#vaccine roll out in Cornwall

[sophsweet]

My Diary 2021 - week 4

It all starts with Sorry Sophie Scrambled – RAF_Luton on Twitter

[mednerds]

No, there isn’t evidence that Pfizer’s vaccine causes infertility.

Social media platforms were flooded this week with concerns about an alarming headline purporting that the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, which is expected to be cleared for emergency use this week, could cause infertility in women. But experts say these claims are baseless.

“It’s a myth, it’s inaccurate — there’s no evidence to support their perception,” said Saad Omer, a vaccine expert at Yale University. Expert agencies that oversee the clearance of vaccines for use in people, he added, “have a rigorous process” to weed out products that might cause such disastrous effects. “And when things happens, action is taken,” Dr. Omer said.

This week, the Food and Drug Administration reiterated its confidence in data showing that the vaccine can protect people against developing Covid-19 without causing serious side effects. Pfizer’s vaccine has been given green lights in Britain and Canada.

The rumors about infertility were fueled by an article published by a blog called Health and Money News, which falsely claimed that Pfizer’s vaccine contained ingredients capable of “training the female body to attack” a protein that plays a crucial role in the development of the placenta.

The unfounded claims were drawn from a petition co-written by Dr. Michael Yeadon, a retired British doctor and former Pfizer employee who has previously been criticized for his misleading views on the coronavirus. Dr. Yeadon has downplayed the severity of the pandemic in Britain and publicly aired his grievances about the futility of investing in vaccines.

But experts say there is no evidence to back up the infertility claim.

The key ingredient in Pfizer’s vaccine (as well as a similar vaccine made by Moderna that is also rapidly on its way to emergency clearance) is genetic material that instructs human cells to make a coronavirus protein called spike. The production of this protein teaches the body to fight off the coronavirus. There are no placental proteins, or genetic material that instructs the manufacture of placental proteins, in Pfizer’s vaccine, said a company spokeswoman, Jerica Pitts.

The misleading blog piece drew a comparison between coronavirus spike and a type of placental protein. The similarities were strong enough, it contended, that a vaccine could dupe the immune system into confusing the two proteins and attacking the placenta.

But Stephanie Langel, an immunologist and expert in maternal and neonatal immunity at Duke University, pointed out that coronavirus spike and the placental protein in question have almost nothing in common, making the vaccine highly unlikely to trigger a reaction to these delicate tissues. The two proteins share only a minuscule stretch of material; mixing them up would be akin to mistaking a rhinoceros for a jaguar because they are wearing the same collar.

Dr. Langel also pointed out that the human body has evolved to quash immune reactions that might harm its own tissues.

“If we didn’t have that, we wouldn’t even make it past Day 1 of life,” she said.

Pfizer pointed to a recent study that found the coronavirus did not seem to raise the risk for pregnancy-related problems.

“There are no data to suggest that the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine candidate causes infertility,” the company said in an emailed statement.

Dr. Langel and Dr. Omer both noted that researchers would continue to monitor the well-being of vaccinated people as Pfizer’s products and others are rolled out around the world. There remains a dearth of data in people who are pregnant, Dr. Langel said. But baseless discussions about how vaccines could cause infertility, she added, were “particularly damaging” to the scientifically backed efforts to protect people with vaccines.

By Katherine J. Wu (The New York Times). Image: Erin Lilly, who works at a retirement home, became one of the first people in Cornwall, England, to receive the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccination (Credit Hugh Hastings/Getty Images).

[camillasgirl]

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visit the Royal Gloucesterhire Hospital’s Covid-19 Vaccination Hub in support of the recent vaccination roll-out programme, 17.12.2020

[freenewstoday]

New Post has been published on https://freenews.today/2021/02/06/covid-vaccine-postcode-lottery-full-list-as-london-jabs-4-times-more-over-70s-than-devon/

Covid vaccine postcode lottery: FULL list as London jabs 4-TIMES more over 70s than Devon

More than 10.9 million people have now received the first dose of their coronavirus vaccines as the UK vaccination rollout gathers steam. The program has now reached the fourth group of the JCVI priority list, with a further 500,000 people having also received their first dose. But the latest data from NHS England has revealed the stark gap between regions – with London having inoculated four times more over 70s than Devon, for example.

The data shows the five ‘Integrated Care System (ICS) / Sustainability Transformation Partnership (STP)’ in London have vaccinate at least half of their 70 to 74-year-old population, with ‘Our Healthier South East London leading the way with 68.9 percent.

North West London Health and Care Partnership has inoculated 57.1 percent while East London Health and Care Partnership has given the first jab to 61.1 percent.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, along with Birmingham and Solihull, also have higher rates, with 56.8 percent given their first dose.

But these figures stand in stark contrast to much of the rest of the UK.

At the bottom of the table, Devon has vaccinated just 16 percent of 70 to 74-year-olds, with Hampshire not faring much better at 19.5 percent.

In Nottingham, 19.6 percent of those in this category have received their vaccination while those living under Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin has inoculated 18.8 percent.

