Are vaccines the light at the end of the tunnel?

[Ken the cruiser]

We sure hope so. We are in our late 60s, and had the measles and mumps when we were little, but we just got a MMR vaccine at our local pharmacy because everything we read was really positive towards reducing the affects of COVID if we get it, which so far we've been able to avoid. But we figure it's going to take a readily available vaccine before cruising will start up again.

 

So far we've heard positive things about AstraZenica and now Pfizer, who are both hoping to start distributing a vaccine in the October time frame if all goes well in their stage 3 testing starting later this month and, of course for US folks, CDC subsequently gives them the go ahead. Here's hoping to their success as we really miss going on cruises!!!

[TeaBag]

It's the only way, really.  We are in our 70's and one of us immunocomprised, so we need to be sure, before we cruise again, that we will not be on another Eclipse.

[Ken the cruiser]

2 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We sure hope so. We are in our late 60s, and had the measles and mumps when we were little, but we just got a MMR vaccine at our local pharmacy because everything >we read was really positive towards reducing the affects of COVID if we get it, which so far we've been able to avoid. But we figure it's going to take a readily available vaccine before cruising will start up again.

 

So far we've heard positive things about AstraZenica and now Pfizer, who are both hoping to start distributing a vaccine in the October time frame if all goes well in their stage 3 testing starting later this month and, of course for US folks, CDC subsequently gives them the go ahead. Here's hoping to their success as we really miss going on cruises!!!

One correction. The FDA rather than the CDC has the authority and responsibility for approving vaccines in the US.

[K.T.B.]

Yes it is.

 

I just hope that light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train, however.  

[mnocket]

Not in my opinion.  The latest I've read is that in order to develop herd immunity, the vaccine will have to be 70% effective and be administered to 70% of the population.  There is doubt about the former, and the later is HIGHLY unlikely.  This means it is doubtful that a vaccine will cause the virus to die out due to herd immunity and it will linger in society like the flu, or until either the infected population achieves herd immunity or the virus mutates to a non-threatening form.  The good news is that treatment protocols may progress  to the point where COVID is manageable and not life threatening (similar to AIDS).

 

Also, even if COVID isn't eradicated by a vaccine there's still promise that a vaccine could provide individual protection.  If the vaccine is 60% effective, 6 out 10 people who receive it are protected.  If there is a way to tell which are and which aren't (e.g. antibody tests?), some of us could return to normal life without worries.

[Oville]

5 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We sure hope so. We are in our late 60s, and had the measles and mumps when we were little, but we just got a MMR vaccine at our local pharmacy because everything we read was really positive towards reducing the affects of COVID if we get it, which so far we've been able to avoid. 

 

This is the first I’ve heard of the MMR vaccine helping reduce Covid symptoms.Would you kindly post your source.  Thanks as I am in your age group.

[TequilaJane]

1 hour ago, Oville said:

This is the first I’ve heard of the MMR vaccine helping reduce Covid symptoms.Would you kindly post your source.  Thanks as I am in your age group.

https://asm.org/Press-Releases/2020/MMR-Vaccine-Could-Protect-Against-the-Worst-Sympto

 

[4774Papa]

8 hours ago, mnocket said:

Not in my opinion.  The latest I've read is that in order to develop herd immunity, the vaccine will have to be 70% effective and be administered to 70% of the population.  There is doubt about the former, and the later is HIGHLY unlikely.  This means it is doubtful that a vaccine will cause the virus to die out due to herd immunity and it will linger in society like the flu, or until either the infected population achieves herd immunity or the virus mutates to a non-threatening form.  The good news is that treatment protocols may progress  to the point where COVID is manageable and not life threatening (similar to AIDS).

 

Also, even if COVID isn't eradicated by a vaccine there's still promise that a vaccine could provide individual protection.  If the vaccine is 60% effective, 6 out 10 people who receive it are protected.  If there is a way to tell which are and which aren't (e.g. antibody tests?), some of us could return to normal life without worries.

mnocket,

From what I have read, you are correct regarding herd immunity, but I believe that if the vaccine is 70 % effective and half the population get the vaccine, that it will reduce the risk for the vast majority of people.  Perhaps not for those with underlying health conditions, but the vast majority of people.

 

Also, I suspect that if you want to travel to Europe or other countries that the vaccine will be required, further reducing the risk.

 

Even now, the fatality risk, for our age bracket, with no underlying conditions, is extremely low.  We had friends in the neighborhood that both had COVID and one was hardly affected, while the other had to be treated with antibiotics and was sick for a few days.

[Ride-The-Waves]

Nope.  As virologists have said, the vaccine is useless.  Its the vaccinations which are important once a vaccine is developed, tested and provided to 70 percent of the population: 5 billion people.  So far, on both sides of the pond there are numerous groups stating they will NOT be vaccinated - the anti-vaxxers.  With the mutations virologists have seen in COVID-19 - believe its on its third mutation this one making it smaller and easier to transmit - vaccinations will be required at least seasonally/for each mutation.  Its going to be a tough and long fight.  In the meantime, returning to cruising as it was pre-COVID-19 will be impossible.

[TeeRick]

2 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Nope.  As virologists have said, the vaccine is useless.  Its the vaccinations which are important once a vaccine is developed, tested and provided to 70 percent of the population: 5 billion people.  So far, on both sides of the pond there are numerous groups stating they will NOT be vaccinated - the anti-vaxxers.  With the mutations virologists have seen in COVID-19 - believe its on its third mutation this one making it smaller and easier to transmit - vaccinations will be required at least seasonally/for each mutation.  Its going to be a tough and long fight.  In the meantime, returning to cruising as it was pre-COVID-19 will be impossible.

