Why Can't We Ease Restrictions As Soon As The Vulnerable Groups Have Had The Vaccine?

[dave50]

If as promised these groups have had the vaccine by the middle of February then we leave another 3 weeks to take effect, why can't we then start to open up the economy in March? Why is there talk of Easter at the best and even summer? What is the hold up? I hope they aren't going to try and wait for zero infections because that will never happen. We will have to get used to it being around for a long time with a few suffering.

[Buenchico]

https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/18960086.coronavirus-restrictions-cant-lifted-50-per-cent-population-vaccinated/

[ToraToraTora]

It's not been ruled out has it?

[bednobs]

no pronouncements have yet been made i think about when restrictions will be eased?

[Ellipsis]

Two reasons:

1) stopping the hospitals being overwhelmed, especially the intensive care units, which are mostly full of people under 60
2) the unknown effects of long Covid through the whole population, even the young

[woofgang]

Because it not just the most vulnerable but ALL the vulnerable which statistically includes everyone over the age of 50 plus people with certain chronic illnesses of any age. Then there is the two weeks post vac 1 before there is protection, then there is the second vac.

[woofgang]

When will I get a vaccine?
Vaccines are being given to the most vulnerable first. A list of nine high-priority groups - which covers about 32 million people including 90-99% of those most at risk of dying - is being followed:
Residents in care homes for older adults and their carers
80-year-olds and over and frontline health and social care workers
75-year-olds and over
70-year-olds and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
65-year-olds and over
16- to 64-year-olds with serious underlying health conditions
60-year-olds and over
55-year-olds and over
50-year-olds and over

[CrapAtCryptics]

Many people under 60 are in very poor shape and therefore at increased risk if they do catch it. Jumping off to early will just result in another surge.

[jourdain2]

I don't see why not. I am in the O.70 and vulnerable group (asthma), still waiting for vaccination, but it is complicated. OH is in his 80s with several vulnerabilities, but has now had both jabs.

As I recall, the whole point of the lockdown was to ease the burden on the NHS (which, quite frankly, should have been able to cope if it hadn't been cut so harshly so we have the fewest beds in Europe - but I digress and this is a point on which we feel strongly, .... however).

Since it is accepted that death rates and bed occupancy should/will decrease due to vaccination I can see no reason why the economy should not open up a.s.a.p.. OH has been vaccinated (2x) so should not occupy a bed, for example. Younger people are less likely to be seriously ill and need hospitalisation, so really can be mostly disregarded.

[tiggerblue10]

Those vaccinated could still catch it with mild symptoms or asymptomatically and pass it on.

[jourdain2]

Tigger - if all vulnerable groups have been vaccinated - it doesn't really matter if the virus is passed on, does it? It will only be passed to groups who will 99.99% only get a survivable disease.

[ToraToraTora]

jourdain: "which, quite frankly, should have been able to cope if it hadn't been cut so harshly so we have the fewest beds in Europe - but I digress and this is a point on which we feel strongly, .... however). " - sneaked in the anti British BS there, nice, thought I wouldn't notice? I'm watching.

[Ellipsis]

> Younger people are less likely to be seriously ill and need hospitalisation, so really can be mostly disregarded.

Wrong. You really ought to read up on this stuff if you're going to make pronouncements like that.

[Old_Geezer]

No reasonable reason. In fact if the vulnerable were sufficiently kept out of harm's way we'd not have needed to contemplate draconian measures at all. The toll on health (both mental and physical) and the economy is unjustifiable. And the precedent of ordering citizens around against their will is an abomination in a free society.

[New Judge]

I have the feeling that the restrictions will not be eased until well into the summer - if that. The notion that it is solely to protect the NHS is stale. Once that's been achieved there will be another reason to retain them. This government has now committed itself to seeing the destruction of large parts of the economy. Simply throwing (borrowed) money at businesses will not keep them alive. They seem intent on retaining the country locked down until (they believe) the virus has been eradicated. They've nothing to lose now - just the mental and physical wellbeing of those fortunate enough not to contract the virus.

The vaccination programme will turn into a fiasco. All the clinical tests to establish its effectiveness were predicated on two shots three weeks apart. Now, ever since Mr Blair suggested it would be better to make it three months, those results are effectively useless. Studies from Israel, where they have given a large percentage of the population their first jab, suggest that the first jab alone provides less that 30% protection. But hey-ho, it will look good.

[jourdain2]

TTT I am most certainly not anti-British. One very staunch Brexiter if you read my history. I deplore the way the NHS has been allowed to dwindle. Having lived in France I know that there are better systems. I very much suspect that the pro-EU partisans have, for many years, allowed the NHS to become an impossible system to maintain. It needs deep root and branch renewal.

My comment is about UK governments who have systematically cut the NHS bed facilities, cut the funding thereof and happily allowed massive spending on non-medical management etc.. All this while they were allowing more and more conditions to be treated free.

The NHS was created as 'free at point of delivery' for our contributing people in need of help, as far as I understand. Not to treat anyone, from anywhere who happens to need medication (obviously there are exceptions there as well). I do take exception to your comment.

[jim360]

Lately, even an iota of possible hint of a scintilla of criticism of the UK, no matter how valid, and TTT's like a dog to a bone. I do wish he'd stop.

[Peter Pedant]

Jim apply quantum theory to TTT's sayings and wise dicta

chi-function (1) when it is very wise and (0) when it is er the usual. and then think of the set of all dicta as a Dirac function - you know scores 0 except at one point. Only you havent found that point yet

there you are - you feel much better

am I constructing an Schrodinger cat, where it always comes out dead? erm yes... possibly

[Ellipsis]

> Now, ever since Mr Blair suggested it would be better to make it three months, those results are effectively useless.

Much though I share your concerns about the Israeli results, I don't think we can blame the old has-been Blair for our choices.

[jno]

NJ, the Israel story has been disputed

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55734257

[barry1010]

My relatives are having their first vaccines on Sunday and their in eleven weeks, then it takes a couple of weeks at least to be fully effective