Mandatory Vaccinations

[phild]

The longer this goes on the more time the Government will have to roll out a Vax passport/certificate scheme.

We could go on and on with the same argument but for me the jabs were to enable us to regain normality ie before 3/20. Those who have been jabbed then they are protected when travelling abroad. If the jabs only stop you from ending up in hospital then this situation will never end as variants will always be around and NO covid jab can be 100% efficacious. So again what are the jabs for?

So the jabs are 'tweaked' for the identified variants but hold on, you still cant travel cus another variant as been found and another and another. Surely this is madness. Its not as if covid is a major killer it doesnt even make the top 10 killers in the world

[regis80]

It's not excessive enough in my opinion. New variants seem to be the main threat to our country at the moment, given we are way ahead of others in the vaccine race.

One in Brittany can avoid detection via PCR tests, so France will be a 'red list' country soon. There are some which our vaccines provide less protection against and no doubt in time some will completely evade the protection of the vaccine.

The longer these are away from our shores the more time we have to produce the next lot of vaccines and we can start to get our lives back.

I think there are other ways to deter people from travelling, but if we are going to fine people it should be relative to that persons own financial circumstance. We could simply stop airlines from operating til we nail this whole thing down. The problem here in the UK is people will always try to find a loophole. Like doing a Stanley Johnson.

It’s all well and good to buy ourselves time to produce the next lot of vaccines, but this to me sounds like prolonging a lockdown. People are simply getting fed up, especially as majority of initially thought the 1st lockdown was going to be short - this was only to avoid overwhelming the NHS. I think people have lost patience with this whole thing.

[Yarmbaggie]

All I can say is good job you don’t live in NZ or Australia, both countries and Governments of which are getting great press around the world.

25, yes 25 deaths in NZ since the pandemic started and various types of lockdown over the period but primarily no travel allowed in or out of the country except in a few special cases and then after quarantine at your cost.

Australia went into panic overdrive with 909 deaths, yes 909, mainly in Melbourne and for most of the last 12 months even inter state travel not allowed, except again for very restricted circumstances. Remember it is 5 hours by 757 from Sydney to Perth across a massive desert, hardly a hop skip and a jump across the channel.

Many on here have been praising Oz and NZ yet now they are ‘getting bored’ with Covid don’t seem quite so hooked on putting up the shutters and keeping safe like they still continue to do.

Qantas flights as an example cancelled to Oz/NZ until a review in October and Government have said they don’t expect ‘normal’ overseas travel to be back to normal before 2022.

[Leicesterbaggie]

I realise that not all countries are the same but you only have to look at their low death rates to realise that they are acting correctly. Our problem is that we have too many people concerned with 'civil liberties' instead of concentrating on beating this virus. Too many selfish people moaning because they want their jollies abroad. For God's sake, just give it a miss for a couple of years and holiday in this country.

[WBA1955]

I realise that not all countries are the same but you only have to look at their low death rates to realise that they are acting correctly. Our problem is that we have too many people concerned with 'civil liberties' instead of concentrating on beating this virus. Too many selfish people moaning because they want their jollies abroad. For God's sake, just give it a miss for a couple of years and holiday in this country.

Agreed. Only idiots would want to go abroad during this pandemic.
This country has some of the finest scenery, history and attractions in the world.
Why go to Spain a country that panders to the Germans and only likes our money?

[baggiematt]

You heard Patrick Valance talk about the next vaccine covering several different strains and also that it's easy to modify based on what they can see and predict. That will be the science getting ahead of the virus rather than us catching up. This is what happens with the flu jab every year.

It's clear that new variants will be prevalent and could harm the roadmap that has been put in place given that the current vaccine is designed around the first variants of this. So a restriction on going abroad to safeguard an end to the most damaging and difficult restrictions is an absolute no brainer.

It's funny that people always get caught up in the death statistics, like that's all that matters. I know someone who caught this when the pandemic first started. Not an old woman, in her 40's with asthma that didn't affect her life in any way. Now she still cannot get up a flight of stairs with ease and doctors cannot tell her when it will get better. It may be with her for her whole life and at the moment she considers her life has gone. Her employer is being supportive now, but it will likely end her career at some point. Her liberties are completely gone, far more than those just unable to travel abroad.

The morbidities of this disease are often ignored by those who feel this is just a 1% problem. I absolutely agree there is a civil liberties balance with this, but I suspect if most people knew of someone who had really suffered from this, they really wouldn't be crying out to go abroad this year.

[DaveP67 is back!]

You heard Patrick Valance talk about the next vaccine covering several different strains and also that it's easy to modify based on what they can see and predict. That will be the science getting ahead of the virus rather than us catching up. This is what happens with the flu jab every year.

It's clear that new variants will be prevalent and could harm the roadmap that has been put in place given that the current vaccine is designed around the first variants of this. So a restriction on going abroad to safeguard an end to the most damaging and difficult restrictions is an absolute no brainer.

It's funny that people always get caught up in the death statistics, like that's all that matters. I know someone who caught this when the pandemic first started. Not an old woman, in her 40's with asthma that didn't affect her life in any way. Now she still cannot get up a flight of stairs with ease and doctors cannot tell her when it will get better. It may be with her for her whole life and at the moment she considers her life has gone. Her employer is being supportive now, but it will likely end her career at some point. Her liberties are completely gone, far more than those just unable to travel abroad.

The morbidities of this disease are often ignored by those who feel this is just a 1% problem. I absolutely agree there is a civil liberties balance with this, but I suspect if most people knew of someone who had really suffered from this, they really wouldn't be crying out to go abroad this year.

Good post Matt.

[mickd1961]

If you look at the stats for deaths at the moment it shows that we are below the average number of deaths for the time of year over recent weeks.

It might seem harsh but it’s impossible to protect everyone from whichever virus might be prevalent at any time.

Like I keep saying......it seems that Covid is the only disease that it’s now a crime to die from.

[Yarmbaggie]

Because basically we have eradicated those infections by vaccination.

Not so sure about that Leics.

As far as I am aware only 2 diseases have been eradicated, Smallpox and Rinderpest. Smallpox was a virus affecting people but rinderpest virus affected cattle etc.

MMR has made huge improvements but Measles, Mumps and Rubella still exist. Again great strides made in TB but it is still in the top 10 killers worldwide. There is a target to eradicate Hepatitis B by 2030 but described as a lofty ambition!

No we have to live with virus outbreaks, with or without vaccinations.

[SwedishBaggie]

Agreed. Only idiots would want to go abroad during this pandemic.
This country has some of the finest scenery, history and attractions in the world.
Why go to Spain a country that panders to the Germans and only likes our money?

What about me wanting to come to you!? 😇😎