Agree about the incompetence for sure.
If it was up to me I would also be have included all key workers in the early vaccinations. If you have to go into work, and if you have to use public transport then you should be jabbed.
Funny really, the most successful piece of the response to the pandemic is the one where the government ( and their mates) have had minimal involvement.

They're still taking all the credit though.
It's almost like wartime propaganda, with the number of vaccinations making the headlines every hour of the day.
The poor buggers that are still dying barely get a mention now.

I have to agree that the vaccinations seem to have gone very well and we all wait to see just how effective they are in reality.

We need to hope that they are as effective as the many promises that have been made.

What do you suggest we do with key workers who are refusing the vaccine?

I'm not really sure as I can't see how legally you can force it on existing employees. I've had mine and am booked in for the second one at the end of next month, I don't know anyone who's declined it, the one person who I thought might as they never have the flu jab was one of the first to have it.

I'd be surprised in the area I work in and the cross working with other agencies that we do if anyone would admit to declining it as the amount of people we've seen die and colleagues that have had it, some of them being hospitalised would make you somewhat of a professional pariah.

With the current talk of passports, perhaps we'll see some sort of check in the recruitment process to ensure your vaccinations are up to date, the same as you having to have up to date membership of the relevant professional bodies and a clear DBS check.

Yeah but come on, if the vaccination roll out had gone badly you sure as hell would've blamed the government. Even though they had "minimal involvement"

People can blame this Government for many things however, the roll-out of the vaccine isn't one of them.

The vaccine rollout seems to have been very successful so far. Full credit to everyone involved, from the frontline to the government on this hugely important progress.

The uptake in staff in care homes 66% has been poor also in the NHS only 80% - the greater majority in the BAME community. Surely there is a case for compulsory vaccination in these areas - the whole ethos has been to protect the vulnerable and protect the NHS?

I'm not sure that you've understood how the vaccine works - it can only protect the person that has been vaccinated.
Therefore, it can only be an individual choice and not compulsory.

Of course, it may well be that, at some point in the future, you need a vaccine certificate to carry out certain tasks or for travel etc. However, at the moment, we are told that this is not being considered.

In one sense, it will be interesting to compare how having had a vaccine compares with those that have not..

I understand perfectly well how it works - if it reduces transmission then surely that is a benefit to us all - the major thrust of the vaccine is to reduce the incidences of the virus - otherwise cases remain at current levels but fewer people die or have serious illness.

If that is the case then why have the numbers in Israel dropped off a cliff if the vaccine doesn't suppress transmission?

As yet, there is no proof that the vaccine reduces transmission.
However, if, after having the vaccine, "nobody" get's ill then there will be massively fewer hospitalizations and deaths, which will be a massive "win".

Early studies indicate drastic reduction in transmission by single dose of Oxford vaccine. The Israeli study claims to show huge reduction in transmission after Pfizer vaccine but as yet they have not released data for review. They are highly advanced in their rollout and have the best data in the world on effectiveness. The more data that's gathered the more we will see how the vaccines reduce transmission. And they will.
The Novovax vaccine looks to be the best of them all, in monkey trials the virus didn't even establish itself in the upper airway after dosing. If it can't establish and replicate in the upper airway then it can't spread from one person to another. The vaccine in trials had a very high efficacy. I can see this vaccine being a "second" vaccine that we all get eventually.

As has been indicated above - clear evidence of transmission reduction - perhaps it is you that doesn't understand how vaccines work!!

Interesting that you are so sure about the reduction in transmission after having had the vaccine.
Certainly, our own "experts", although always cautious, are not suggesting this just yet ?

As always, there are a myriad of different opinions as to transmission and it therefore becomes a case of who you should believe.

I hope that you are right but, would have expected that our "experts" and then, of course, Bojo, would be shouting this from the rooftops and as yet, they're not.

Lmao. Plenty of experts are claiming it with studies to back it up. But don’t let that get in the way of another rant at Boris Johnson. You are so obsessed it’s embarassing and unnerving. You are nearly as obsessed with Boris as you are with me

Lmao. Plenty of experts are claiming it with studies to back it up. But don’t let that get in the way of another rant at Boris Johnson. You are so obsessed it’s embarassing and unnerving. You are nearly as obsessed with Boris as you are with me

YOU talk of "embarrassing"

The numbers speak for themselves - nobody could argue that the lockdown has become more severe to drive down transmission. If anything lockdown is weakened since Christmas.

Johnson has got so much wrong he will now be over cautious if anything. Even Hancock yesterday said the rates have plummeted - the only thing that has changed is the vaccine roll out. Even Stevie Wonder can see that, you know it too but your never going to admit on here

Speaking of Hancock, is he going to be moving into new accommodation under Her Majesty’s pleasure any time soon? Considering he, you know, broke the law.

The Tory ethos of taking personal responsibility is only applicable to the poor and powerless and their political opponents.

Completely agree - it was shameful what happened with these contracts - a disgrace.

I can understand the urgency and the need to circumnavigate the tender process but no excuse in giving contracts to firms/individuals who have np experience/expertise in that field.

They rushed the vaccine through but at least the producers had a track record in respect of Pharma.

I was talking about transmission after being vaccinated, rock all to do with lockdown.
It does now seem that Hancock and co are happy that the vaccine does prevent those vaccinated from spreading the virus, although they still dont know whether this is the case with some of the covid variants.
As for lockdown, of course the numbers have come down.

IF "we" had closed our borders and had a proper lockdown previously, as some other nations have done, we could have prevented the 2nd and 3rd lockdown and been on top of the job.

As things are, the vaccine(s) seem to be doing the job and hopefully, things can begin to open up over the summer..

The US closed their borders and the infection rate was amongst the worst in the world. It wouldn't have been practical given the UK is the largest transit hub in Europe. Easy in NZ or Aus.

I agree with much of what you put the vaccine is the game changer - In Israel where a big chunk of people have been vaccinated transmission has fallen off the end of a cliff - which would suggest transmission is slowed down amongst those who have been vaccinated.

Assuming that Boris is right and we are "fully open" in the UK towards the end of June, it will be interesting to see how overseas travel can open up.
The French were citing "the English variant" for a recent spike in their own cases, which doesn't half put the cat among the pigeons as far as overseas travel is concerned.
It's starting to look like vaccine certificates will be here before too long, to add yet another twist to the road to "freedom"

Just getting back to your opening comment. It shouldn't matter what sort of "transit hub" the UK may or may not be.
We should have tightened our border controls way, way more than we did.
There is no point whatsoever in trying to control the virus within the country, if we are going to allow people to fly in and out as the please, it's utterly stupid and it's taken nearly 12 months for government to even begin to realise this.
Of course this would make life more difficult for some but, it's difficult for most people already.

I don't disagree with you but we allowed all those holidays in July and August and most of the people coming into the country in March and April were UK citizens - should they have been banned from coming home?

Uk holiday makers are a huge revenue source for the likes of Spain and Greece - it will be tough to turn those hundreds of millions away again for a second year.