Tuesday, December 08, 2020

GOOD NEWS
Canada set to receive first doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine this year



By David Ljunggren, Steve Scherer


OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada will start receiving its first doses of Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine before the end of December, sooner than expected, with millions more to follow in early 2021, officials said on Monday.

The news could help the minority Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fend off attacks from opposition parties that have accused Ottawa of acting too slowly to tackle a worsening coronavirus second wave.

Officials had initially expected to get a total of six million doses of vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna Inc by end-March. That would be enough to inoculate three million people as both vaccines require two shots about a month apart.

But Trudeau said up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine Pfizer is producing with German partner BionNTech SE would arrive this month, and a further three million doses should be delivered at the start of 2021.

Saying vaccinations could start next week, Trudeau dismissed the suggestion his government had pressed for early delivery to relieve political attacks by the opposition.

“There is a tremendous amount of uncertainty in terms of which vaccines were going to arrive first ... we wanted not to get people’s hopes up,” he told reporters, repeating Ottawa expects regulators to approve the Pfizer vaccine this week.

Erin O’Toole, leader of the official opposition Conservatives, said it was unacceptable Trudeau had not made clear when every Canadian would be vaccinated.

Several of the 10 provinces are reimposing restrictions on businesses and limiting the size of gatherings as the number of new cases sets daily records. Canada has reported a total of 415,182 cases of COVID-19 and 12,665 deaths.



Trudeau said isolated Indigenous communities were a “priority population” for the vaccine and would be among those receiving the first inoculations at the start of next year.

For logistical reasons, the three northern territories have requested Moderna’s vaccine, which does not have the same ultra-cold delivery requirements as Pfizer’s, one official said.

Ontario and Quebec, the two most populous provinces, account for 67% of the total cases and 87% of the deaths.

Ontario announced on Monday that it would prioritize vaccinating healthcare workers and staff, residents and essential visitors in long-term care homes, and adults in Indigenous communities.

Quebec said it would receive 4,000 doses next week and start vaccinating nursing home residents.

Additional reporting by Moira Warburton in Toronto; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Bill Berkrot and Sonya Hepinstall


A pharmacy technician in London, England works to store the world's first delivery of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. The cooler temperature reads minus 82 Celsius. (Gareth Fuller/Pool via AP)

Canada’s largest ever immunization plan to start in December

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today announced that pending approval by the health department, the first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines could be rolled out as early as the week of December 14, 2020. This comes as the numbers of infections and deaths rise across the country. 

Trudeau said that by the end of 2020, Canada should receive up to 249,000 doses and be able to start what he called the largest mass vaccination operation in Canadian history. Health Canada is expected to approve the Pfizer vaccine this week.

Trudeau sought to reassure Canadians that Canada has its own rigorous testing and that once vaccines are approved, they will be safe and effective.  

When asked about the small quantity of vaccines that will initially be delivered, Trudeau suggested this was a good thing as it will allow authorities to make sure the rollout is efficient and no vaccines are wasted. He added that large numbers of vaccines by this company and others will be delivered on a continuing basis in 2021. 


Nurses at a London, England hospital simulate the administration of the Pfizer vaccine to support staff ahead of the rollout. This kind of practice is going on in Canada. (Yui Mok/Pool Photo via AP

Provincial and territorial authorities responsible for administering vaccine

The Pfizer vaccine must be kept at ultra-cold temperatures. In order to ensure that, batches will be delivered to 14 urban centres across the country. Systems for delivery and storage are currently being tested in Canada. As health care falls under the jurisdiction of the provincial and territorial governments, it is they who must make arrangements to administer the vaccines. 

Federal authorities have provided guidelines on who should get priority but Trudeau said it will be up to provincial and territorial authorities to decide who goes first according to local conditions.

Indigenous people in remote communities will have to wait

Although Indigenous people have been listed among the more vulnerable, those living in remote communities will not have access to this first batch of Pfizer doses. Those communities do not have the ultra-cold storage capacity. 

This announcement came after the Trudeau government faced allegations that Canada might be among the last developed countries to have access to COVID-19 vaccines because Canada does not have the capacity to make them at home. Trudeau repeated previous statements to the effect that Canadian officials have been shopping for vaccines with several different companies and have secured the “most diverse portfolio” of vaccines of any country.

Trudeau said that while the vaccine news provides hope, he urged Canadians to not let their guard down. He called for people to continue to wear masks, wash their hands, keep social distancing and to avoid gathering.  Many provincial governments have asked people to avoid the traditional Christmas gatherings and to restrict themselves to being only with people living in their own households.

