France returns to lockdown

A snowHead

@pam w, I've not found anything other than a single report, which has not been backed up by anyone likely to know for certain. in fact MHRA advice was

A snowHead

bug I could have bought wine rather than chocolate wink

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I suspect it was just in time. Guess France might suspend AZ too. Read this morning that the fire service in Bouches-du-Rhône have suspended it's use for firemen. Big area inc Marseille.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Thanks for that reassurance, @Hells Bells! snowHead

You'll need to Register first of course.

Just another way of covering up the c*ck up with the supply. Try to put off as many as possible.

Do we have any figures for blood clots from the UK as comparison?

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

These types of risk discussions and risk perception amuse / worry me. (and I mean outside Snowheads)
Let's stop a vaccination program that will prevent several thousand deaths a day because a few tens of people have had a nasty side effect that may or may not be related to the vaccine.

I just hope they don't stop it in the UK until I have had mine.

After all it is free

Classic thread drift, but I would imagine alcohol will help thin the blood and prevent any blood clots. I continue to self-medicate daily and have never had a blood clot. Science.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Or any!

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

40 cases of blood clots shortly after 17 million vaccinations. This is less than the average number of unvaccinated people. It needs investigating.

snow reports

Are they going to suspend the ban on exports of the vaccine as well?

It would be a travesty it they stopped using it and let it go to waste when there are about 6Billion others who would gladly take it.

You know it makes sense.

@brianatab, that won't be a problem. You could probably keep the AZ vaccine in a domestic fridge for 6 months without it becoming ineffective

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

@ecureuil, Maybe, but it's a fair few million doses that could save a few thousand lives in that six months.

A snowHead

Had out shots at 3:30 PM - roughly the same time the ban was announced.
The doc just did them anyway Smile

She said the huge problem was the wastage of vaccine.
Each AZ phial contains 10 doses, and there aren't enough French people coming forwards for the AZ vaccine.
But if she has started a phial she has to use it that day, so she just makes 10 bookings a day ( for anyone who wants one). Interestingly while we were there (about 45 minutes) there were 8 other people at the doctors. Two French people in their mid-late 50s going to see the normal doctor, and 8 Ex-pat Brits (aged 45 -55) including me and Mrs WoC to see the vaccine doctor.
I think that tells a story on its own.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@WindOfChange, can I ask where your doctor is? Do you have co-morbidities etc? I feel I’m missing out!

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I had my first AZ 5 or 6 weeks ago (71 years, Somerset), my side effects were:
I felt as if I was running a temperature - I wasn't; I also had the shivers.
I felt quite light headed - "three glasses of good red wine" type light headed the following morning/early afternoon!
I slept very well the that night.
No stiffness, no strange sensations. The only other thing was that I hadn't felt the needle going in!

edit: Incidentally, my area in Italy (NW corner of Lake Garda) has just started offering 1st jabs to 80 year olds. Pfizer.

You'll need to Register first of course.

I only registered with my doc last week. I asked about vaccination and they said that without comorbidités I wasn't yet eligible, I'm 62. However I said that I was always available should they need anyone at short notice. Last Thursday I got a call offering an appointment yesterday, just in time given the announcements yesterday too. Most there at the same time were older although there was one other Brit who is a bit younger than me.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I'm off to get the La Grave jab this morning as they seem to have more over there than here Laughing

After all it is free

zzz wrote:
@WindOfChange, can I ask where your doctor is? Do you have co-morbidities etc? I feel I’m missing out!

+2

Strange this lack of demand. I was at the doctors last week for something else and asked her about the vaccine roll out. As far as she was concerned it was a lack of supply as she showed me a folder with everyone she has on a waiting list. Our french friends here(40-55 ages) when asked are ready for the jab when called! Allemond have been dishing them out to people already.
The pharmacy in Bourg will be able to vaccine in the next week or so.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

