I posted a comment earlier about #covid19 #vaccines, #SterilisingImmunity and emergence of #variants and it's been pointed out to me (@bealelab @SwaledaleMutton et al.) that some of the points, well the header really, isn't factually correct and/or could be used mischievously. Therefore I will append a clarification that my comments were able the status quo and covid vaccines alone and any other points I thought relevant to ensure my musing can't be misconstrued. The overall point about global vaccine inequities and emergence of variants remains, but

So, to expand further. The programme (ably assembled by @BBCFergusWalsh) highlighted issues of global vaccine inequity. This is undoubtedly a major challenge and will continue to be so.

https://twitter.com/JonathanKBall/status/1491438963357532161

However, we need to adopt a new model of production and distribution. As the programme wonderfully illustrates. GMP manufacturing capability is incredibly imbalanced, with a few places (like US, UK, Europe, China, India) having the lion's share.

I don't know why I (and many colleagues) have to keep saying this but #COVID19 vaccines do not prevent infection and therefore do not prevent emergence of variants. Sub-sterilising immunity through infection or vaccination will drive emergence of variants. Please don't use this line of argument to underpin vaccine equity statements. Vaccine equity is important. Very important. But it should not be argued that fairer vaccine access will protect the world from future infections or variants.

It's great to see that the important role of #technicians in teaching and research is being acknowledged and that measures and policy are being put in play to support them into the future. However, I still think that research councils, universities and research institutions are still ignoring the elephant in the room that is the thousands or short-term contracted research staff, without whom UK research really wood collapse...

Didnt get chance to answer a great Q on @sarahjulianotts show on @BBCNottingham about having #COVID19 #vaccine the starting #immunotherapy. If the therapy is designed to dampen down your immunity, then it might reduce the overall level of immunity that the vaccine produces. But in this case, the therapy will start 14 days after vaccine, by which time immunity has often peaked (with Pfizer, maybe slight increase with AZ after this time). Therefore, the therapy will have very little, if any, impact.

@Psynian 1/n
Not sure I align to his views.
The virus is mutating, there is evidence/suggestion that some of those might change virus behaviour. There’s a spike change (amino acid 614) that increases infectivity of virus when grown in the lab. @Psynian 2/n
But we don’t know if this increases infectivity, disease severity or transmissibility in humans.

Thanks to @JanetDaly5 for flagging this. First animal data from #chadox1 #SARSCoV2 vaccine. Not sterilising immunity, but reduced viral load and pathogenesis, with half dose, BUT very quick challenge 4 week. (recall questioning this previously):
biorxiv.org/content/10.110… 1/n
worth considering these data in detail; and what they might or might not mean

1/n
Really pleased to hear that #nCoV2019 testing will be ramped up in the UK - it wont be easy but it will be worth it.
Heard some concerns about how well a nose/throat swab will work. 2/n
But I think that those concerns can be allayed by thinking about where most of the viral replcaition is taking place in different presentations/stages of the disease.

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One if the reasons we should all do our bit is tgat here in the UK, according to this study:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30857602
There is 1 critical care (ICU/IDU) bed per 10,000 people. 2/n
There are approximately 65M people living in the UK. None of whom will have immunity to #nCoV2019 (except the tiny fraction that have already been infected).