Seriously thoughtful The NEW Covid Vaccination Poll

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by Almamida

You’re rewriting what happened.
Europe has been regularly exporting its vaccine production, since the beginning.
When the Italian PM requested to block exportation to Australia, Europe agreed as other countries were definitely in urgent need of vaccine while the Australian situation was largely under control.

Scroll down to Vaccine Supply and open the AZ-OS tab ==>> https://www.covid19data.com.au/vaccines. the two shipments that did arrive came (somewhat clandestinely) from the UK.

I am not saying EU hasn't shipped vaccines elsewhere, but since it stopped the first shipment, AZ hasn't even tried to ship any to Australia. Most galling is the refusal to redirect what we ordered from AZ-EU to PNG.

Pfizer/BioNtech has been meeting its commitments.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Almamida

You’re rewriting what happened.
Europe has been regularly exporting its vaccine production, since the beginning.
When the Italian PM requested to block exportation to Australia, Europe agreed as other countries were definitely in urgent need of vaccine while the Australian situation was largely under control.

To quote from one EU spokesperson:

Vaccine exports from the EU to Canada are still subject to an authorization request. Under the strengthened rules, introduced today, export authorizations should be granted where they do not pose a threat to the security of supply of vaccines and their components in the [EU]

This was around March 24, 2021.

From what I've read elsewhere such as the quote below from a BBC story, this issue was more due to European Commision's bureaucracy than any other issue.

Some EU governments are beginning to show impatience with Brussels, which had hoped its vaccination purchasing scheme would be a beacon of European solidarity and strength.

The Commission's laboured negotiating process, the tardy approval of vaccines by the EU's medical regulator and delays now in vaccine deliveries have left EU citizens demanding answers and action, our correspondent says.

Markus Söder, the Bavarian premier and Germany's possible future chancellor, told ZDF television on Friday that it was his impression that the commission "ordered too late, and only bet on a few companies, they agreed on a price in a typically bureaucratic EU procedure and completely underestimated the fundamental importance of the situation."

[pdurrant]

It's the one bit of the pandemic response that the UK government got right - ordering lots of vaccine, lots of different vaccines, and ordering early.

I expect that the UK will be redirecting much of their vaccine orders elsewhere once the UK population have all been oferred the vaccine.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by DNSB

To quote from one EU spokesperson:

This was around March 24, 2021.

Which is about 3 weeks after Mario Draghi blocked the shipment to Australia, and coincides with the EU asking him to send the Carabinieri (military police) to the same Agnani bottling plant to conduct an audit.

BR

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

It's the one bit of the pandemic response that the UK government got right - ordering lots of vaccine, lots of different vaccines, and ordering early.

I expect that the UK will be redirecting much of their vaccine orders elsewhere once the UK population have all been oferred the vaccine.

If their contracts allow it, one of the excuses AZ has trotted out for not redirecting shipments to PNG is that it would put Australia in breach of contract because it (Australia) is not allowed to transfer vaccines to a third country Ψ³

BR

[ownedbycats]

a l l h a i l b i l l g a t e s. p u r c h a s e m i c r o s o f t p r o d u c t s.

I wonder how long it'll take the 5G to start working.

[Deskisamess]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

a l l h a i l b i l l g a t e s. p u r c h a s e m i c r o s o f t p r o d u c t s.

I wonder how long it'll take the 5G to start working.

I'm waiting to be magnetized. So far, no joy.

[poohbear_nc]

So, I had posted earlier in this thread - bemoaning the NC governor's lifting of the mask mandate for vaccinated people, and asking non-vaccinated folk to continue wearing masks - by the honor system.

Well, I have been conducting an informal survey weekly during my early morning grocery run to Food Lion. The staff have remained masked, although most have stopped wearing gloves. Plexiglass shields are still in place.

Since the mandate was lifted, I've only seen one couple (youngish) in the store without masks.

Today I overhead this conversation between a male employee and 2 checkout ladies (all appear to be over 50). The male stocking clerk came up to the checkout to ask if they'd seen X (another employee) "walking down aisle 3 not wearing a mask" - "is he vaccinated?"
All entered into a spirited discussion as to the vaccination status of the unmasked employee, and why anyone would willingly be around strangers without wearing a mask.

Finally, the male employee summed up with "I'm not taking my mask off. I got both my shots, but you know you can still catch this virus. I'm not going to risk it." Both ladies agreed with him.

At least for the senior population, I think this fairly summarizes current attitudes. Getting vaccinated does convey a sense of safety, but the ongoing risk from variants and breakthrough infections still pose a frightening risk.

[Deskisamess]

In any of the stores I've been in over the last 2 weeks, the majority are not wearing masks. Gloves have never been worn by employees in any retail stores around here, they just spread germs, and COVID doesn't spread on surfaces anyway. You only see gloves on people working at deli cases, or in food handling as has always been the case.

There are those employees and customers who are still wearing masks, but maybe just 15-20%. Some stores still have employees wearing them, regardless of vaccine, but the stores I frequent do not.

