Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine receives full FDA approval

[Dhersh]

Not grilling you. Just stating an observation.

I thought it was a fair observation. In fact, I wanted to find out why. I looked at the CDC's data and they state that their numbers can be artificially low after weekends (checks day of the week) due to zero days, and there are 2 zero days currently in the last 7. We can both agree that people died of COVID on those days.

You stated recently in this thread that you don't like to trust the government or media because they can create confusion or skepticism. You got your info from CDC and mine came from Google (and thus NYT), so let's move away from those. Johns Hopkins states that there have been 13,484 COVID-19 deaths in the past week. That equates to ~1,926 per day (unofficially, they note that this number may be low due to under reporting on weekends).

 

[GbrNole]

Wonder if that is where we are seeing the intersection of the most at risk who are also not isolating at all any more.

i'm sure it's a variety of things. regular consistent levels of care returning to nursing, assisted living and long term care facilities may be a decent contributing factor in reducing the death toll in those over 75?

given that the report commissioned by the CDC placed immune response at 83.2% in May 2021 for combined vaccinated and natural immunity and the CDC most recently reports that 93.2% of the US 65+ population has had at least one dose of vaccine, I was surprised that the 65-74 age group had not had a level of success similar / same as the older populations?

 

[ChiefWB]

My 8 year old will be the very first in line as soon as they say go.

Just got our 5 year old signed up for his flu shot and will be in line for the Covid vax as soon as his pediatrician gives the thumbs up.

 

[Dhersh]

Just got our 5 year old signed up for his flu shot and will be in line for the Covid vax as soon as his pediatrician gives the thumbs up.

It will be so convenient once they combine all the coronavirus vaccines into one.

 

[PopsNole]

Announced this AM that Pfizer is safe for 5-11 year olds. I wonder if parents in 2021 will do what their great grandparents did nearly 70 years ago when they marched their kids down to get Dr. Salk's miracle vaccine?

Kids in my family will be getting it.

 

[goldmom]

Kids in my family will be getting it.

I hope my son gets his kids vaccinated. He had a run in with the Delta variant and spent the weekend lying in bed with some sniffles and a fever. So glad he's vaxxed.

 

[FisherWilcoxTaggart Survivor]

SHOCKED that Pfizer has announced that Pfizer's own kid-vaccine is safe. Wow....who would have expected that???? How convenient.

Funny to see people blindly swallow this completely self-serving announcement.....I'll wait for someone who at least PURPORTS to be objective to give it a thumb's up. Hell, I'm so crazy I might even have my own doctor opine on the "data" that no one has yet seen.

 

[PopsNole]

SHOCKED that Pfizer has announced that Pfizer's own kid-vaccine is safe. Wow....who would have expected that???? How convenient.

Funny to see people blindly swallow this completely self-serving announcement.....I'll wait for someone who at least PURPORTS to be objective to give it a thumb's up. Hell, I'm so crazy I might even have my own doctor opine on the "data" that no one has yet seen.

It still has to be approved for emergency use by the FDA.

 

[Dhersh]

SHOCKED that Pfizer has announced that Pfizer's own kid-vaccine is safe. Wow....who would have expected that???? How convenient.

Funny to see people blindly swallow this completely self-serving announcement.....I'll wait for someone who at least PURPORTS to be objective to give it a thumb's up. Hell, I'm so crazy I might even have my own doctor opine on the "data" that no one has yet seen.

Can I ask why you sound so aggravated about a press release that we all knew would occur? Perhaps we should not overreact positively OR negatively. May I recommend one of the many FDA approved chill pills?

 

[FisherWilcoxTaggart Survivor]

Can I ask why you sound so aggravated about a press release that we all knew would occur? Perhaps we should not overreact positively OR negatively. May I recommend one of the many FDA approved chill pills?

Not aggravated at all. Just funny to see the sheep blindly falling in line, without any objective or reasoned analysis. Maybe this is the greatest thing ever.....there's just no impartial evidence upon which to base that belief/conclusion.

Forge on, in whatever way we all deem best.

 

[ChiefWB]

SHOCKED that Pfizer has announced that Pfizer's own kid-vaccine is safe. Wow....who would have expected that???? How convenient.

Funny to see people blindly swallow this completely self-serving announcement.....I'll wait for someone who at least PURPORTS to be objective to give it a thumb's up. Hell, I'm so crazy I might even have my own doctor opine on the "data" that no one has yet seen.

You come across as a disappointed antivaxxer. The truth is this is one small step. But to some it is good news nonetheless. Sorry you feel differently.

 

[ChiefWB]

Forge on, in whatever way we all deem best.

I don’t believe you actually feel that way or your op wouldn’t have been necessary.

 

[FisherWilcoxTaggart Survivor]

You come across as a disappointed antivaxxer. The truth is this is one small step. But to some it is good news nonetheless. Sorry you feel differently.

