What is this about some idiosyncratic effect the proposed Covid vaccine is supposed to have on our DNA?

@Jill1990 You would think so. maybe it was just some SW nerd who knows some chemistry and trying to create drama.

@Jill1990 @Grateful4you It’s been debunked. I included links.

@Grateful4you More like just someone wanting to start something. I have heard that the Oxford group is about to finish their trial with very good results as well. I haven’t heard of any real problems with any of the three. Whatever you heard here is most certainly false.

@Jill1990 There were small issues in control groups back in September (normal stuff you see in any drug trial) and virtually nothing since then. It’s been shown to be highly effective with little to no side effects. There are more remaining questions, however, in regards to how long immunity to re-infection actually lasts after the conferred immunization. The science has been moving so fast in an effort to have an effective drug. Some of the questions may not get answers until we are already mass using it. Safety is the number one concern however and I’ve not seen any data to say that it’s at all unsafe.

@Jill1990 Yes as explained by the highly esteemed DarkHeaven.

@Grateful4you there were some serious events which paused the study but that's common. They were reviewed by the independent Data Monitoring Committee that all these are running with to have a rolling review with authorities. Decision was the events were nothing to do with the trial. They'll be things like someone having a heart attack but having previously had cardiac issues

@SW-User I was mostly concerned about the supposed un-toward effect on DNA apparently that is debunked, I imagine there are always issues when doing double blind trials that's to be expected.

@Grateful4you Hah hah. Highly esteemed. I’m just a science dork but ty.

@Grateful4you yes I used to work in pharmaceutical r&d.

Working in some areas you can end up the study paused more than it is running

@SW-User yeah. It’s usually a long rigorous process but they have been moving pretty fast.

@DarkHeaven talking to old colleagues at the coal face they've never seen as big a team, as much resources etc. Also where we knew they would do phase 2, analyse, wait, debate again, wait on another quarter results then say.. OK let's slowly recruit into phase 3, only to pause again blah blah

This time it was start ramping phase 3 now before 2 is finished, get centre's ready, get supplies made get all randomisation stuff in place in terms of supplies reduction.

About 14 years ago I sat in Paris in the oecd and ran through a scenario we had drawn up for a flu pandemic in the early 2020s, starting in Asia 😮

We argued if you built systems, had companies, government and regulatory groups all work together then you could produce new products in months not years.

I remember the USA rep laughing at several points saying it was impossible and would never be needed.... 🤷‍♂️

We asked for £1 billion to put it in place. We never got it and soon I was moving into university research

@SW-User You have some real insights because of that. So that’s cool. ✌️

@DarkHeaven Thats pretty much what I have heard too. NPR had good coverage as well. It’s exciting that maybe in another 6 months (or so) we may be able to go out without masks.

@Jill1990 I’m not so sure about that part. We need vaccines (with studies suggesting at least 75% of the population taking it and we can’t even get to 50% with flu vaccines... last year was 46.8%,) antivirals for after you get sick, and enough of the general population have been exposed to have a general level of herd immunity. I’m guessing more like two to four years.

@DarkHeaven I’ll take the vaccine as soon as it’s available to me. Maybe they’ll give me a badge or something, but if I can’t catch it and I can’t transmit it, my mask is coming off.

@Jill1990 Just be careful. One of the meds I take seriously suppresses my immune system and makes me high risk. I’ll definitely immunize but until I know how long immunity lasts, I’m not sure I’ll take the chance. I don’t want to die by suffocation on a ventilator. ✌️

@DarkHeaven Well, hopefully we will know more about it by them. No one knows much now other than the drug companies, but I’m optimistic. It’s nice to feel upbeat for a change.

@Jill1990 I Agree. Light and love. 🖤