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© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Europe in vaccination race against COVID-19's delta variant
By BARRY HATTON LISBON, Portugal©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
19 Comments
Some dude
That’s an instructive lead photo. At least half the people not wearing masks (or not wearing them correctly).
I sometimes wonder if the human race is genetically programmed to want to wipe itself out.
gaijintraveller
While Japan closes mass vaccination centres, which seem to be the only part of coronavirus handling that Japan actually got right.
virusrex
Which is a fine reason to target overconfidence, specially if it does not negate the reduction of risk from vaccines, targeting it would also help against overconfidence from people that are not even vaccinated.
That is not being done, nobody is being risked by vaccinated, in no population (except those with valid medical exeptions) the vaccines represent a higher risk than the infection, that is the irrational part of the argument.
No, what is false is your reply, as sure as you can't prove it.
Testing was done in the same schedule as other vaccines (including new ones against much better understood diseases) that did not result in any problem, it is completely adequate.
Also, the argument for the emergency authorization is to prove they are a lesser risk than the infection, which is true to this day. Specially because COVID already produces long term effects, even permanent.
Sorry but that is only your own personal opinion not based on any evidence, the scientific consensus is that the vaccines DO reduce the risk from the infection, even in young and healthy people. It is illogical to choose the higher risk for no valid reason.
englisc aspyrgend
Happy Days, you mean you don’t read Beowulf in the original? It’s AngloxSaxon!
albaleo
Is this really a political issue? From what I've read, it's more of a bureaucratic matter. The Serum company which manufactures the AZ vaccine in India hadn't applied for approval to the European Medicines Agency. That approval is required for the EU's travel certificate.
bokuda
nah! Really?!
Vaccinate is the answer?!
Who would imagine that?
englisc aspyrgend
Infection rates had shot up in the UK (though appear to be dropping at the moment) but importantly the hospitalisation and death rates have risen by only a comparative blip. This is mainly down to vaccination levels. 63% have had both shots. There is no doubt that vaccination is the only way out of this pandemic. Politicians must stop playing petty nationalistic politics over this (eg EU refusing to recognise Indian made AZ vaccines for COVID passport but AZ made in Europe ok?).
The photo above does demonstrate why there is so much spread in Russia, could not believe so many in close proximity, indoors and so little mask wearing.
N.M.
There are more active cases now than in 2020, so the danger is actually higher.
More active cases = higher chances of mutations, more mutations = higher chances for the virus to develop resistance against the current vaccines.
That's why the vaccination campaign is actually a race against time: we need the reproduction number to get below 1 everywhere. Currently, even though about 60% of the UK population has been inoculated, the reproduction number is still above 1.1.
virusrex
That is why I wrote "appear", the people perceive very differently the disease this year thanks to the advances in treatment and specially safe and effective vaccines. But the need for control is as high as before if not more.
What study? a lot of time people end up completely misrepresenting references, sometimes even saying the opposite of what the authors concluded.
The one that is scary and hurts people is the pandemic, your "solution" would mean more unnecessary deaths only because of fantasy based conspiracy beliefs.
There is evidence, just not conclusive, because very effective vaccination makes it very difficult to compare the danger with the previously prevalent strain. And no, antivaxxers with their false and misleading campaings are the ones that try to inspire fear, science based interventions inform and have been actually correct.
If you are not vaccinated you represent a higher risk for others, that is a scientific conclusion, not something any single person says.
Unvaccinated people are a threat to everybody else, much minor to vaccinated people, but there are obviously some patients that can't be vaccinated for valid reasons (more than their imagination) for which the dangers are very real. The scientifically verifiable decrease of risk of new variants is another extra benefit from vaccines.
Vaccines have been tested to the standards used in previous vaccines without problem, and they reduce the risk of complications and death, that is a perfectly logical reason.
Doc
Wash, Rinse,, Repeat….
Defund the ECDC before they ending up scaring and hurting more people.