I'm just not afraid at this point. I've never been one to get up close to strangers, that hasn't changed. Our weekly shopping has returned to normal. Church is very normal, except the room still up for social distancing and streaming of the service. Only a handful of people are taking advantage of that now, and if you use that room you're asked to wear a mask.

The collection plates aren't being passed, I don't know if that will return, and how communion is served is different. There is a locked collection box at the entrance to the worship center for people to put their offering in. I pay mine online like all my bills. Individual little sealed cups are placed in the holders on the backs of the pews. They have a sealed wafer as well. In the past communion was served by passing the plates, similar to a collection. I don't mind this way at all, it's generally once per month.

Our son and his family are finally coming up from Louisville at the end of the month. Last time we saw them was thanksgiving of 2019. We've video chatted many times, but it will be great to see them and their kids who are 7½ and 5½. The 7 year old is our only granddaughter. The 5 year old sent me a thank you letter a few months ago that said, "I hope you are still alive when we come to your house." I framed it.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

The 5 year old sent me a thank you letter a few months ago that said, "I hope you are still alive when we come to your house." I framed it.

That is priceless! But sweet and touching and sad, too. It’s rotten that a five-year old is fearful.

As for my own anecdotal evidence, it seems as if mask usage drops on a daily basis. People still mostly wear them in the store here, a university town as is Pooh’s, but I was in a supermarket a couple of towns to the south today and I had very little company. Overall, new cases in the state are dropping rapidly, but people are still dying. Masking to shop seems like such an easy thing to do; why not?

[poohbear_nc]

Agreed - the NC death rate remains stubbornly around 20/day despite declining statistics in all categories.

[haertig]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Since the mandate was lifted, I've only seen one couple (youngish) in the store without masks.

I am noticing the exact opposite here. You rarely see any customers in any store or restaurant wearing a mask. The employees still do - I imagine because their employer is still mandating it. There was an article in the newspaper recently (or did I see it online?) that said many establishments are continuing to have their employees wear masks not because they think it makes any medical difference, but because they don't want the occasional customer who walks in wearing one to feel like an oddball.

That's weird that your experiences with mask use are the opposite of mine. Regional differences I guess. I'm just outside of the Denver metro area. Our covid cases have been dropping like crazy for a while now. And basically nobody has been wearing masks. The last time I had to wear a mask was about a month ago at a large indoor sporting event (an NHL hockey game). There were probably 15,000 people there. Masks were technically required, but about 1/5 of the people appeared to be ignoring that mandate/request. And the ones still wearing their masks were taking them off periodically to scream for the team at the top of their lungs. And these NHL games were going on twice a week for several weeks. These would have been termed "super spreader events" in the not too distant past. But no sickness spread as a result - at least the news did not report any - and you know they would have made a big deal about it if it had happened. I do not know if masks are still required at indoor sporting events these days. I think the government mandate is history, but individual property owners can still request/mandate whatever they want. Unfortunately my team the Colorado Avalanche was knocked out of the playoffs so I don't have any large events to go to now to check in person.

[Deskisamess]

I made a quick trip to the local discount grocery store this morning, and saw no one wearing a mask. No employees, and not one customer. It's wonderful.

Ohio's state of emergency is lifted as of today, as are nursing home and assisted living visitation restrictions.
They will need to follow CDC guidance, but visits no longer need to be scheduled or limited to 2 visitors at once.

A quote:

"COVID testing will still be required twice a week for nursing home employees who remain unvaccinated. That decision comes as Gov. DeWine said Ohio is seeing approximately 80 cases in nursing homes each week. By and large, this is being brought in by unvaccinated staff."

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

A quote:

"COVID testing will still be required twice a week for nursing home employees who remain unvaccinated. That decision comes as Gov. DeWine said Ohio is seeing approximately 80 cases in nursing homes each week. By and large, this is being brought in by unvaccinated staff."

We're still more limited here but a court decision basically said that an employer can make vaccination a condition of employment. Exceptions will be made for employees who have an allergy to the vaccine or an ingredient in it, has a pre-existing medical condition, disease or is taking medicine that reacts with the vaccine or ingredients in it or belongs to a recognized religious group that objects to vaccination. The first two will require a doctor to sign off on the excuse and the last one requires an established membership so forget joining the Brothers and Sister of the Fruitful Vine today in hopes of avoiding vaccination.

Also in this area, if you are thinking about lying about being vaccinated, in the only case I'm aware of, that employee was terminated with no severance under a morals clause. OTOH, anyone who was stupid enough to lie about being vaccinated and then bragged about lying on their social media, IMNSHO, deserved what they got.

[Deskisamess]

The turn-over of nurses aids is so high, I think the nursing homes are following the path of many other employers and trying to offer incentives and not demands. The nursing home my MIL is in has had a lot of job turn-over the last few months.

I'm not usually one in supports of such demands, but in the case of health care jobs, I lean a bit more to the side of making it mandatory. My BIL is a nurse at a VA clinic, and they have to get the yearly flu shots. I don't see this as different.

What really upsets me are the people refusing to be vaccinated based on bad science, and social media nonsense. I know educated people who believe nonsense. It is very frustrating.