The COVID-19 pandemic

[plam]

I'm of the mind that at this stage, the vaccine passport is no longer effective as a carrot, especially since it isn't used to track booster status where it might have otherwise had a longer life as an incentive for people to get boosted. Outside of that, then, it has to be evaluated in its effectiveness at lowering community spread. With omicron, it would seem to be less useful in that function, although perhaps it has more benefit in higher risk settings like long-term care homes.

And unfortunately the booster mandate runs into the NACI recommendation to not boost until 3 months after infection, which means that 4 million Ontarians can't get boosted yet. It kind of sucks.

I wish we could have halved the number of unvaccinated 12+ with NZ-style vax rates, but wishing doesn't get us very far.

[danbrotherston]

I'm of the mind that at this stage, the vaccine passport is no longer effective as a carrot, especially since it isn't used to track booster status where it might have otherwise had a longer life as an incentive for people to get boosted. Outside of that, then, it has to be evaluated in its effectiveness at lowering community spread. With omicron, it would seem to be less useful in that function, although perhaps it has more benefit in higher risk settings like long-term care homes.

Then maybe the passport should include boosters...i.e., if you qualify for a booster but don't have one, your passport is invalid.

[danbrotherston]

And looks like vaccine passports are gone.

Because our government is pathetic and run by those who pander to extremist anti-vaxxers.

This statement just gives more fuel to the real wacko anti-vaxx types. The vaccine passport exists to limit spread by keeping the more transmissible people out of enclosed areas. 

Omicron has changed this math and as a result, the passports have outlived their usefulness. Keeping them around protects almost nobody and only makes people more irritated and less compliant with the overall rules.

I don't see how...or rather, I don't see how that matters, those wackos don't care about reality.

I don't think Omicron has changed anything, contrary to popular opinion in this forum, we know the vaccine (with a booster) significantly reduces transmission of the virus.

Also, that isn't the ONLY purpose of the passport. It is also to encourage people to get vaccinated. And that is obviously still an issue. The idea that it's "no longer useful as a carrot" (stick really), is only because the end of the policy was announced. That should never have happened.

And as for how you need to know that it doesn't actually matter to rabbid folks, they still threw a toddler in the grocery store level tantrum about it in Ottawa even though it was announced to be over.

[plam]

I'm of the mind that at this stage, the vaccine passport is no longer effective as a carrot, especially since it isn't used to track booster status where it might have otherwise had a longer life as an incentive for people to get boosted. Outside of that, then, it has to be evaluated in its effectiveness at lowering community spread. With omicron, it would seem to be less useful in that function, although perhaps it has more benefit in higher risk settings like long-term care homes.

Then maybe the passport should include boosters...i.e., if you qualify for a booster but don't have one, your passport is invalid.

Unfortunately we literally can't do that while conforming to NACI recommendations (no booster 3 months after infection) because so many of the Omicron cases didn't come with any proof. It sucks.

[jeffster]

Just in case people are looking for the free rapid tests - The Pharmacy on King (across from King Edward) in Kitchener has supplies. Got mine today (was offered, actually). Will use if I feel sick.

[JoeKW]

The vaccine passport seems to have outlived its usefulness so it's probably time to put it aside. We should also probably stop requiring the vaccine for work outside of specific instances (working with the vulnerable or kids under 5)

[jeffster]

Current 7-day Covid-19 cases per 100k

• Northwestern Health Unit 547.5
• Porcupine Health Unit 409.9
• Thunder Bay District Health Unit 373.4
• Algoma Public Health 295.4
• Public Health Sudbury & Districts 243.2
• Chatham-Kent Public Health 208.8
• Lambton Public Health 181.0
• Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit 176.0
• Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit 172.7
• North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit 172.6
• Timiskaming Health Unit 171.3
• Hastings Prince Edward Public Health 165.6
• Windsor-Essex County Health Unit 157.9
• Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health 146.7
• Renfrew County and District Health Unit 138.1
• Niagara Region Public Health 137.1
• Middlesex-London Health Unit 130.0
• Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit 128.0
• Grey Bruce Health Unit 124.8
• Huron Perth Public Health 118.1
• Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit 118.0
• Eastern Ontario Health Unit 116.4
• Southwestern Public Health 113.0
• Peterborough Public Health 105.4
• Ottawa Public Health 105.2
• City of Hamilton Public Health Services 102.0

• Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services 97.5

• Durham Region Health Department 95.3
• Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health 94.6
• Brant County Health Unit 89.6
• Peel Public Health 88.9
• Halton Region Public Health 84.2
• Toronto Public Health 82.1
• York Region Public Health 73.3

• TOTAL ONTARIO 115.8

[ac3r]

Novavax - the only vaccine being produced in Canada - was finally approved for use in adults: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronaviru...-1.5785244

The vaccine has interesting technology which sets it apart from other mainstream vaccines: https://www.nebraskamed.com/COVID/moths-...cine-works

This vaccine may be particularly useful in developing nations due to the fact it does not require highly specific refrigeration. Hopefully the factory in Montreal can begin producing ASAP and distribute it to countries in need as part of the worldwide COVAX campaign.

[jeffster]

Novavax - the only vaccine being produced in Canada - was finally approved for use in adults: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronaviru...-1.5785244

The vaccine has interesting technology which sets it apart from other mainstream vaccines: https://www.nebraskamed.com/COVID/moths-...cine-works

This vaccine may be particularly useful in developing nations due to the fact it does not require highly specific refrigeration. Hopefully the factory in Montreal can begin producing ASAP and distribute it to countries in need as part of the worldwide COVAX campaign.

This might help some of the anti-vax (who really are anti-mRNA) folks to get the vaccine. I'd give it 6 months before they start injecting themselves, just to ensure safety (after the Astra-Zeneca fiasco).

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/s...bunit.html

Claims that it is 90% effective against illness, and 100% effective against serious illness. If this holds true, it would be significantly better than anything we have right now, and might be good enough for everyone to feel good about lifting restrictions entirely.

[danbrotherston]

Novavax - the only vaccine being produced in Canada - was finally approved for use in adults: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronaviru...-1.5785244

The vaccine has interesting technology which sets it apart from other mainstream vaccines: https://www.nebraskamed.com/COVID/moths-...cine-works

This vaccine may be particularly useful in developing nations due to the fact it does not require highly specific refrigeration. Hopefully the factory in Montreal can begin producing ASAP and distribute it to countries in need as part of the worldwide COVAX campaign.

This might help some of the anti-vax (who really are anti-mRNA) folks to get the vaccine. I'd give it 6 months before they start injecting themselves, just to ensure safety (after the Astra-Zeneca fiasco).

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/s...bunit.html

Claims that it is 90% effective against illness, and 100% effective against serious illness. If this holds true, it would be significantly better than anything we have right now, and might be good enough for everyone to feel good about lifting restrictions entirely.

The mRNA vaccines were equally effective as that when they were tested as well. The virus mutates and our anti-bodies reduce over time so the effectiveness drops.

Lifting restrictions isn't directly related to the effectiveness of the vaccine, it should be related to the effects of the virus on our society--are people getting sick, is our healthcare system struggling, etc.

[jeffster]

This might help some of the anti-vax (who really are anti-mRNA) folks to get the vaccine. I'd give it 6 months before they start injecting themselves, just to ensure safety (after the Astra-Zeneca fiasco).

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/s...bunit.html

Claims that it is 90% effective against illness, and 100% effective against serious illness. If this holds true, it would be significantly better than anything we have right now, and might be good enough for everyone to feel good about lifting restrictions entirely.

The mRNA vaccines were equally effective as that when they were tested as well. The virus mutates and our anti-bodies reduce over time so the effectiveness drops.

Lifting restrictions isn't directly related to the effectiveness of the vaccine, it should be related to the effects of the virus on our society--are people getting sick, is our healthcare system struggling, etc.

Hence why I used the word "If". And if it holds true that it IS 100% effective against serious illness, despite mutations, then it's a game changer. And since it's a standard vaccine, the blowhards can stop complaining. But, yeah, a lot of "Ifs". In including "If" the vaccine doesn't have serious side effects like the Astra-Zeneca one. Hopefully it's as good as they claim.

