They announced it in January, we did a day later. The U.K. doing it forced it upon them but the U.K. are taking countries on and off. They also appear to be walking away from putting the likes of France on it.
Interesting. They did it and we were forced to do the same thing so. Now the headbangers in the department of health want to use the EU traffic light system as their measure for adding countries to it, which was not flagged previously as far as I can tell.
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I got my zen back after an angry couple of hours this morning but I’m just off a call with some US colleagues and my zen is gone. One of the colleagues was telling us about her trip to the Caribbean last week and the conversation switched to Covid when she mentioned having to get a negative test before she left. 4 of the 5 other people have had their vaccinations only one of which is over 50. They asked me about the situation in Ireland then and when I explained the restrictions we are under now and the fact that we will be under them for at least another month if not 2 they literally didn’t believe me.
I’m fucking seething now.
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PIIIIINNNNNNTTTTTTTSSSSSSS
https://www.facebook.com/NewRossStandard/posts/2178921862238909
Local paper here really took the wrong approach and misread the mood. Young traveller in the town committed suicide and it was obvious from well out that there would be a big funeral for him. Hence why the reporter and photographer went and got their scoop. But really not the funeral to go after or be making a big deal about. A story on the effects of the lack of mental health supports would have been more beneficial or supportive to the family. There is already a lot of tension in the town with travellers in a certain area and messing that goes on, nothing serious or no crimes, just annoying stuff with fireworks and anti social behaviour, so the likes of this wont help ease that.
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How long will the coronavirus vaccines protect you? Experts weigh in.
This electron microscope image made available and color-enhanced by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Integrated Research Facility in Fort Detrick, Md., shows SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, orange, isolated from a patient. (NIAID/NIH/AP)
By
March 29, 2021 at 7:35 p.m. GMT+1
PLEASE NOTE
The Washington Post is providing this important information about the coronavirus for free. For more, sign up for our daily Coronavirus Updates newsletter where all stories are free to read. To support this work, please subscribe to the Post.
You may be among the more than 95 million people in the United States who have taken at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Or you may still be awaiting your turn. Regardless, there’s a crucial question on most of our minds: How long will the vaccine really protect us?
As with most aspects of the virus, the answer is not completely clear. Why? Because although we have been battling the pandemic for more than a year, the vaccines were granted emergency use authorization relatively recently. So experts have not had time to observe their long-term effectiveness.
However, that research is underway, and in the meantime, experts say we can make an educated guess.
How long will vaccine immunity last?
Federal health authorities have not provided a definitive answer to this question.
But based on clinical trials, experts do know that vaccine-induced protection should last a minimum of about three months. That does not mean protective immunity will expire after 90 days; that was simply the time frame participants were studied in the initial Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson trials. As researchers continue to study the vaccines, that shelf life is expected to grow.
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In the real world, the protection should last quite a bit longer, though the length of time still needs to be determined with further studies, experts said.
Your questions about coronavirus vaccines, answered
There are also certain factors that may influence how much protection they provide and for how long.
Chunhuei Chi, director of the Center for Global Health at Oregon State University, said immune responses vary from person to person. People who have a stronger immune response to a vaccine will produce more antibodies and memory cells — and therefore have stronger immunity, he said. But there is not currently evidence to show that a stronger immune response will increase the duration of immunity.
How doctors hope antibodies and convalescent plasma can help fight coronavirus
Researchers believe testing for covid-19 antibodies in plasma can lead to possible treatments for the virus and help indicate when to reopen society. (John Farrell, Jonathan Baran/The Washington Post)
And it does not mean people with a stronger immune response will have more severe side effects from the shots or vice versa, according to a recent survey by the British National Health System.
Immunity could also depend on what happens with future variants. If a person were exposed to a variant capable of evading vaccine-induced antibodies, for instance, a vaccine might not be as effective as initially expected, said Lana Dbeibo, an infectious-disease expert at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
Although researchers do not yet have all the answers, previous knowledge of other coronaviruses, as well as emerging research about the current strain, may provide clues.
Looking at studies on natural immunity from the coronavirus, experts hypothesize that protective immunity from the vaccines will last at least six to eight months. And if immunity from SARS-CoV-2 ends up being similar to other seasonal coronaviruses, such as “common colds,” it is even possible the vaccines could provide protection for up to a year or two before requiring a booster, the experts said.
Can we extrapolate from what we know about natural immunity?
Yes.
In fact, much of this hypothesizing comes from extrapolating data examining immune responses in people who have had covid-19 and illnesses from other coronaviruses, rather than in people who have been vaccinated, said Dbeibo, who is director of vaccine initiatives for Indiana University.
“But vaccine responses should not be less reliable than in natural infection,” she added.