I am anything but an antivaxxer. I was vaxed as soon as I eligible to do so. I find the mask-wearing and “remote” stuff to be fairly comical — and inconsistently applied — but whatever.

Aside from all of that, and I generally ask myself “what is this person’s (or entity’s) motivation to say _____?” In the case of Pfizer and the instant announcement, that’s pretty easy (for me) to diagnose.

If the Pfizer announcement pleases or comforts you and others, that is wonderful. Everyone has to find whatever path gives them the most peace of mind in the current environment.

 

[Dhersh]

Not aggravated at all. Just funny to see the sheep blindly falling in line, without any objective or reasoned analysis. Maybe this is the greatest thing ever.....there's just no impartial evidence upon which to base that belief/conclusion.

Forge on, in whatever way we all deem best.

I think there are a lot of people who care a lot about the state of the pandemic, and moments like this offer a real, visible step in the right direction. One thing that is fascinating to me is that we are watching science play out in real time in a highly transparent way, the likes of which we have never seen before. Things are constantly changing, and there are certain events that can help alter the course of the pandemic. For people who care deeply, this might cause anticipation while the process takes time to play out, and some might be eager to celebrate when progress can finally be seen.

 

[ChiefWB]

I am anything but an antivaxxer. I was vaxed as soon as I eligible to do so. I find the mask-wearing and “remote” stuff to be fairly comical — and inconsistently applied — but whatever.

Aside from all of that, and I generally ask myself “what is this person’s (or entity’s) motivation to say _____?” In the case of Pfizer and the instant announcement, that’s pretty easy (for me) to diagnose.

If the Pfizer announcement pleases or comforts you and others, that is wonderful. Everyone has to find whatever path gives them the most peace of mind in the current environment.

It was a press release. Much like the one back in December. And who else is going to release it? It’s their study. Most reasonable people realize there are other steps in the process and everything will be reviewed. But it is good news as it beats hearing the trials were a massive failure. So yeah, it pleases me.

 

[FisherWilcoxTaggart Survivor]

I don’t believe you actually feel that way or your op wouldn’t have been necessary.

I actually feel that way 100%. If someone is worried about Covid and wants to stay home (or wear 2 [or 5] masks), that’s fine with me….it does not really impact me at all.

Likewise, if that same person wants to sit near me in a restaurant or at a football game, that also won’t impact me. I am taking care of my own welfare, and assume others are doing the same.

 

[FisherWilcoxTaggart Survivor]

It was a press release. Much like the one back in December. And who else is going to release it? It’s their study. Most reasonable people realize there are other steps in the process and everything will be reviewed. But it is good news as it beats hearing the trials were a massive failure. So yeah, it pleases me.

I am pleased that you are pleased.

 

[F4Gary]

SHOCKED that Pfizer has announced that Pfizer's own kid-vaccine is safe. Wow....who would have expected that???? How convenient.

The Pfizer billionaire fund must be running low...

 

[fsufool]

I think there are a lot of people who care a lot about the state of the pandemic, and moments like this offer a real, visible step in the right direction. One thing that is fascinating to me is that we are watching science play out in real time in a highly transparent way, the likes of which we have never seen before. Things are constantly changing, and there are certain events that can help alter the course of the pandemic. For people who care deeply, this might cause anticipation while the process takes time to play out, and some might be eager to celebrate when progress can finally be seen.

I have no doubt the vaccine is safe. And adding this on to the already 71 vaccination schedule for kids 0-18 is probably not a big deal. But, there are a lot of medical experts, ethicists, epidemiologists, etc. that question the need to vaccinate a group that doesn't get sick or hospitalized for the most part from this virus.

 

[ChiefWB]

that question the need to vaccinate a group that doesn't get sick or hospitalized for the most part from this virus.

There may be merit to that. My mindset is it sure beats having resources we greatly lacked 18 months ago. We had virtually nothing to protect against this thing, which continues to evolve. I hope we keep pushing the science and don’t get caught with our pants down again.

 

[fsufool]

There may be merit to that. My mindset is it sure beats having resources we greatly lacked 18 months ago. We had virtually nothing to protect against this thing, which continues to evolve. I hope we keep pushing the science and don’t get caught with our pants down again.

You are not getting any argument here from me. Vaccine is a godsend and done amazingly quick too. We got very lucky here.

 

[Dhersh]

The Pfizer billionaire fund must be running low...

I don't think they have anything to worry about 😉

 

[Dhersh]

Aside from all of that, and I generally ask myself “what is this person’s (or entity’s) motivation to say _____?” In the case of Pfizer and the instant announcement, that’s pretty easy (for me) to diagnose.