Pfizer to watch Canada’s coronavirus vaccine rollout ‘very closely’ for wastage, Trudeau says

By Rachel Gilmore Global News
Posted December 7, 2020 




Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that his government had “secured an agreement” for early delivery of up to 249,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine candidate in December, with the first shipment of doses set to be delivered next week

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned that the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer will be watching “very, very closely” to ensure that none of their hotly anticipated coronavirus vaccines is going to go to waste.
“You can imagine that any responsible company like Pfizer is going to want to make sure that none of their vaccines are going to be wasted through inability to properly store, transport or administer every single dose of those vaccines, [which] are extraordinarily precious right now,” Trudeau said.

“So they will be looking very, very closely at our ability to do that.”


READ MORE: First coronavirus vaccine shots could be doled out in Canada next week

His comment comes on the heels of the announcement that Canadians could start receiving the Pfizer vaccine as soon as next week – pending its Health Canada approval, which Trudeau said is expected this week.

VIDEO 
Coronavirus: ‘No corners cut’ by Health Canada in approving vaccine candidates, Trudeau says

Trudeau explained that since the vaccine requires two doses, the initial shipment of up to 249,000 doses will be going to the same people – meaning Canada must not only be getting the vaccine doses into Canadian communities but must then ensure those select Canadians that receive the first jab also all get their second shot no more than three weeks later.

“We’re facing the largest immunization in the history of our country,” he said.

“This is no small task, which is why we have a clear plan. Our government, through the national operations centre, has been working with the provinces and territories to ensure we’re ready to roll out vaccine doses as soon as they’re approved and delivered.



Provinces responsible for last leg of coronavirus vaccine rollout

However, Canada can’t receive the coronavirus vaccines until Pfizer is assured the provinces and territories are ready to receive those doses, Procurement Minister Anita Anand said, speaking in the same Monday press conference.

“Before those shipments occur, Pfizer needs to be assured that the provinces and territories are ready, in fact, to receive those doses,” Anand said.

She explained that Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, who is leading the Canadian military’s role in coordinating vaccine rollout logistics, is already working alongside provinces and territories to ensure their readiness.

“Once we are assured of provincial and territorial readiness to receive, then we will be able to pass the baton to the provinces and territories. So the last kilometre, in fact, is with the provincial and territorial jurisdictions and we will carry the baton as far as we can along that line,” Anand said.



Trudeau explained that once these vaccines arrive on Canadian soil, they’ll be distributed on a per-capita basis – meaning provinces and territories will receive equal shares of the vaccines in relation to their population.

“Next week’s distribution will happen through 14 different sites that have been identified across the country, one in each province and two in our four largest provinces,” Trudeau explained.

“This is to be able to initially get doses out to the most vulnerable people, but also to demonstrate and to operationalize what is going to be an incredibly complex mobilization of vaccines across the country.”

Canada has also identified four priority groups who will receive vaccines first: residents and staff at seniors’ residences, Canadians over the age of 70, frontline health-care workers, and adults in Indigenous communities.
Trump to sign Covid order preventing international access until Americans get vaccine

USELESS EXCEPT AS SHARPIE PRACTICE

Order comes days before FDA reviews Pfizer’s emergency authorisation application for vaccine

Graeme Massie
Los Angeles
15 hours ago

Donald Trump is set to sign a Covid executive order preventing international vaccine assistance until Americans have received the shots, a report says.

This comes just days before the Food and Drug Administration meets on Thursday to discuss Pfizer and BioNTech’s application for emergency authorisation of their coronavirus vaccine - three weeks after they filed for it.

The FDA will meet on 17 December to discuss Moderna’s vaccine.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar says that the average American can expect to be vaccinated by the "second quarter" of 2021.

Administration officials told Fox News that international vaccine assistance sould therefore be likely from “late spring, early summer.”

The outgoing president is expected to sign the executive order on Tuesday when he holds a vaccine summit at the White House, according to Fox News.

“The priority is to make sure we distribute these vaccines to Americans before we start shipping them around the world to get international access,” the official told Fox News.

The executive order will identify "who will be working with the international aspect of this, the framework, guides and tools, for when we have an excess supply to meet those demands."

Another official called the vaccines “critical to ensuring the health and safety of our citizens, viability of the economy and the security of our nation.”

An estimated 15.2 million Americans have contracted the virus and more than 289,000 have died of it during the pandemic.

 #COVIDIOTS

Fox hosts call for civil disobedience against coronavirus measures, risking lives with vaccines weeks away

Scott Atlas, the right-wing radiologist who vaulted to power because President Donald Trump liked his Fox News appearances, is no longer guiding the federal government’s coronavirus response from the White House. But Fox’s pandemic coverage in the days following his exit from the administration show that his contrarian views are still in vogue at the network, even as the virus surges across the country.

massive wave of COVID-19 cases is pushing hospital systems past their breaking points and threatening a catastrophic winter death toll, even as the deployment of life-saving vaccines is just weeks away. 

In response, governors across the country are desperately implementing new restrictions on business operations in hopes of keeping as many people alive as possible. But Fox is waging a campaign against the public health measures because of their economic cost to small businesses, denouncing them outright rather than pushing for more federal funding to keep owners afloat.