Current research shows that people who have been infected with covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, retained immunity that was robust after eight months. That gives researchers a starting point in predicting how long immunity may last after vaccination, Dbeibo explained.
But research also shows people who had more severe cases developed a stronger immune reaction than those with milder forms of the disease. And because vaccine-induced immunity appears to be more similar to natural immunity that is derived from severe covid-19 infections, researchers say they believe people who take a coronavirus vaccine will be protected better than most people with natural immunity, said David Topham, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Rochester.
All of that said, antibodies will wane. And although it is a gradual process, once antibodies decline to a level that is no longer protective, reinfection is possible. Still, the infection is likely to be milder, experts said.
Topham, founding director of the Translational Immunology and Infectious Disease Institute at the University of Rochester, has been studying the coronavirus and the role of memory B cells — immune cells that persist for a lifetime and produce antibodies when re-exposed to a pathogen that they have been programmed to fight. He said some people who were hospitalized with severe covid-19 infections still had high frequencies of memory B cells, as well as antibodies, up to nine months after infection.
He said memory B cells can even adapt quickly to a new variant, usually within days.
“Even if antibody levels wane and you get reinfected or you get infected with a variant, the memory B cells — if you have enough of them — will respond very quickly and prevent that severe disease,” he said.
Experts are also speculating whether immunity to SARS-CoV-2 will be as durable as with seasonal coronaviruses, which people contract repeatedly throughout their lifetimes. Experts estimate that immunity from those coronaviruses lasts a couple of years, and some experts predict that, in time, that may be the case with the current virus.
“I think this coronavirus is going to become like other seasonal coronaviruses in that you will either be vaccinated or infected as a child, have a mild illness and then when you see it as an adult, you’re going to have some immunity. While it’s not going to protect you from getting infected, the worst you’ll get is a bad cold,” Topham said.
He said covid-19 is severe right now because “adults are seeing this virus for the very first time and have no preexisting immunity.”
So what now?
Experts are still trying to determine how long it will take for antibodies to decrease to the point that they are no longer protective. But once that happens, people will need boosters to remind their immune systems to make more antibodies against the disease, the experts said.
Chi, with Oregon State University, said Pfizer, Moderna and others are conducting clinical trials to determine how long a booster shot will extend protective immunity and to determine whether their vaccines can be tailored to combat new variants of the virus. And Johnson & Johnson is testing a two-dose version of its vaccine.
So far, evidence suggests the available vaccines are still effective against most variants, but that could change if the virus continues to mutate, Chi said. Chi explained that the more prevalent the virus and the longer it takes to vaccinate people against it, the higher the risk of developing mutations that will then make the vaccines less effective. That’s why, he said, it’s urgent to “vaccinate as many people as fast as possible.”
“We are running against time,” he said.
Boris is taking the piss
A little bit of leadership and common sense would go a long way right now.
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Yeah im similar situation. Calls with Americans and other people dotted around the world. I’m too ashamed to admit the situation here. In the early exchanging of pleasantries or small talk they talk about upcoming vacation plans and what they got up to for the weekend. I dont have the heart to tell them we can’t go beyond 5km or else it would confirm all their preconceptions about a populace largely in thrall to higher powers. Cc Catholic Church down through the decades. I dont think it dominates the front pages or news cycle in other countries as much anymore. Maybe in some countries in Europe but I doubt there is a national broadcaster as gung-ho about it as RTE and who at this juncture see fit to show highly evocative adds for shock value.
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they can FOAD
That de Santis lad seems to be the template needed. Rely on established science, natural immunity, vaccines, protect the vulnerable and forget about dreamt up mask and lockdown superstition
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368 cases, game over.
Why only 2 vaccinated people?
It was actually embarrassing seeing their reactions. “You’re kidding right” or just staring open mouthed and shaking their heads. I’m going a little red now thinking of it.
What will you do about it pal? We’ve had 12 months of lads fuming all day every day and I havent seen anyone attempt to do anything proactive.
You’d be mortified explaining it to them.
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The buskers in Cork are adopting to the increasingly cashless world we are now in.
I went for a walk there and they’re was one lad across from Hillbillies accepting Revolut as a form of donation.
You could throw in a few coins/notes or there was a sign saying “ Revolut 087-etc Thank you”
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As far as politicians go he is fairly decent. It’s actually disgusting listening to that utter cunt Chris Cuomo on CNN criticizing him while completely silent on his own brother.
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That’s part of the frustration pal. What can be done about it? I’m not on social media apart from here and if you protest you get branded a right wing nutjob. I’ve been trying to convince friends with varying degrees of success but that’s about it I suppose.
Oh and a load of pissing and moaning too.
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