General Chat

Rollo, You state: "The cyrogenics storage and transport equipment required to establish a cold chain of -70C / 80C is simply not available in the UK"

Have you not heard of Dry Ice?

"Dry ice is solid. It sublimates or changes states from a solid to a gas at temperatures of -78 degrees Celsius under normal atmospheric pressure of 1 atm. Because of its low temperature at normal atmospheric pressure, it is useful as a coolant."

I think I'll just stay in until the flu season is over and beyond. It doesn't bother me at all.

Once they have organized and vaccinated down to my level and all is progressing well, apart from any odd allergic reaction, I shall have it when my turn comes around. If it's good enough for doctors and nurses, care home staff and residents, it's good enough for me.

Never look a gift horse in the mouth! I am prepared to take a risk as long as I am not first in line and can gauge previous reactions and, anyway, I think it will be months before they get around to my age group - as Rollo wrote, the logistics of storage, transport etc are going to have to be put in place first.

This will be a time when armed service medics and logistics teams will be called in to help, I believe. If not, they ought to be, in my opinion.

According to reports here, the vaccine is not intended for use on children.

Not sour grapes, JoyLouise, just a note of caution.

I am also in the more mature category who would receive the vaccine, but I most certainly will not be the first in the queue.

On this occasion I will be happy to let herd immunity take over ;-)

I hope it's sour grapes because he/she was not at the forefront, Allan. :-0

The reason - all of our medics and emergency services are first in line to receive it, followed by the over-80s then the over-75s - so I am up there. Surely they would not risk the lives of medics and emergency service personnel ...... and me? :-S

As the vaccine has to be stored at under 80 degs and is kept in very large phials, it will mean all hands on deck once a phial is opened.

Not sure whether this is fact or fiction, but one medico in Oz is saying to be wary of the vaccine, particularly for children.

According to this person no one knows the possible adverse effect on children as no person under the age of eighteen has taken part in the clinical trials.

Also, no one is sure of any possible long term effects of the vaccine.

I am not anti-vaccine, and in fact had my first flu jab this year, nor am I a conspiracy theorist; I'm just relaying what has been stated. I can't vouch for veracity of the statement

According to at least one of todays papers just one GP surgery will be nominated in each area to give the vaccine.

That could involve driving (or taking numerous buses) some distance to get it. :-|