[T67M]

Probably missing all sorts of subtleties, but surely you can only achieve mass vaccination by vaccinating a very large numbers of individuals.

"A very large number" doesn't mean everyone. For polio, about 80% immunisation is sufficient. For CoViD, the proportion is expected to be around 60-70%, although mutations may increase that.

[Charles Hunt]

A4 P

There's just something in this bit:

The only answer is to reduce overall transmission. (Probably by mass vaccination) Once that is achieved, whether or not individuals have been vaccinated becomes far less significant.

that confuses me. I think I know what you mean, but to have achieved mass vaccination you have to have vaccinated a large number of individuals, so the vaccination of each individual is hugely significant.

Probably just semantics and my lockdown addled brain.

[johnm]

@Charles Hunt A bit of Googling tells me that that the herd immunity level varies with disease e.g. Measles needs 95% which is why the the MMR scandal was considered so so significant.

Covid is not yet known but the early figures of around 70 to 75% are quietly being revised upwards (possibly because of variants) and so, as you say, each individual is indeed significant.

[MikeB]

Whitty, Valance and co have said many times that we are just going to have to live with Covid which suggests to me they don't expect herd immunity to be attainable and/or sustainable.

[johnm]

Whitty, Valance and co have said many times that we are just going to have to live with Covid which suggests to me they don't expect herd immunity to be attainable and/or sustainable.

The emerging consensus seems to be that we'll have to manage it a bit like flu but on a much larger scale with regular vaccinations and constant tweaking of the vaccines. It'll also go on the list for the travel clinics.

[Jim Jones]

Covid vaccination immunity is currently skewed, rightly, towards the older age group. It’s likely to remain skewed due to the reluctance of younger people to have it, as the risk to them is much lower.
However, given that social mixing amongst younger people is of a wider range ( work, clubs etc) transmission rates will be higher, and the length of infection in a person makes mutation more likely.

Vaccinating children is a dilemma, as the sector protected is not the same as the sector being vaccinated. I’m not sure I’d be happy for my grandchildren to take the small risk from a vaccination that will not directly have benefit to them. It’s not like MMR, polio etc.

[johnm]

Passport trialling on the way, though it seems a little more complex with testing, vaccination and antibody testing all being looked at to some degree....

[Miscellaneous]

It’s likely to remain skewed due to the reluctance of younger people to have it, as the risk to them is much lower..

And to think of their accusations of selfishness when it came to the Brexit vote.

[johnm]

It’s likely to remain skewed due to the reluctance of younger people to have it, as the risk to them is much lower.

Actually this isn't entirely true. The risk of hospitalisation and death is lower, but they seem to have a higher risk of " long covid " and there's a lot of studies starting up to try and understand the long term implications of that.

[Miscellaneous]

It’s likely to remain skewed due to the reluctance of younger people to have it, as the risk to them is much lower.

Actually this isn't entirely true.

Doesn't actually matter whether it's true, their perception of much lower risk is driving their selfish actions.

PS it want my claim.

[MikeB]

...testing, vaccination and antibody testing all being looked at to some degree....

I foresee that prompting Covid antibody parties amongst the vaccine sceptics/Covid deniers

[skydriller]

...testing, vaccination and antibody testing all being looked at to some degree....

I foresee that prompting Covid antibody parties amongst the vaccine sceptics/Covid deniers

And correct me if Im wrong, but is getting a C19 test (for any reason) free? I still cant see this working before EVERYONE has had the opportunity to get a vaccination.

Regards, SD..

[Pete L]

Vaccine passports seem to me to be an idea borne of the government IT supply trade - well known purveyors of cheap, efficient and reliable solutions. Oh well, at least it will be funding part of the global enonomic recovery.