain my guiding light whenever I get lost in the swathes of negativity. It's a little reminder that all of this will end. And probably a lot sooner than we think.

 

[Saltydog]

I volunteered for Novovax Covid vaccine trial. Having my first appointment on Wednesday. Nervous yes, but also it gives me a feeling of hope, that although we are in a dark place at present there is light at the end of this dark tunnel.

This thread always cheers me up

I'll let you know how I get on .

Thank you.

 

[Mellotron]

Exclusive - NHS in discussions with BMA and others around December vaccine programme.

There are talks taking place at the highest levels around mobilising for a potential Covid vaccine from December, with some sources putting the chances of the programme being started this year as ’50/50′, Pulse has learnt.

Pulse has learnt from a number of sources that discussions are taking place between NHS England, the BMA and other groups over who will be administering vaccines and who will be the first cohorts to receive the vaccine.

There is no guarantee the vaccine will be ready by December, but there is growing optimism around this being a possibility. One source close to the discussions told Pulse the feeling is ’50/50′.

There is currently no agreement over who is going to administer the vaccines, including whether it will be GPs and the Government has told Pulse that it will ‘use the military’ if needed.

The Government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said in a televised briefing to the nation on 21 September that a vaccine could become available before the end of this year, but said it was ‘much more likely’ that it would happen ‘in the first half of next year’.

However, Pulse has learnt that there is optimism around the first cohorts being given a vaccine in December.

There have been discussions around whether the first people to be vaccinated will be care home patients and their staff, or health care professionals, including GPs.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation last month said people living in care homes and the staff looking after them should be at the very top of the list for a potential Covid-19 vaccine. Healthcare and social care workers would be next in the list of priorities, according to its updated analysis of who is most at risk.

In July, Pulse reported the UK Government had ordered 65m syringes from one manufacturer as part of preparations for a potential Covid-19 vaccine.

A Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘The Government will do everything needed to roll out a successful vaccine quickly and safely.

‘An enormous amount of planning and preparation has already taken place including ensuring we have adequate provision, transport, PPE and logistical expertise.

‘We are working closely with the NHS and we will use the military in the planning of logistics as necessary, as they have already gone to great lengths to successfully support our operational efforts.’

https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/c...hers-around-december-covid-vaccine-programme/

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Mortality rate lessens in hospitals in the UK:

BBC News - Covid patients 'less likely to die than in April'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54568926

 

[Mellotron]

One positive effect of the current rise in cases - it speeds up vaccine research.

Increase in UK cases makes decision on Oxford vaccine more likely before end of year as they can gather more data, says trial director.

The recent surge in coronavirus cases across the UK has made it more likely that researchers will be able to gather enough efficacy data for the Oxford University vaccine by the end of the year, a scientist leading the project has said.

Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, told a virtual conference that the phase three trial for the vaccine candidate was “going incredibly well” and moving “at pace”.

Once enough cases have been recorded among the programme’s 10,000 volunteers in the UK, scientists will then be able to ‘unblind the trial’ to see whether those infected with Covid-19 had been given a shot of AZD1222 or not.

These data, which will demonstrate the candidate’s efficaciousness, will then be presented to regulators to be approved, or rejected if there are questions over the findings.

Prof Pollard said it has “been relatively quiet since we started vaccinating” due to the national lockdown and subsequent suppression of cases within the community.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...-university-cases-trials-latest-b1016739.html

 

[Mellotron]

Sorry for further vaccine-related spam but it does feel like things are starting to really move now.

Most vulnerable 'could get vaccine by Christmas'

A Covid vaccine could be given to some of the most vulnerable people "this side of Christmas", according to Kate Bingham, chairwoman of the UK Vaccine Taskforce.

But limited supplies would mean the government would have to decide who should get it, and when.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Is China saying they have a vaccine that works good news?

On the fence news?

 

[dazzer6666]

Is China saying they have a vaccine that works good news?

On the fence news?

Let them crack on, but I’m much more encouraged by the US/UK news and advances (more confidence in controls and protocols personally - as suggested above the FDA are very cautious - being sued in the US is expensive). All really good news. [emoji106][emoji106]

 

[Mellotron]

Let them crack on, but I’m much more encouraged by the US/UK news and advances (more confidence in controls and protocols personally - as suggested above the FDA are very cautious - being sued in the US is expensive). All really good news. [emoji106][emoji106]

Agreed - we are close enough to potential approval now of numerous vaccines.

If it looked like a UK/US was still 6 months away, we would possibly have a tricky decision on our hands, in terms of trusting China/Russia and the political ramifications etc.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Confidence is building!

[tweet]1317726404587458560[/tweet]

 

[Mellotron]

On the back of the above...

UK hope for Coronavirus vaccine for New Year

The British National Health Service (NHS) is preparing to introduce a coronavirus vaccine soon after Christmas. Trials have shown it will cut infections and save lives, Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer, has privately revealed.