Doc
“There is still no evidence that the supposed “delta variant” is any more of a threat than the original iteration of covid, but this is not stopping governments from rolling out the fear campaign once again. With assertions that the delta variant may still infect vaccinated people, governments are suggesting that lockdowns, masks and social distancing stay in place for the foreseeable future. One has to ask that burning question: Why become a guinea pig for an untested mRNA vaccine when it is no guarantee of freedom, nor a guarantee of health safety?
Fauci’s position is that if you are not vaccinated with the experimental mRNA cocktails, then you are a risk to others. Yet, if this is the case then that means the vaccines are useless. If unvaccinated people are a threat to vaccinated people, then what use are the vaccines in the first place?
Hell, why take an untested vaccine when the death rate of covid is so small it effects less than 0.26% of the population outside of nursing homes?”
https://alt-market.us/the-covid-cult-has-been-slowly-killing-americas-economy-and-theres-not-much-time-left/
Wick's pencil
Vaccinated people can still transmit, but many think they can't which makes this overconfidence quite dangerous.
That's right, the dangers of vaccines are very real. We should not risk the health and life of the young and healthy for the few who can't vaccinate.
That is false. Testing was rushed and long term effects are not yet known. They have only been authorized for emergency use.
Not for young healthy people. It is perfectly logical for young healthy people to not get the vax.
virusrex
We are no longer in the same situation as in 2020, so the dangers seems lower, but in medicine nothing is written in stone, so the experts are justified in trying to reduce as much as possible the risks for the population and the best tool identified for now is immunization.
Slickdrifter
What variant and or- variants are coming next? Delta variant and Delta plus variant.
Doctors would have you believe (below).
It’s not unusual for a virus to mutate and evolve as it spreads, and scientists have long cautioned that other worrisome variants could emerge with new outbreaks.
In India, researchers observed mutations separate from delta in a sublineage of the virus that they dubbed “delta plus.” While it has not yet been designated a variant of concern by the WHO or the CDC, cases involving delta plus have been reported in 11 countries, including the U.S. It's not yet clear, however, if delta plus carries additional risks or is associated with increased transmissibility.
Still think this pathogen is not engineered virology weaponized?
What shall we name the even more stronger variants yet to mutate?
As this SARS pathogen continues to change its proteins and genetic make up?
Names anyone?
B.1.1.7 (the variant first seen in the United Kingdom)
B.1.351 (the variant first seen in South Africa)
P.1 (the variant first seen in Brazil)
The bottom line I guess.
All viruses mutate, including the new coronavirus. Several new variants of the coronavirus have recently been identified.
These variants differ from earlier versions of the coronavirus in that they’re transferred faster between individuals.
Some, such as the B.1.351 variant, first seen in South Africa, may also affect immunity and vaccine effectiveness.
Research into the currently identified coronavirus variants is a rapidly evolving area of study. Additionally, new variants will be detected as the coronavirus continues to circulate.
Right now, one of the best things that you can do to protect yourself from the coronavirus and its variants is to get vaccinated.
Be sure to talk with your doctor about when you’ll be eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Commodore Perry
Dear Russian People,
Wear masks on escalators when in close proximity to others.
Thank you.
Happy Day
Englisc (what kind of name is that?)- Delta is only 1/23rd as lethal as original strain, according to study in England.
Regardless, I think you vaccinate the vulnerable, offer it to others, and then get on with life.
FizzBit
Wow. Three straight days of “delta variant” stories.
What did Yoda say? Be afraid…be very afraid…
Was that Yoda? I can’t remember exactly. I do recall Yoda scruntching up his face and saying “you should be”, now that was funny. Anyway, back to Yoda, has anyone seen those YouTube videos of the Australian guy? Ozzie man I think his name is. Boy is he funny, especially the one with the rabbit attacking the snake where he references Yoda. Check it out. Oh wait! Was this about the Delta Shmelta variant? Ooops.