[jeffster]

Current 7-day Covid-19 cases per 100k

• Northwestern Health Unit 505.3
• Porcupine Health Unit 411.1
• Thunder Bay District Health Unit 370.1
• Algoma Public Health 292.7
• Public Health Sudbury & Districts 215.6
• Chatham-Kent Public Health 202.2
• Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit 173.1
• Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit 170.9
• Timiskaming Health Unit 168.3
• Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health 166.4
• Hastings Prince Edward Public Health 163.8
• Lambton Public Health 163.4
• North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit 161.1
• Windsor-Essex County Health Unit 148.8
• Niagara Region Public Health 133.1
• Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit 132.4
• Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit 127.6
• Grey Bruce Health Unit 124.2
• Middlesex-London Health Unit 121.2
• Eastern Ontario Health Unit 120.3
• Renfrew County and District Health Unit 113.2
• Huron Perth Public Health 112.3
• Southwestern Public Health 108.3
• Peterborough Public Health 106.8
• Ottawa Public Health 106.2
• Brant County Health Unit 97.3
• City of Hamilton Public Health Services 95.8
• Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health 92.0
• Durham Region Health Department 89.3

• Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services 87.1

• Peel Public Health 80.1
• Halton Region Public Health 76.6
• Toronto Public Health 74.4
• York Region Public Health 67.2

• TOTAL ONTARIO 109.9

[ac3r]

Hence why I used the word "If". And if it holds true that it IS 100% effective against serious illness, despite mutations, then it's a game changer. And since it's a standard vaccine, the blowhards can stop complaining. But, yeah, a lot of "Ifs". In including "If" the vaccine doesn't have serious side effects like the Astra-Zeneca one. Hopefully it's as good as they claim.

I'd be curious to know how many anti-vaxxers get this vaccine considering it has a different technology than the rest which are approved here. But sadly, I doubt it'll convince many people. Anti-vax people are dumb...very dumb
...like not even knowing how to tie your shoes dumb. Not knowing left from right dumb. Not knowing you need to drink water to survive dumb. These people are truly stupid. They'll still invent new reasons as to why Novavax will in fact kill everyone on the planet or how it's some great conspiracy which alien Reptilians and pharmaceutical companies are using it to turn us all into gay communists with dark skin or some other nonsense. There's always going to be a portion of the population we can't connect with and at this point it's pointless to really care about them. Dumb is dumb...just be content knowing these kind of people are able to cross the street without causing chaos.

I think this vaccine has more importance to the world in regards to distribution logistics. At this point, it's not the crack baby anti-vax conspiracy freaks with 7 brain cells left who we need to worry about. Those kind of people are too far gone to bother with. Instead, vaccines like this may become useful tools in vaccinating the developing world or nations where they may not have great access to sophisticated refrigeration (Mongolia or Bolivia, for example, where much of the population lives in rural areas). The more people vaccinated who live in harsher environments the better, because it means fewer chances of concernable mutations occuring.

[plam]

It turns out that Novavax may in fact be quite effective vs infection with Omicron. This didn't get much play back in December, but I saw that someone read a paper and pointed out that the manufacturer was really bad at PR (and was having trouble with logistics for production, which was also holding back approval).

I think I would quite like a Novavax booster. I hope that having had a Moderna booster won't make it harder for me to access the Novavax booster. (And I even went and told NZ about it. Maybe I shouldn't have. But hey, if one has enough resources one can always get boosters in the US regardless of what one has already.)

Lifting restrictions isn't directly related to the effectiveness of the vaccine, it should be related to the effects of the virus on our society--are people getting sick, is our healthcare system struggling, etc.

Well, it's indirect, but a more effective vaccine absolutely means that the virus will have fewer effects on our society. If we can get people to take it. I mean, I'll get in line as soon as I can, but we really do depend on other people getting the vaccine as well.

There are antivax and there are vaccine hesitant. The antivax are going to use motivated reasoning to find new reasons not to trust Novavax. Objectively, there are just as many reasons to not trust it (different ones) than to not trust the mRNA vaccines. It might sway some of the few remaining vaccine hesitant.

Easier distribution will help a lot too, though there are other vaccines out there (not in Canada) that are easier to distribute as well. And the mRNA vaccines have gotten easier to distribute as they're relaxed the initial cold chain requirements, which were quite strict.

[JoeKW]

I'm hoping my mother in law would be willing to take this vaccine but it's only a matter of time before some scare-mongering headline scares her away from this one too.