He told MPs last week that stage three trials of the vaccine created at Oxford University and being manufactured by AstraZeneca mean a mass rollout is on the horizon as early as December. Thousands of NHS staff are to undergo training to administer a vaccine before the end of the year.

The government changed the law this weekend to expand the number of health professionals able to inoculate the public. The regulations will enable pharmacists, dentists, midwives and paramedics to administer jabs.

Van-Tam gave a briefing to MPs on Monday afternoon in which he said: “We aren’t light years away from it. It isn’t a totally unrealistic suggestion that we could deploy a vaccine soon after Christmas. That would have a significant impact on hospital admissions and deaths.”

The first vaccines will be given to the elderly and vulnerable and to vaccinate those most at risk will take several months. Most people will not be given the jab.

An MP who attended another briefing with Van-Tam said he was “very bullish about the third stage AstraZeneca results, which he expects between the end of this month and the end of next”. The MP said: “Van-Tam expects it to protect the elderly and vulnerable. He gave us to understand that it stopped the virus ‘shedding’ in the young. He said he would expect vaccination to start in January.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/wo...r/news-story/39e005be690889ff3197cad3817a22d3

Seems confidence is pretty high in the efficacy of both the BioNTech/Pfizer and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines. Great news.

 

[Bozza]

On the back of the above...

UK hope for Coronavirus vaccine for New Year



https://www.theaustralian.com.au/wo...r/news-story/39e005be690889ff3197cad3817a22d3

Seems confidence is pretty high in the efficacy of both the BioNTech/Pfizer and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines. Great news.

There's lots of good news about vaccines at the moment, but just a note on the above piece: no one can be bullish on phase 3 efficacy since that data has not been unblinded yet. In simple terms the way it works is they have to wait until a certain number of people in the trial have become sick, and then the unblinding happens to see if those people had the vaccine or, hopefully, had the placebo.

 

[Mellotron]

There's lots of good news about vaccines at the moment, but just a note on the above piece: no one can be bullish on phase 3 efficacy since that data has not been unblinded yet. In simple terms the way it works is they have to wait until a certain number of people in the trial have become sick, and then the unblinding happens to see if those people had the vaccine or, hopefully, had the placebo.

See this is where I’m confused. I’m aware of the “unblinding” process, yet we keep hearing hints of noises from people involved with the trials.

Also, in the case of Pfizer they have recently began enrolling under 16s and people with HIV into their trials, which they apparently would only be allowed to do if they were seeing very good safety results - so they must be able to measure elements of the process?

Also, Van Tam is now saying it will prevent infections. Kate Bingham - head of the UK Vaccine Task Force - said a few months ago that they didn’t yet know if it would or not. Something doesn’t add up.

 

[nwgull]

There's lots of good news about vaccines at the moment, but just a note on the above piece: no one can be bullish on phase 3 efficacy since that data has not been unblinded yet. In simple terms the way it works is they have to wait until a certain number of people in the trial have become sick, and then the unblinding happens to see if those people had the vaccine or, hopefully, had the placebo.

I can understand that the placebo info would be kept away from staff at patient-facing level, but there must be people at analysis level that have the data on which subjects have the placebo and which have the real deal, surely?

 

[highflyer]

See this is where I’m confused. I’m aware of the “unblinding” process, yet we keep hearing hints of noises from people involved with the trials.

Also, in the case of Pfizer they have recently began enrolling under 16s and people with HIV into their trials, which they apparently would only be allowed to do if they were seeing very good safety results - so they must be able to measure elements of the process?

Also, Van Tam is now saying it will prevent infections. Kate Bingham - head of the UK Vaccine Task Force - said a few months ago that they didn’t yet know if it would or not. Something doesn’t add up.

I share the confusion as I had the same understanding as [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION].
We are also hearing about 'rolling reviews' - although maybe that just covers safety rather than effectiveness?

I'd have thought, with no knowledge or expertise at all, that the study would be arranged in 'cohorts' being kicked off at different times in different locations and with different age groups etc. So maybe once enough infections have happened within a cohort that group is unblinded, and the bigger picture is built up over time until the statistics reach the required level to draw conclusions one way or another with sufficient confidence?

Anyway - very good news on vaccines and while this response may not add much, it helps keep the thread near the top of the page.

 

[A1X]

A little though regarding this thread (please feel free to ignore it), is it worth splitting out the vaccine side into a new thread as it feels like something which will increasingly trigger longer discussions and retain this thread for the other good news stories?

 

[origigull]

I did hear on a Radio 5 phone-in programme on Wednesday that a guinea-pig patient said that his results were very very encouraging with blood antibodies etc against covid-19 and he reckons that a vaccine should/could be ready early 2021.

 

[Mellotron]

A little though regarding this thread (please feel free to ignore it), is it worth splitting out the vaccine side into a new thread as it feels like something which will increasingly trigger longer discussions and retain this thread for the other good news stories?

Personally I think good news re: vaccines should stay in here, however I think you are right that as we get closer there will be a lot of discussion around the taking of vaccines, how people are feeling about that etc, and that should probably form it's own thread.