On Sunday, Fox hosts called for business owners and the public at large to defy the new restrictions, often inaccurately characterizing them as a “lockdown.”

“I want to see a lockdown rebellion,” Steve Hilton said, urging “people” and “business owners all over the country” to “rise up together.” He added, “We got to really push this now. We can't accept this any longer.”

“More and more businesses are coming out and saying, ‘We’re going to defy these lockdowns,’” Pete Hegseth said on Fox & Friends Weekend, asking the owners of a New Jersey gym that had stayed open in violation of the state’s regulations, “What’s your advice to them?” 

The owners said fellow business owners should “fight for your business and fight for your livelihood” by refusing to follow the rules, adding that they should not worry if they lose their licenses because the regulations will eventually be found unconstitutional. Hegseth concluded the interview by saying, “You guys have been heroes throughout this. You provided leadership for so many and inspiration for many.” 

Fox Business host Stuart Varney trumpeted what he called “a growing mood of defiance and revolt” among the owners of restaurants, bars, gyms, and other small businesses later that morning. “I think that revolt may be more organized as we go toward the holiday period” and is “justified,” he added.

Fox kept up that drumbeat throughout the morning on Monday.

“Lockdowns don't work, and lockdowns also have a ramification effect that don't make it worth it in so many ways, and now people beginning to rise up as these lockdowns under another name are beginning to stand out,” Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade offered.

The hosts even touted right-wing law enforcement officials who say they will not enforce coronavirus restrictions. 

“One institution … is applying some common sense,” Hegseth said before airing video of Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County, California, saying that his office will ignore “dictatorial” Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order. “Good for them,” Hegseth commented. 

Kilmeade offered a softball interview to a different California sheriff who says his office won’t enforce the restrictions, Orange County’s Don Barnes. 

This effort will likely continue over the coming weeks, even as COVID-19 deaths rise. Fox commentators lashed out at the “war on Thanksgiving” that public health officials and politicians supposedly waged last month by encouraging people to stay home to stop the virus’s spread. And they’re already gearing up for the Christmas season -- Tucker Carlson said on Thursday that politicians are trying to “cancel” the holiday because they somehow consider it “a threat to them.”

Fox has pushed back hard against public health recommendations throughout the pandemic, warning since March that the “lockdown” cure could be worse than the virus, whose deadliness the network downplayed. Its commentators' bogus narratives won the president’s support, and one of them, Atlas, even came to help lead the federal government’s response. The result has been an untold number of Americans dying unnecessarily.

There is an end in sight. Highly effective vaccines are on the way, with the Trump administration saying that tens of millions will be inoculated by January.

But fewer people will be alive to receive it than could have been.

#COVIDIOT

Trump-loving pastor says COVID-19 vaccine 

is ‘conditioning you’ for ‘the mark of 

the beast’

Published

  

on

 



Pastor Jack Hibbs (Photo: Screen capture)



In a Sunday sermon, California Pastor Jack Hibbs explained that the vaccine for COVID-19 is preparing people for “the mark of the best.”

About a month ago, Hibbs was caught on video sobbing to his flock about the downfall of President Donald Trump’s presidency. The tearful sermon came a month ahead of Trump’s acceptance that he lost the election and ahead of 50 lawsuits.


This time around, however, the Calvary Chapel Chino Hills pastor is scared of the coronavirus vaccine.

“Don’t be tricked in thinking, ‘Oh my goodness, the vaccine is coming and that’s the mark of the beast!’ It’s not the mark of the beast, it’s conditioning you for it,” he explained. “OK? But it’s not the mark of the beast. You’re gonna have a — listen that generation will willfully say, ‘I want the mark! Give me the mark!’ They’re going to want to be loyal to him.”

“Think of it. But we’re being conditioned. Who would have thought that in less than a year we’d be conditioned to whatever we are today as a people,” Hibbs continued, unable to clarify what “we are today” meant. “Who are we? Sit down. Stand up. Stay over there. You know, wash your hands. Put on the mask. Take off the mask. Plexiglass. Can’t do it. Sorry, no surgery for you, it’s not — you can’t have this and you can’t have — and we’re like this.”

He mimicked people standing like soldiers as the audience laughed.


Throughout history pastors have alleged numerous “marks of the beast,” including all vaccines like Polio, Social Security numbers, bar codes, 
and others.
























See the video below:
Trump supporting pastor tells congregation to not take Covid vaccine

Trump-supporting pastor tells followers Covid vaccine is ‘preparing structure for the antichrist’

The pastor is a self-proclaimed apostle and preaches in a Miami megachurch

Namita Singh THE INDEPENDENT 

The pastor of a Florida megachurch has warned his parishioners not to take the Covid-19 vaccine as he claimed it is a part of a plan to prepare "the structure for the antichrist".

