covid-19

I get that, but you can't argue with it can you? Because its right, as I was right since about June last year when I started speaking about vaccine contracts on this thread, let alone from January when discussions became heated.

So yes I feel entitled to keep making the point that this was right considering how much odure certain people here chose to fling through months of lies and insults on this subject. When I get things wrong I have the dignity to put my hands up and acknowledge it. So since there's been no closure here I'll have some fun here instead.

We had some people here so illiterately arguing that the EU spending less than the UK did on vaccine procurement, or signing contracts three months later, had no impact on vaccine procurement.
We even had some people here with such a lack of basic integrity that they were defending outright lies that the EU had caught up with the UK on distributing vaccines.
Look how that has turned out now? It really shouldn't be difficult to put hands up and admit that was a lie, even get outraged that they'd been lied to rather than defend it.

If we can make fun of Lewk for his idiocy defending lynchings, I think I can make fun of those who spent months defending those who squandered the opportunity to invest in vaccines then lied about it - and haven't got the self-respect or integrity to admit they were either talking bullshit or suckered into lies.

That things are going better now though is definitely good news, it is good to see people eventually doing the right thing even if it took months and tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths per week to catch up.

There's plenty of things to argue with wrt your finger pointing, I just agree that cost is no object when it comes to covid vaccination. But even there I want to argue and take on the whole ethical question of vaccine nationalism just because you're being obnoxious.

If you don't like how someone isn't telling you they're sorry, just ignore them. I certainly have chosen not to engage with some people here because I don't find it a meaningful exchange. Feel free to do the same.

I don't like vaccine nationalism either, I've said it is repugnant to block vaccine exports from legally signed contracts (something some people here have entertained, not me) and I've not had a dig against Israel or the USA or any other nation that chose to invest in vaccine procurement. Nationalism hasn't caused these issues, and there should be no schaudenfreude from others suffering - but the the issue as was raised months ago were that certain nations chose to penny pinch on vaccine procurement. Had the EU spent the same levels the USA and UK did per capita the whole world would be in a much better position now.

I'm capable of ignoring people, but I find it more entertaining right now to get the final words in showing just how right I was and just how wrong they were. Even if it comes across as a bit obnoxious, even if they're not big enough to respond, hopefully they'll read it and get the point. ;) Certain people have had no objection to being obnoxious themselves, even when defending outright lies. The problem is there's an echo chamber online in some places with fake news merchants like Tucker Carlson, Dave Keating etc and certain people here got sucked into believing their lies.

Anyway, away from that discussion and entirely unrelated, it was nice to see two significant landmarks reached in the UK. Fifty percent of the population vaccinated and one fifth of the population with both doses.
https://i.ibb.co/yycGPBW/image.png
https://i.ibb.co/jwqjFyV/image.png

Age range for vaccination eligibility has been lowered again now to 42. Won't be long now, fingers-crossed, until I'll be eligible.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wiggin

RB, I don't even disagree with your basic point all that much (though I haven't bothered to check the truth of the underlying assumptions), but the self-congratulatory and passive aggressive way in which you make it makes me want to argue with you.

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Didn't you get the memo?

The UK Can Do No Wrong (TM)

https://bestanimations.com/media/uk/...cons-gif-4.gif

A comparison to Freddie? I can live with that!

Dave Keating—former editor of The Economist's EuropeanVoice—with an update on the vaccine passport discussion:

Twitter Link

Haven't had time to read the doc yet.

Though that's a rather dry Tweet this time, Comedy Dave Keating has as much integrity as Tucker Carlson. Its funny to see you quote from him. :haha:

Though even in that Tweet, Comedy Dave trying to equate the EU with the US Congress is rather amusing. It will be interesting to see the next set of elections to the European Senate Council. :haha:

Twitter Link

I wonder if Comedy Dave has heard of the seventeenth amendment?

WSJ reporting AstraZeneca's application for EUA authorization—initially expected to be completed by mid-April—is now expected to be delayed until mid-May, presumably due to the growing complexity of the submission:

AstraZeneca Struggles With Data Needed for Covid-19 Vaccine’s Approval

Quote:

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AstraZeneca PLC executives have struggled to pull together the full data necessary to apply for U.S. approval of its Covid-19 shot, according to people familiar with the matter, further delaying its efforts to secure the Food and Drug Administration’s go-ahead.

The company said last month that it would apply for what is known as emergency use authorization for its vaccine by mid-April. It has recently told U.S. officials it might need until mid-May to finish its application for an FDA review, according to one of these people.

[...]

An AstraZeneca spokeswoman said this week that the company is progressing in its preparation of the FDA submission but declined to give a timetable.