Virologists have not said the vaccine is useless. I spent my career developing vaccines.  There is a tremendous effort worldwide on multiple vaccine approaches. I am encouraged.

[Ken the cruiser]

9 hours ago, Oville said:

This is the first I’ve heard of the MMR vaccine helping reduce Covid symptoms.Would you kindly post your source.  Thanks as I am in your age group.

My best suggestion would be for you to do a Bing or Google search with "covid mmr vaccine" as your search criteria. There will be a variety of different articles displayed you can then research like I did. 

[Qcruise]

Please.....let's think about it logically.   The Spanish flu has been around for over one hundred years and they give a vaccine every year .....only about 30% of the population takes it us being two,  we think it helps.  But so many people are already anti vaccine and honestly we have no intentions of taking any vaccine for covid until at least six months or a year after it's proven safe and effective.  Covid is not going away any more than the flu did.  The key is better and proven treatments that make these things less deadly.

[MarkWiltonM]

3 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

on its third mutation this one making it smaller and easier to transmit

 

 

Edited July 10, 2020 by MarkWiltonM
found answer

[MarkWiltonM]

Is there a way to delete my post after it is posted?

[Fouremco]

2 minutes ago, MarkWiltonM said:

Is there a way to delete my post after it is posted?

You can edit the post, as you apparently did, but you can't delete it. If you click on "Report post", however, you can ask the moderators to delete it, which they probably will do if you've removed the contents anyway.

 

If you wait too long to edit your post, you can still ask the mods to delete it.

[Ken the cruiser]

Deleted

Edited July 10, 2020 by Ken the cruiser

[cangelmd]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

Virologists have not said the vaccine is useless. I spent my career developing vaccines.  There is a tremendous effort worldwide on multiple vaccine approaches. I am encouraged.

Thank you Teerick! I prepared a response and it didn’t save properly.

It is not helpful for people to make such blanket statements when so many people in this country are already leery about vaccines.

This virus is not like HIV or flu and while a successful vaccine may require more than 1 dose or a booster, particularly the first generation vaccine, I think there is a reasonable possibility that one of the candidates may confer lifelong immunity - we just don’t know yet. But needing yearly booster shots is a small price to prevent deaths and return economies to a semblance of normal.

[K.T.B.]

5 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Nope.  As virologists have said, the vaccine is useless.  Its the vaccinations which are important once a vaccine is developed, tested and provided to 70 percent of the population: 5 billion people.  So far, on both sides of the pond there are numerous groups stating they will NOT be vaccinated - the anti-vaxxers.  With the mutations virologists have seen in COVID-19 - believe its on its third mutation this one making it smaller and easier to transmit - vaccinations will be required at least seasonally/for each mutation.  Its going to be a tough and long fight.  In the meantime, returning to cruising as it was pre-COVID-19 will be impossible.

 

2 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Virologists have not said the vaccine is useless. I spent my career developing vaccines.  There is a tremendous effort worldwide on multiple vaccine approaches. I am encouraged.

 

I'm not a virologist, but I've been following the news closely on the current vaccines in development.  So I do NOT know where you're getting your info from RTW (I have not seen any source that backs your claim), but I've read enough of TeeRick's posts to know that he knows what he's talking about.  I'll take his positivity over your negativity any day, because he's informed.

[Baron Barracuda]

5 hours ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

Nope.  As virologists have said, the vaccine is useless.  Its the vaccinations which are important once a vaccine is developed, tested and provided to 70 percent of the population: 5 billion people. 

I believe what he was trying to say is simply developing a vaccine doesn't help unless people are willing to take it.

Edited July 10, 2020 by Baron Barracuda

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, Baron Barracuda said:

I believe what he was trying to say is simply developing a vaccine doesn't help unless people are willing to take it.

That was my impression too. It's like car seat belts: totally useless unless they are worn.

[phoenix_dream]

Even if 50% of the people won't take it, at least for awhile, there is still a tremendous improvement overall.  Those truly in the know please correct me if I am wrong, but I think that even if it is only 60% or 70% effective, if you are in the other 30-40% and do catch the virus in all likelihood you will have a milder case and that can be dealt with.  I know this virus is not the flu - I am not one of "those" - but it can be kept in mind that the flu mutates each year and each year a new vaccine is developed.  Granted, some are more effective than others but my point is that it does not necessarily have to be a one and done for it to be valuable.  That's the ideal scenario of course, but not necessarily the only valuable one.

 

I also suspect (but of course can only opine) that at least initially cruise lines will require proof of vaccine before boarding (or proof of a certain type of antibodies if those are determined to provide immunity).  

[Georgia_Peaches]

My Goodness, I hope so. At the very least a vaccine will be a boost forward for the collective psyche. Something we all could use IMO. 

[UnorigionalName]

I find it a little unsavory that there's a segment of the population that hopes that the vaccine fails and that millions upon millions of people die, just so they can have some smug self satisfaction in their past and current actions.

 

[pumpkin 11]

Vaccines usually only cover 25% to 65% of the population affectively. Could you IMAGINE mandating a federal vaccine requirement?! Insanity!

[barbels]

I could easily imagine a federal vaccine requirement and I hope we will have an effective vaccine to mandate.  The anti vaxxers put the rest of us at risk.