Guillermo Maldonado, a Trump-supporting pastor and a self-declared apostle, also said that the coronavirus vaccine will “alter your DNA”

“People, I want you to look at me,” Mr Maldonado could be seen as saying in a video captured by the Right Wing Watch. “That is exactly what is happening with Covid-19. They’re preparing the structure for the Antichrist. How? The vaccine. They’re gonna demand for you to have the vaccine in your passport, otherwise, you will not be able to travel. Because they are preparing the way."

“The vaccines, they are made to alter your DNA. They are made to track you down. Do not [take] the vaccine. Believe in the blood of Jesus. Believe in divine immunity.”

This is not the first time that Mr Maldonado has asked followers to not pay heed to coronavirus related official guidelines. In March, he mocked those who skipped Sunday services, saying that they were caving into fear of the pandemic while suggesting that those who came to services were true and faithful believers. 

“I just want to tell you, I’m so proud of you, that you don’t let the devil and fear cripple you,” Mr Maldonado told congregants gathered at King Jesus International Ministry in Miami. “Do you believe God would bring his people to his house to be contagious with the virus? Of course not... in the presence of God, no virus can stand.”

Mr Maldonado’s sermons, amid a pandemic that claimed over 1.5 million lives globally, carry weight because he is a televangelist and the lead pastor of a 7,000-seat megachurch.

The US has recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases across the world with over 14 million cases including 278,000 deaths.

THE EMPIRE IS THE VIRUS
Delighted to be Doing My Bit': Indian-Origin Man Among First in World to Get Covid-19 Vaccine in UK


Hari Shukla will be among the first people to receive the Covid-19 shot. (Image: Twitter)

The NHS said it is undertaking the biggest and most highly anticipated immunisation campaign in history at 50 hospital hubs, with more starting vaccinations over the coming weeks and months as the programme ramps up after the first set of doses arrived from Pfizer's manufacturing site in Belgium.

NEWS18.COM AUSTRALIA
LAST UPDATED:DECEMBER 08, 2020

An 87-year-old Indian-origin man from the north east of England will become one of the first people in the world to get a vaccine against COVID-19 when he receives his Pfizer/BioNTech jab at a hospital in Newcastle on Tuesday. 

Hari Shukla from Tyne and Wear said he feels it is his duty to receive his first of the two-dose vaccine, a moment UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed as a huge step forward as Tuesday was dubbed V-Day or Vaccine Day in the UK.

I'm so pleased we are hopefully coming towards the end of this pandemic and I am delighted to be doing my bit by having the vaccine, I feel it is my duty to do so and do whatever I can to help, said Shukla.

Having been in contact with the NHS (National Health Service), I know how hard they all work and the greatest respect for them they have a heart of gold and I am grateful for everything they have done to keep us safe during the pandemic, he said. Shukla was notified by the NHS based on the criteria set by the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation as part of a phased rollout plan based on those at the highest risk of death from the deadly virus. People aged 80 and over, care home workers as well as NHS workers who are at higher risk will be first in line to receive the "life-saving jab".

Today marks a huge step forward in the UK's fight against coronavirus, as we begin delivering the vaccine to the first patients across the whole country. I am immensely proud of the scientists who developed the vaccine, members of the public who took part in trials, and the NHS who have worked tirelessly to prepare for rollout, said Johnson. However, the UK PM struck a note of caution to warn that mass vaccination will take time and urged the public to remain clear-eyed and continue to follow the lockdown rules over the winter months ahead.

The NHS said it is undertaking the biggest and most highly anticipated immunisation campaign in history at 50 hospital hubs, with more starting vaccinations over the coming weeks and months as the programme ramps up after the first set of doses arrived from Pfizer's manufacturing site in Belgium. We will look back on today, V-day, as a key moment in our fight back against this terrible disease, and I am proud our health services across the United Kingdom are about to embark on our largest ever vaccination programme, said UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

With over-80s and frontline health and care staff receiving their vaccinations from today, the whole country will breathe a collective sigh of relief as our most vulnerable loved ones start to be given protection from the virus. Now's the time to sit tight and remain patient until you get notified by the NHS that it's time for your vaccination, he said, adding that the light at the end of the tunnel is visible but there is still a long way to go. Since the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine got the green light from the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) last week, the NHS said its workers have been working around the clock to manage the large-scale logistical challenge of deploying the vaccine. Coronavirus is the greatest health challenge in NHS history, taking loved ones from us and disrupting every part of our lives, said Sir Simon Stevens, NHS Chief Executive.


