New rapid vaccination strategy for the worst local outbreaks

McMackem

Master Merger
Staff member
Resources are being diverted to Moray (principally Elgin and Nairn) where the weekly rate is in the high 90's per 100K. Everyone over 16 is being offered the jab now. With rates in many areas down to single figures is this now a clever new strategy weapon? Seems unfair at one level, but we know the virus loves to travel. Bolton currently I believe has the only rate over 100 in the UK - should the same happen there, given it may delay the finish of the overall rollout a little elsewhere?
 


Resources are being diverted to Moray (principally Elgin and Nairn) where the weekly rate is in the high 90's per 100K. Everyone over 16 is being offered the jab now. With rates in many areas down to single figures is this now a clever new strategy weapon? Seems unfair at one level, but we know the virus loves to travel. Bolton currently I believe has the only rate over 100 in the UK - should the same happen there, given it may delay the finish of the overall rollout a little elsewhere?
It will keep changing , it's only Bolton at the minute, will be another place this time next week.
 
It's not actually Bolton as a whole, it's only South Bolton, so how many under 40s would that be ? No idea really, 40k perhaps ?
 
I think that makes sense. The rate we are going it looks like all adults will be offered vaccinations before the end of June anyway, so you are only talking a few weeks. Throw the effort into where it is mostly needed.

Some may say "waaa, it is not fair, I'm older, I was in the queue first". But we are talking about potentially stopping people dying, going into hospital or suffering the consequences of long covid. I think it is fairer to vaccinate those people who are most at risk, over those who present a low risk. It might mean we are a bit whack-a-mole with our response, but both ways we have them all with one jab by the end of June anyway, so it is only a short term urgent response.
 
It sounds good in theory, but in practice I am not sure it would work.

From what I have seen, most of the areas where there are peaks at the moment appear to be down to very localised clusters - ie. a school or a factory where it is running rampant, rather than widespread community transmission. They tend to flare up and then recede quite quickly once people are in isolation.

The vaccine takes weeks to have any significant affect and its obviously months before the second dose is given and the best immunity achieved, by which time the problem is somewhere else.

This obviously might change as we open up more and more, allowing more community transmission.
 
The Moray case may be unique, only time will tell - they can't link it to a local outbreak and it has been well out of line (up to 10 times the surrounding areas) for some time. Bolton seems to have flashed up and may disappear back down as quick and quicker than vaccinating everyone, but there is that band of places across from Barnsley to Doncaster-ish that have had higher rates than anywhere else in England for a long time now, so that may or may not be worth looking at.
 
It’ll prove to be ineffective.

Vaccines take 21 days to take affect. Deploying them in high case populations risks giving them to people infected.

I’m not a Dr, but if the vulnerable have had their vaccine then they should ignore everybody else and lock them down.
 
Like when you finish your dinner, but there is still food on your plate and you seem to still be eating? But, there was not as many chips as before so it is as good as done?
😊It's done. The casualties stats will back this up over the coming months.
 
Bolton (or the part of the problem) now at 133. It doesn't cry out to me that this would be the correct reaction, small population like Moray a different proposition. But that is very very high in current terms, nearly 20x Sunderland's rate for example. There is a band across from Bolton towards Hull that has struggled throughout for some reason. Picking up the pace there may make sense as it doesn't look like a short term difference. Derry has struggled too for a long time.
 

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