Cornwall has given the jab to 23.6 percent of this age group while Sussex Health and Care Partnership has jabbed 22.7 percent.

However, the vaccination of those aged 75 to 79, and those over 80, has seen a huge take up. On average, 82.6 percent of 75 to 19s have had the jab and 88.1 percent of the over 80s.

But the figures have left some to criticise the way in which the vaccines are being rolled out.

You can see the full breakdown of areas and vaccinations in the graph below.

James Lawson, a fellow at the Adam Smith Institute think-tank, said there was a problem with the rollout being somewhat of a postcode lottery.

He said: “The best way to deal with it is a combination of better data transparency and more services to reach those harder-to-reach communities – in particular mobile vaccination centres, drive-in centres and greater use of local venues like more pharmacies and more local public venues.

“This is why it is really important to look at new ideas like launching mobile vaccination centres so that you are able to cover a greater geographical region.

“It is also why we have to look at things like drive-in centres and also greater use of pharmacies.”

Jane Townson, the chief executive of the UK Homecare Association’s (UKHCA) said there was a willingness to get the jab but the uneven rollout was hindering progress.

She said: “Even in areas where councils are doing a really good job, a proportion of providers in the local area have still not heard anything from their council. This is extremely frustrating for care workers and their employers. Based on the findings of this survey, meeting the government target could prove a challenge at the current rate of progress in some areas.”

DON’T MISS Covid new strain symptoms: The four ‘most common coronavirus symptom’ [INSIGHT] Britons FURIOUS as Netherlands joins EU nations snubbing UK vaccine [JUST IN] Furious Boris holds crunch phone call with Macron over Covid vaccine [ANALYSIS]

The data does show, however, that overall London is falling behind the rest of the UK.

The capital has only vaccinated 11.5 percent of the city so far – a total of 944,822 people – based on the population from the 2011 census.

While in comparison the South West, which includes Devon, has vaccinated 15 percent of its population – though in like for like terms, this represents 923,956 people.

Elsewhere, the Midlands has vaccinated 15.1 percent of people, with the North East and Yorkshire inoculating 16.2 percent.

You can see from the graph above how the figures compare.

The release comes as Boris Johnson announced a target of vaccinating 13.9million of Britain’s most vulnerable people before mid-February.

Based on the latest seen-day rolling average of vaccination figures, 439,980 people are religion their first dose per day.

And with 10,971,047 already being vaccinated, if this rollout continues at the same pace the UK can expect to hit the Prime Minister’s target on February 12.

It is hoped the rollout will continue at this rate – and if it does, some 35,169,947 people will have been vaccinated by March 31 – more than half the country.

AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot had previously claimed 30 million people in the UK will get a dose of the vaccine “by March”.

These numbers also mean the entirety of the JCVI priority list in England will have been completed by this point, as the first 9 groups amounts to some 30,194,470 people according to the latest census data.

if(typeof utag_data.ads.fb_pixel!=="undefined"&&utag_data.ads.fb_pixel==!0)!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod?n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window,document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js');fbq('init','568781449942811');fbq('track','PageView') Source

[robertmcangusgroup]

The Daily Thistle

The Daily Thistle – News From Scotland

Saturday 5th August 2017

"Madainn Mhath” .…Fellow Scot, I hope the day brings joy to you…. I hope you are in the rudest of good health.. Great walk this morning with Bella and the coffee tastes fantastic plus I have Cold Play on the CD Player playing through the headphones, singing “Fix You” an early number of theirs which I happen to like a lot …. But before that, the Perseids Meteor Shower was fantastic this morning, and it’s only going to get better peaking around the middle of the month, I went to the top of the hill by the old hermitage in Estepona and laid on the wall while Bella did her thing and looked upward to the heavens, there seemed to be a never ending line of meteors streaking across the sky, what was actually happening was that the Earth was passing through the Swift-Tuttle comets tail, which is about a billion kilometers long and the meteors are or were in the case of those that burnt up dust and ice particles that get caught in our atmosphere... I was asked why is there so many meteors, well Jupiter is pulling the tail of the comet towards us ....  Yes, Jupiter’s gravity extends all this way…  

HIGHEST EVER SHINTY MATCH TO BE PLAYED ON HIGHLAND MOUNTAIN…. THE summit of Aonach Mor in the Nevis Range is to host the UK’s highest every shinty match to promote tourism in Lochaber. The game will be played on Thursday afternoon at 1,221 metres, nestled in the shadow of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain. The two mixed teams will be made up of players from different teams across Lochaber. The match has been arranged to celebrate the launch of Lochaber Chamber of Commerce’s new Outdoor Capital of the UK website in partnership with VisitScotland.