The deployment of this vaccine marks a decisive turning point in the battle with the pandemic. NHS vaccination programmes which have successfully helped overcome tuberculosis, polio, and smallpox, now turn their focus to coronavirus. NHS staff are proud to be leading the way as the first health service in the world to begin vaccination with this COVID jab, he said. The Pfizer/BionTech formula is an mRNA vaccine that uses a tiny fragment of genetic code from the pandemic virus to teach the body how to fight Covid-19 and build immunity. It is delivered in two doses of 21 days apart and, according to experts, it has shown a strong immunity response kicking in after seven days of the second dose. The MHRA has stressed it has been cleared for mass rollout only after rigorous safety tests despite the process being speeded up due to the urgency of finding an effective vaccine against a pandemic which has wreaked havoc around the world.

NHS national medical director, Professor Stephen Powis, has warned that the roll out of a vaccine will be a marathon not a sprint. The Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored at -70C before being thawed out and can only be moved four times within that cold chain before being used. General Practitioners (GPs) and other primary care staff have also been put on standby to start delivering the jab on a phased basis.

Vaccination centres treating large numbers of patients in sporting venues and conference centres will subsequently start up when further supplies of vaccine come on stream, with a bulk of the rollout expected in the early part of the New Year.

THE PANDEMIC IS GLOBALIZATION
UK Grandmother first to receive Pfizer coronavirus vaccine on 'V-Day'

By Harry Bullmore Reporter

Margaret Keenan has become the first person in the world to receive Pfizer's Covid-19 jab as part of a mass vaccination programme

A 90-YEAR-OLD grandmother has become the first person in the world to receive Pfizer's Covid-19 jab as part of a mass vaccination programme.

Margaret Keenan received the jab at 6.31am in Coventry on Tuesday, marking the start of a phased NHS rollout of the vaccine to older people, health staff and care home workers.

Jabs will be administered at 70 hospital hubs across the UK from Tuesday - dubbed "V-Day" by Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

Mrs Keenan, known to family and friends as Maggie, received the jab from nurse May Parsons at University Hospital in Coventry.

Margaret Keenan has become the first person to receive the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine

Mrs Keenan, who turns 91 next week, is a former jewellery shop assistant who retired four years ago.

She has a daughter, a son and four grandchildren.

Mrs Keenan said: "I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19. It's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year after being on my own for most of the year.

"I can't thank May and the NHS staff enough who have looked after me tremendously, and my advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it - if I can have it at 90 then you can have it too.

I don't mind the attention, it doesn't bother me. I'm just happy to have it done.

        "This is a terrible disease so we do want rid of it, so anything that helps is a bonus, isn't             it?"


Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised everyone involved in the vaccine's development, tweeting: "Thank you to our NHS, to all of the scientists who worked so hard to develop this vaccine, to all the volunteers - and to everyone who has been following the rules to protect others. We will beat this together."

The UK is the first country in the world to start using the Pfizer vaccine after regulators approved its use last week.

NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens praised those involved in delivering the new vaccine programme.

"Less than a year after the first case of this new disease was diagnosed, the NHS has now delivered the first clinically approved Covid-19 vaccination - that is a remarkable achievement," Sir Simon said.
 
"A heartfelt thank you goes to everyone who has made this a reality - the scientists and doctors who worked tirelessly, and the volunteers who selflessly took part in the trials. They have achieved in months what normally takes years.

"My colleagues across the health service are rightly proud of this historic moment as we lead in deploying the PfizerBioNTech vaccine.

 
Margaret Keenan

"I also want to thank Margaret, our first patient to receive the vaccine on the NHS."

Mrs Keenan has been self-isolating for most of this year and is planning on having a very small family "bubble" Christmas to keep safe.

Originally from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, she has lived in Coventry for more than 60 years.
She will receive a booster jab in 21 days to ensure she has the best chance of being protected against the virus.

NHS nurse Mrs Parsons said it was a "huge honour" to be the first in the country to deliver the vaccine to a patient.

She said: "It's a huge honour to be the first person in the country to deliver a Covid-19 jab to a patient, I'm just glad that I'm able to play a part in this historic day.

"The last few months have been tough for all of us working in the NHS, but now it feels like there is light at the end of the tunnel."

The NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme will see patients aged 80 and above who are already attending hospital as an outpatient, and those who are being discharged home after a hospital stay, among the first to receive the jab.

Care home providers are also being asked by the Department of Health and Social Care to begin booking staff in to vaccination clinics.

It’s V-Day.

Thank you to everyone who’s made this possible, from @MHRAgovuk clinicians, NHS admin staff, doctors, nurses, everyone who volunteered in the trials & those getting the jab today.

Let’s get this done! pic.twitter.com/fDixTMDXip— Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) December 8, 2020

GPs are also expected to be able to begin vaccinating care home residents.

Any appointments not used for these groups will be used for healthcare workers who are at highest risk of serious illness from Covid-19.

Mr Hancock said that when enough vulnerable people have been vaccinated "then, of course, we can lift the restrictions ... we think that will be in the spring."

Reacting to the footage of Mrs Keenan getting her jab, he told Sky News: "I'm feeling quite emotional, actually, watching those pictures.