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Article touches on the signaling aspect, but I don't believe it is as consequential—from a global perspective—as they're making it out to be, given the demand for all covid vaccines (including Sputnik's and SinoVac's); desperation is a powerful motivator. Don't really think this is all that good for Janssen/J&J either.

Just got a text inviting me to an appointment, going tomorrow morning. :)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E0KrN_oW...name=4096x4096
Fascinating map. What the hell is going on in Sweden?

Covidiots were banging on about Sweden for ages, but I haven't heard anything about them for a while. Remarkable to contrast Sweden with the rest of Scandinavia.

Also interesting to see even though national borders aren't shown on this map there's certain nations that really pop out. Portugal have got this right down now too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RandBlade

Just got a text inviting me to an appointment, going tomorrow morning. :)

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:up:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RandBlade

Just got a text inviting me to an appointment, going tomorrow morning. :)

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Good news. Enjoy!

Oh, my advice is to take some paracetamol beforehand.

Yeh, paracetamol.

12 hours or so after the shot we were both fairly wiped out. Aches, chills, eventual headaches, fatigue, brain-fog. Jab arm was particularly sore. Eventually took paracetamol which helped matters.

24 hours later pretty much back to normal.

2nd shot in.

Thanks for the advice. I don't have any paracetamol in, I normally have ibuprofen in, does it make a difference? Might pick some up on the way if it does.

Glad you got your 2nd shot Fuzzy :)

No difference ibuprofen or paracetamol here.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Timbuk2

24 hours later pretty much back to normal.

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Took a few days for me, was far worse after the second than the first.

Kids had their second doses today.

Definitely glad to have it done, though. Particularly since even the half-ass measures we had here have now been eliminated.

Brussels-based American-European journalist—and former editor of The Economist Group's European Voice newspaper—Dave Keating with more details on the proposed covid status & vaccine passport scheme:

Twitter Link

Click through for thread. Especially interesting is this claim:

Twitter Link

If true, EU citizens who have either been vaccinated or been verified covid positive in the past will be free to travel between EU member states without having to quarantine—but so will people who have tested negative within the past few days, which is a significant loophole.

The scheme is intended to be used for travel only, but can be expanded by member states, should they choose to implement it for domestic use:

Twitter Link

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/30/u...ravel-ban.html

Remember when Biden called Trump xenophobic for his China travel ban? ;)

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Originally Posted by Lewkowski

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/30/u...ravel-ban.html

Remember when Biden called Trump xenophobic for his China travel ban? ;)

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https://www.politifact.com/factcheck...ump-xenophobi/
Cause fuck context, right?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ominous Gamer

https://www.politifact.com/factcheck...ump-xenophobi/
Cause fuck context, right?

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Remember when 40.000 americans came home from China after the ban?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewkowski

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/30/u...ravel-ban.html

Remember when Biden called Trump xenophobic for his China travel ban? ;)

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Remember when infection and death rates just kept going up while Trump was in office but have nose-dived now that Biden is President?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LittleFuzzy

Remember when infection and death rates just kept going up while Trump was in office but have nose-dived now that Biden is President?

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You actually don't really think this - but on the off chance you were that stupid:

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tra...ilytrendscases

Obvious trend line going down, and do you really think Biden's day 1 shit actually are what caused covid deaths to drop? Come on.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewkowski

You actually don't really think this - but on the off chance you were that stupid:

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tra...ilytrendscases

Obvious trend line going down, and do you really think Biden's day 1 shit actually are what caused covid deaths to drop? Come on.

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No you're right. Biden started before day 1 because a certain toddler was too busy with throwing his toys out of the pram to be distracted by trivialities like actually rolling out the vaccine.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ominous Gamer

https://www.politifact.com/factcheck...ump-xenophobi/
Cause fuck context, right?

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You need to post this as an image, preferably as a cartoon. Lewk doesn't read.

Careful easing of restrictions in Belgium:

Twitter Link

Some more details:

https://euobserver.com/coronavirus/151544

Some of these changes, combined with human nature, will likely lead to a small surge among working-age adults as well as teens over the next few weeks. 80% of Belgians over 65 are expected to have gotten their first dose of a covid vaccine by the end of the week, but coverage among working-age adults is obv. much lower, and schools reopening will increase their likelihood of exposure.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lewkowski

You actually don't really think this - but on the off chance you were that stupid:

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tra...ilytrendscases

Obvious trend line going down, and do you really think Biden's day 1 shit actually are what caused covid deaths to drop? Come on.

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I think it's clearly a stronger claim than your attempted blast at Biden.

Got the 1st Pfizer dose today.

Excellent news. :) :up:

Twitter Link

Context:

https://apnews.com/article/drug-comp...be007f8887bcf6