SCOTLAND’S WEATHER: SHETLAND ENJOYS MORE SUNSHINE THAN CORNWALL…. Shetland has enjoyed more sun than the south coast of England so far this summer, according to data. The remote Scottish islands recorded 192.9 hours of sunshine between July 1 and July 29, while Cornwall in England’s South West saw 153.5 hours, early statistics from the Met Office show. Shetland has had more sun than the south coast of England. It is only the eighth time since records began in 1929 that this has occurred. The figures show the UK as a whole saw 22% more rain than average in July, with Northern Ireland the region with the highest level of rainfall at 113.1mm - 39% above its monthly average. While all regions have had close to the average amount of sunshine, Scotland and Northern Ireland have enjoyed more sun than usual. Temperatures over the month were described as being “generally unremarkable”, despite some local anomalies such as the Isle of Wight being 0.8C warmer than the July average, while in contrast East Lothian was 0.8C cooler. Climate scientist Mike Kendon said: “Overall it hasn’t been a remarkable month for weather, however when you look more locally there have been some significant events. It is uncommon for Shetland to experience more sunshine hours than Cornwall at this time of year. “Some of these statistics can be linked directly to a few significant weather events, with spells of thunderstorms bringing the majority of the month’s rainfall to some areas. The presence of low pressure systems moving slowly over the UK at times have also influenced the temperatures and amount of sunshine hours.”

WALK ON THE EDGE OF TIME AROUND A 1.2BILLION-YEAR-OLD CRATER…. A Highland mountain guide is providing a walk with a difference - tracing the edges of a meteorite impact crater that hit earth over a billion years ago. The village of Lairg has been found, after years of research, to be at its centre. More than 100km in diameter, it ranks as one of the largest known impacts on earth, and it is the first to be discovered in the UK. Now almost hidden from view by millenia of geological change and transformation, its discovery in 2015 was the result of a decade of observation and research that began with a thin section of rock under a microscope. Inspired by this deep time event where the astronomical and the geological intersect, guide John King mapped a route that traces the circumference of the meteorite crater. He then walked the route carrying a Google Trekker, capturing 360-degree imagery along its length. John said: “Extending from the vast peatland expanse of the Flow Country in the North, to the Dornoch Firth in the south, and from the rolling hills of East Sutherland to the rocky edge of Assynt in the west, the crater becomes a feature by which to explore the varied landscapes, land-uses, geology and wildlife that exist in northern Scotland today.” The local mountain guide, who runs King Mountaineering, offers guided hillwalking, scrambling, and outdoor skills training across the Northern Highlands. Taking every opportunity to get out into the hills, he completed his first round of the Munros in 2013 and has explored many of the wilder and more remote corners of the Highlands in all seasons, building up an intimate knowledge of the Scottish hills and glens as well as a keen interest in the ecology, geology and history of the natural environment. John is passionate about passing on his knowledge and skills, and sharing his enthusiasm for the hills with others. Having recently moved to Scotland’s far north to set up King Mountaineering, John is excited to enable others to enjoy the spectacular mountains and vast open spaces that northernmost Scotland has in abundance.

STRAY CATS CAPTURED IN DRIVE TO SAVE SCOTTISH WILDCAT…. More than 100 felines have been captured as part of an effort to save the endangered Scottish wildcat from extinction. Project officers, contractors and dozens of volunteers helped catch 115 cats across an area spanning 676 square miles. Scottish Wildcat Action’s (SWA) Trap Neuter Vaccinate Return programme was carried out in priority areas in northern Scotland, including Morvern, Strathpeffer, Strathbogie, northern Strathspey and the Angus glens. Feral cats present a threat to wildcats by mating with them, so the team spent 364 nights catching strays for neutering. Roo Campbell, priority areas manager for the SWA, said: “Cross-breeding is diluting the wildcat gene pool and, as a result, they are losing their distinct adaptations to the harsh Scottish environment. “Neutering and vaccinating domestic cats is the best way to protect them and we are very proud of our success this year. We are committed to this work and we have a lot more work to do before the wildcat is truly safe.” Eighty-two of the captured cats were taken to a vet for treatment and later returned. Twelve feral kittens were rehomed, seven cats were either pet cats or had been neutered previously and two were possible wildcats that were released without neutering. The remaining 12 feral felines tested positive for disease or were in such poor condition they had to be put down on welfare grounds. Neutered domestic cats are released rather than culled because this may help wildcat populations recover in the long-term. Dr Campbell said: “If a wild-living cat is neutered and returned to the wild, it maintains a territory and keeps other feral cats from moving into the area. This allows wildcats to breed only with other wildcats. “We hope this will reduce the risk of disease from migrating feral cats, while over time a new generation of wildcats will replace the neutered feral cats.”

On that note I will say that I hope you have enjoyed the news from Scotland today,

Our look at Scotland today is of the Perseids Meteor Shower in the Mountains….

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Saturday 5th August 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus

[sophsweet]

My diary 2021 - week 2

Image – people sitting in thick snow in Madrid – first snowfall in 50 years January 8th, Friday Dream on Luci app. Debating on Twitter. Rude followers repeating “but it’s clearly (not) set out in rules”. Point of driving to go for a walk is for people not near green spaces. Setting up series of blocks affects those most in need of free exercise outdoors. Government advertising before and after…