"It has been such a tough year for so many people and finally we have our way through it - our light at the end of the tunnel as so many people are saying.

"And just watching Margaret there - it seems so simple having a jab in your arm, but that will protect Margaret and it will protect the people around her.

Margaret Keenan after becoming the first person to receive the Pfizer vaccine

"And if we manage to do that in what is going to be one of the biggest programmes in NHS history, if we manage to do that for everybody who is vulnerable to this disease, then we can move on."

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: "Got a bit of a lump in the throat watching this. Feels like such a milestone moment after a tough year for everyone."

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said today is a "momentous day in our fight against Covid-19".

He tweeted: "There is light at the end of the tunnel. It is crucial we all continue to stay safe by following public health advice. "
As Russia Begins Mass Coronavirus Vaccination, Its Medics Aren't On Board

Skepticism among the medical community will make a nationwide Sputnik V push difficult.

By Pjotr Sauer and Felix Light Updated: 3 hours ago
More than 50 countries have already asked to buy or produce Sputnik V.
Kirill Kudryavtsev / AFP

In early October, as the second wave of Russia’s Covid-19 pandemic gathered strength, the bosses of central Moscow’s Clinic Number 3 instructed their employees to receive Sputnik V, the Russian-developed coronavirus vaccine starting a mass rollout this week.

“I hereby order the vaccination of all staff members,” said the document seen by The Moscow Times and signed by Elena Samyshina, the clinic’s chief doctor and a lawmaker on Moscow’s City Council.

While compulsory vaccination of frontline health, education and social workers is already underway, many of the medical professionals with priority access to Sputnik V are deeply sceptical of it.

The Moscow Times interviewed 12 medics based in the capital, most of whom expressed reluctance — or outright refusal — to take a vaccine that has not yet passed sufficient trials for international clinical approval and was greenlighted based on results from much smaller groups of volunteers than its Western counterparts.

Some said their managers told them they could be sacked for refusing the vaccine.

“We’re being offered the opportunity, or rather forced, to take it,” said Polina, a 23-year-old student doctor who works shifts at Covid hospitals.

“If I had a choice, I probably wouldn’t take it since I don’t trust the vaccine … but I guess I’ll have to do it.”

For many doctors, the central concern is the lack of publicly available information from the vaccine’s developers.

“I’m not saying the vaccine is bad, but I’m not happy with the limited information we have about it,” said Roman Stroganov, a surgeon at Moscow’s Clinical Hospital Number 50 who has been treating Covid-19 patients from the start of the pandemic.

“It has really been pushed on us from above. The doctors who are taking it now need to have clear insurance policies and not to be told the trials haven't even finished yet.”

Polling data suggests such fears are widespread within the Russian medical profession. In August, shortly after the Russian vaccine was first given regulatory approval, a survey by Spravochnik Vracha (Doctor’s Directory) — a medical reference app widely used by Russian doctors — found that 52% of those questioned would refuse to take the vaccine, with only 25% of respondents willing to do so.

These results were echoed in a September study by Doktor na Rabote (Doctor at Work) — a social networking site catering to Russian medical professionals, which found 50% of respondents rejecting the vaccine to 24% expressing openness to it.

5 Questions About Russia's Sputnik V Vaccine, Answered



Phase 3 trials for Sputnik V are less advanced than other vaccine candidates. But as Western pharmaceutical companies started to publish strong results from their mass trials, Moscow responded, pushing out data on the efficacy of its own vaccine within hours of Pfizer's first landmark announcement.

Moscow's analysis, however, was conducted at a much earlier stage of the trials. Russia first published interim results on Sputnik V’s efficacy — calculated by comparing infections among volunteers who were vaccinated with those who were administered a placebo — after it had found just 20 confirmed coronavirus infections. Its latest analysis, which shows a 91.4% efficacy, was based on 39 confirmed cases.

Western pharmaceutical giants had deemed such numbers too small for reliable analysis. Both Pfizer and Moderna, for instance, did not publish interim results until they had more than 90 confirmed infections — and have now published information on 170 and 194 cases, respectively.

Despite the skepticism, more than 50 countries have already asked to buy or produce Sputnik V, and scientists in Britain have said that the early results were "consistent with what we see with other [adenovirus-based] vaccines,"

According to doctors, the Russian medical community’s skepticism reflects specific doubts about the development process behind Sputnik V rather than a general aversion to vaccines.

“Doctors are not anti-vaxxers — I am sure they would be keen to take the Western Pfizer vaccine,” said Yaroslav, a cardiologist and adviser to Russia’s Health Ministry who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The main reason for the distrust of the vaccine is that doctors haven't seen the Phase 3 results yet. The preliminary results have been promising, but without the full data how can we even talk about the quality of the vaccine?”