I do not have any co-morbidities (AFAIK), neither Mrs WoC who is much younger than me, and of the other Brits there, I knew 4 of them, all of whom are super fit skiers with no issues (other than not being snowboarders), and the 2 women were both under 50.
Our normal Doctor is in St Jean, which is a hub for vaccination, but is working down through the cohorts.
With DoctorLib you can choose where you go depending on what service you require.
So for example, my drivers medical to get my French license without losing the minibus and 7.5 tonne lorry entitlements I went to a Doctor in Morzine, as I could get an appointment quicker.
Yesterday we went to the Doctor in Chatel for our jabs, she was incredibly pragmatic about not wasting vaccine doses.
She said that while Doctor Lib was good for booking appointments, if you want a vaccine at short notice, just phone round a couple, as they would much rather give the vaccine to a healthy 50 year old, then throw it away.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

I wonder why some people so against having a vaccination against a deadly disease. The Covid death rate in France for example of 134 per 100,000 is catching up to the UKs 189 (put that in perspective that is almost one person in 500 of the UK population died of Corona virus in the last year). Yet the French government appears to want to delay the deployment of vaccines as much as possible.
If we had the vaccine a year ago about 120,000 more people would be alive in the UK today (total number of excess deaths). Against this about 70 people in the UK have suffered a thrombosis type incident divided almost equally between the Pfizer and Astra Zeneca vaccines) out of the 23 million vaccinated and within the normal range of such incidents. To me the sums are quite clear: a 1 in 500 chance of dying of Covid versus a 1 in millions chance of dying of the side effects of a vaccine, if such a thing actually exists.
Norway reported a number of people died shortly after receiving the Pfizer vaccine. The USA is also reporting a tiny number of deaths after a Covid vaccination. These reports are not linked to the Astra Zeneca vaccine, but that people (in Norway’s case old people) often do die.
Clearly there is more afoot here than mere safety concerns. I wonder if the fact that the American company, Pfizer, expects to make $15 billion from its Covid vaccine, yet the EU/UK company Astra Zeneca plans only to sell it at on a not for profit basis has anything to do with the decisions. Pfizer’s share prices has gone up whereas AZ’s has gone down.

snow reports

I think the problem is all the mixed messages denting peoples confidence in it. Some time ago Macron said it's crap then changed his mind. They bought loads and on Sunday Castex said it's fine. Then yesterday following, many, many other European countries Macron suspended it's use. Most of the medics are up in arms about it and the health minister backed it today.

At least I beat that suspension by a couple of hours yesterday afternoon Very Happy

3 months to get sorted before the 2nd.

In other news a new covid variant which may not be detectable with PCR tests has been found in Brittany.

You know it makes sense.

@ Boris...you beat me to it!

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Some very strange things going regarding waiting lists for vaccines here in France. We know of several people in other departments who have been vaccinated, despite not being in the current age bracket. This came about through GPs etc wanting to use all doses from open vials.

We went around a few places local to us today to ask what was going on, and how this might be organised. We were met with a wall of bluster and refusal to answer directly. Eventually, one pharmacist admitted that such a list existed, but refused to say any more. I reckon there is the usual local favouritism going on... bloody frustrating.

A snowHead

@JamesHJ, you mean like La Patronne recognising you in the restaurant and filling up your glass for free? Very French.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

The pill has a much higher incidence of blood clots than AZ and yet it’s been in use for decades...

You need to Login to know who's really who.

@JamesHJ, We called these people : https://www.chatel.com/cabinet-medical.html
They were helpful and gave us appointment over the phone straight away.
Once AZ is back on the French Menu, I'm sure they'll be back in the game.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@Weathercam, Do you have a gut feeling for the summer season?

After all it is free

@ringingmaster, my gut feeling based on what's happened so far, is that we'll go into lock-down soon, and then come out of it just in time for the all-important Summer Holidays and then repeat all over again etc rolling eyes

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@sugarmoma666, Good point. My poor wording. I was thinking of any future actual infection.

Does the speed of your immune reaction make any difference to being contagious ?

A quick immune reaction would presumably keep an actual infection to a very low rate whilst the body fought it off, whereas I was wondering if a slower reaction may allow the infection to reach a higher level in the early stages, thus possibly leaving the person contagious until the immune system can reduce it.

On the other hand, a slower reaction may result in a higher overall immune response, as the body would need to produce proportionately more antibodies.

Assuming of course, that the level of response to the vaccine would be replicated in the event of actual infection.

Help!!

France returns to lockdown

snowHeads Forum Index >>> The Piste