According to Alexei Levinson, director of the Socio-Cultural Research Department of the Levada independent pollster, medics’ caution over the vaccine is partly rooted in long-term problems, as cuts to the health system over the last decade have alienated staff members.

“There has been a rift between the medical community and the authorities,” he said.

“It started before the coronavirus — over the last decade Russia has made severe cuts to medical staff, which were handled very poorly.”

According to Levinson, the coronavirus has been the final straw for many medics, as their position on the frontline of the pandemic exposed them to the deficiencies of Russia’s healthcare system.

“During the Covid crisis things only got worse, when the Health Ministry and local hospital directors took the side of the authorities when doctors and nurses started speaking out about the dire conditions they were in.”


‘We’re in Hell’: Russia’s Second Wave of Covid-19 Is Catching the Regions Off Guard



The result has been a serious erosion in trust among medical professionals. In July, a Levada poll indicated that 60% of Russian doctors do not believe the official coronavirus figures published by the authorities.

And in a further sign of mistrust, Russian and Belarussian doctors in April launched an unofficial list of their colleagues who have died from the virus.

“Our vaccine doesn’t have, to put it mildly, the best evidentiary basis,” said Pavel Brand, the director of Klinika Semeynaya, a chain of family clinics in Moscow.

“But the total lack of trust toward the Health Ministry also plays a big role. Distrust of Russian-manufactured medicines is growing all the time,” he added.

Even among those doctors who do back Sputnik V, there is a strong feeling that vaccination should not be compulsory for medical staff.

“I don’t see anything to worry about,” said Pavel Korolyov, a urologist at Hospital No. 67 who took part in Sputnik V trials.

“The main thing is to keep this whole vaccination business voluntary.”

Mistrust Grows for Russia’s Coronavirus Vaccine – Poll


Skepticism concerning a coronavirus vaccine is far from unique to Russia. A recent study of global attitudes to vaccines published by The Lancet showed suspicion toward vaccines on the rise across much of the world, posing clear issues for the coming global effort to eradicate the coronavirus.

However, the depth of vaccine scepticism among the Russian medical community is a unique challenge for a nationwide vaccination push.

Though most countries, including the U.K., are planning to rely on doctors — traditionally one of the most trusted professions — to whip up public support for the vaccine, many Russian doctors are unlikely to be willing to front a public relations campaign.

“It says a lot that Russian doctors don’t trust the vaccine,” said cardiologist Yaroslav.

“If we don’t trust it how do we get the general public to trust it?”

Since the August announcement that Sputnik V had received regulatory approval, Russian public opinion has been sceptical of the vaccine hailed as the world’s first anti-coronavirus inoculation.

In October, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported that polling conducted for the ruling United Russia party showed that 73% of Russians were not prepared to take the vaccine.

Levada’s Levinson believes public distrust of the Russian vaccine has deep cultural roots that have been exacerbated by the pandemic.

“Traditionally, Russians prefer foreign medicines over Russian-made ones,” he said.

“This is something that has been ingrained in the mentality for decades. In a pharmacy, the staff will usually recommend a foreign drug over a Russian one.”

Levinson’s research suggests that around two thirds of the Russian population disbelieve official coronavirus figures, believing them to be either exaggerated or understated.

“In this climate, anything that comes from the government is treated with suspicion,” said Levinson.

This sharp decline in Russians’ trust of the state has shown up in international studies. The 2020 edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer — an annual report into how far people trust their fellow citizens — placed Russia 26th of 26 countries for social trust.

Crucially, many Russians do not see the pandemic as serious enough to merit taking a vaccine they regard as suspicious.

With the authorities having shrugged off suggestions of a new lockdown amid the pandemic’s second wave, much of Moscow is functioning as normal, with restaurants and bars open during the day.

“We noticed there is no massive panic around the pandemic,” said Levinson.

“People are thinking about the virus, but life goes on and few are desperate to take the vaccine.”
Rapid rollout

Doubt about the vaccine has even been expressed by prominent doctors fronting the government’s coronavirus strategy.

In October Alexander Myasnikov, head of Russia’s Coronavirus Infocenter, said in a radio interview that the vaccine will not stop the pandemic.

“We don’t know how effective it really is,” he told Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda.

Levinson also believes that Sputnik V’s rapid rollout has further eroded confidence among healthcare workers who have a “professional understanding” of the corners cut during the vaccine’s approval process.

For most of the doctors who spoke to The Moscow Times, many of whom said they had already had Covid-19, the main concern is Sputnik V’s rushed deployment.

“I won’t take the vaccine,” said Lilya, a 23-year-old medical student at Moscow’s First City Hospital.

“I don’t trust it, the risks seem to be bigger than the benefits. None of the doctors I know want to take it.”
Trump administration passed up chance to buy millions of additional Pfizer vaccine doses

By ZEKE MILLER and JONATHAN LEMIRE
Monday, December 7, 2020 9:47PM




Lucy Yang has more on reports that the Trump administration passed up the chance to buy millions of additional Pfizer vaccine doses.


WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration opted last summer not to lock in a chance to buy millions of additional doses of one of the leading coronavirus vaccine contenders, a decision that could delay the delivery of a second batch of doses until manufacturer Pfizer fulfills other international contracts.

The revelation, confirmed Monday by people familiar with the matter, came a day before President Donald Trump aimed to take credit for the speedy development of forthcoming coronavirus vaccines at a White House summit Tuesday.

Pfizer's vaccine is expected to be endorsed by a panel of Food and Drug Administration advisers as soon as this week, with delivery of 100 million doses - enough for 50 million Americans - expected in coming months.

Under its contract with Pfizer, the Trump administration committed to buy an initial 100 million doses, with an option to purchase as many as five times more.

This summer, the White House opted not to lock in an additional 100 million doses for delivery in the second quarter of 2021, according to people who spoke about the matter on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.

Days ahead of the vaccine's expected approval, the administration is reversing course, but it is not clear that Pfizer, which has since made commitments to other countries, will be able to meet the latest request on the same timeline.

The Pfizer vaccine is one of two on track for emergency FDA authorization this month, the other coming from drugmaker Moderna.

The Trump administration insisted late Monday that between those two vaccines and others in the pipeline, the U.S. will be able to accommodate any American who wants to be vaccinated by the end of the second quarter of 2021.

The administration's decision not to lock in additional Pfizer purchases last summer was first reported by The New York Times. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told NBC the administration is "continuing to work across manufacturers to expand the availability of releasable, of FDA-approved vaccine as quickly as possible. ... We do still have that option for an additional 500 million doses."

Seeking to tamp down public skepticism over the vaccine and secure a key component of Trump's legacy, Tuesday's summit will highlight the administration's plans to distribute and administer the vaccine. But officials from President-elect Joe Biden's transition team, which will oversee the bulk of the largest vaccination program in the nation's history once he takes office Jan. 20, were not invited.

The "Operation Warp Speed" summit will feature Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and a host of government experts, state leaders and business executives, as the White House looks to explain that the vaccine is safe and lay out the administration's plans to bring it to the American people.

Senior administration officials provided details on the summit on Monday. An official with the Biden transition confirmed no invitation was extended.

Officials from the pharmaceutical companies developing the vaccines also were not expected to attend, despite receiving invitations, according to people familiar with the matter. Some expressed concerns about the event contributing to the politicization of the vaccine development process and potentially further inhibiting public confidence in the drugs.

Trump is set to kick off the event with remarks aiming to "celebrate" vaccine development, according to an official who previewed the event. Trump also will sign an executive order to prioritize Americans for coronavirus vaccines procured by the federal government. A second official said the order would restrict the U.S. government from donating doses to other nations until there is excess supply to meet domestic demand. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans for the summit.

It was not immediately clear what, if any, impact the order would have on other nations' abilities to access the vaccines. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday he expects his country to receive about 250,000 doses of a vaccine from Pfizer by the end of the year.

The Food and Drug Administration's panel of outside vaccine experts is to meet Thursday to conduct a final review of the Pfizer drug, and it will meet later this month on a vaccine developed by Moderna. The FDA is not required to follow the panel's advice, though it usually does. Agency decisions on the two drugs are expected within days of each meeting. Both have been determined to be 95% effective against the virus that causes COVID-19. Plans call for distributing and then administering about 40 million doses of the two companies' vaccines by the end of the year - with the first doses shipping within hours of FDA clearance.

Biden said Friday that "there's no detailed plan that we've seen" for how to get the vaccines out of containers, into syringes and then into people's arms.

Trump administration officials insist that such plans have been developed, with the bulk of the work falling to states and municipal governments to ensure their most vulnerable populations are vaccinated first. The administration says it has leveraged partnerships with manufacturers, distributers and health care providers, so that outside of settings like veterans' hospitals, "it is highly unlikely that a single federal employee will touch a dose of vaccine before it goes into your arm."

In all, about 50,000 vaccination sites are enrolled in the government's distribution system, the officials said.

Each of the forthcoming vaccines has unique logistical challenges related to distribution and administration. The Pfizer vaccine must be transported at super-cooled temperatures, and comes in batches of 975 doses. Each vial contains 5 doses, requiring careful plannning. The administration has prepared detailed videos for providers on how to safely prepare and administer doses, to be posted after the FDA issues its emergency use authorization.

One such plan is to be announced Tuesday: Pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens have stood up a "mobile vaccination service" ready to vaccinate people in every nursing home and long-term care facility in the country. The roughly 3 million residents of those facilities are among the most vulnerable for COVID-19 and have been placed at the front of the line to access the vaccine, along with more than 20 million healthcare workers. So far 80-85% of the facilities have signed on to the service, the officials said.