I spent 28 years of my life being in the bracket of people who ask that question, with 100% skepticism of what is going on. I would still consider myself skeptical of most large enterprises and I heavily scrutinize their statements and actions. It should be that way, particularly in this day and age when companies can hold so much power and influence so easily.

But over the past three years, I've had the pleasure of working with two Fortune 100 companies who, as far as I'm concerned, want to do things right. This is not to say they are perfect. Wall Street creates a lot of issues including corporations who put profit above everything else. Make no mistake, my current company is hoping to increases their bottom line during this pandemic.

But as far as pharmaceutical companies go, imo, Pfizer is pretty darn good. Yes they have had their issues and like I said before they are not perfect. But imo the current leadership at the company is leading the enterprise in a positive and ethical direction, and has created a fantastic culture within the company as well.

Anyway, I wish people would recognize that these companies working to fight COVID are doing their best and stepping up at a time when they are truly needed, because they know they are the ones who can help during a global pandemic. There is a time and place to criticize these large enterprises. I understand, but I don't think this is one of those times.

 

[goldmom]

The kids might not get "sick" but they get COVID and carry it around like little Petri dishes. Giving it to parents and grandparents.

 

[ChiefWB]

The kids might not get "sick" but they get COVID and carry it around like little Petri dishes. Giving it to parents and grandparents.

And eventually if this thing is allowed to evolve, kids could be the target of a mutation. Nothing but good news if all segments of a population are capable of being protected by a vaccine.

 

[fsufool]

The kids might not get "sick" but they get COVID and carry it around like little Petri dishes. Giving it to parents and grandparents.

Who should be vaccinated...........I'm sorry but we are all going to be in touch with this virus............already in Florida it is estimated that 60%+ of people have been infected.

 

[fsufool]

Who should be vaccinated...........I'm sorry but we are all going to be in touch with this virus............already in Florida it is estimated that 60%+ of people have been infected.

Covid by the numbers:
2.8% of those 85 years old or older have died of Covid representing 28% of all cases
1.2% of those 75-84 have died of Covid representing 27% of all cases or a cumulative 55% for 75+
.5% of those 65-74 have died of Covid representing 22% or a cumulative 78% of all cases for 65+
Getting numbers of nursing home deaths is very difficult as many states don't track it and when they did it was very convoluted.
35-40% of Covid deaths are estimated long term care residents
Estimates are 10-15% of LTC residents died of Covid
There is a strong correlation between Dementia (all forms) and dying with Covid

.0006% of under 18 died of Covid for comparison representing .06% of all cases Almost all of those unfortunate souls had multiple health issues.

Clearly, the government wants to vaccinate as many children as possible and if I was a parent of an under 12 child, I would be hard pressed to not do that. But, there are many that don't think this is a step our country should go to right now, given the numbers above.

 

[GeddyLee09]

I spent 28 years of my life being in the bracket of people who ask that question, with 100% skepticism of what is going on. I would still consider myself skeptical of most large enterprises and I heavily scrutinize their statements and actions. It should be that way, particularly in this day and age when companies can hold so much power and influence so easily.

But over the past three years, I've had the pleasure of working with two Fortune 100 companies who, as far as I'm concerned, want to do things right. This is not to say they are perfect. Wall Street creates a lot of issues including corporations who put profit above everything else. Make no mistake, my current company is hoping to increases their bottom line during this pandemic.

But as far as pharmaceutical companies go, imo, Pfizer is pretty darn good. Yes they have had their issues and like I said before they are not perfect. But imo the current leadership at the company is leading the enterprise in a positive and ethical direction, and has created a fantastic culture within the company as well.

Anyway, I wish people would recognize that these companies working to fight COVID are doing their best and stepping up at a time when they are truly needed, because they know they are the ones who can help during a global pandemic. There is a time and place to criticize these large enterprises. I understand, but I don't think this is one of those times.

In most cases I would agree with you but this is an odd case. People are skeptical about something that should be fairly cut and dry, why is that? Make no mistake these companies making the vaccines are making money, alot of it. And will continue to profit from added vaccines, boosters and vaccines for new variants. A little over a year ago it would have been unthinkable to be able to produce these so quickly. The speed at which these vaccines rolled out is source for concern as even the "experts" said early on that this would take years. Politicians at high levels questioned if they would take a vaccine produced under the previous admin. Now they have mandates forcing the same jab. The media managed to politicize the pandemic at the vary onset which divided and scared people. Now the same media uses that same fear tool to further separate the public into deniers, anti vaxxers and many other monikers to further divide the population. Data about numbers of cases and deaths are questioned from the agencies that are supposed to track them. Certain media outlets report higher numbers some report lower numbers all with a caveat and footnote but the data rarely adds up.

I think people just don't believe the message and its not going to improve with age in this case. It will only get worse. BTW I've had the shot.

 

[fsufool]

In most cases I would agree with you but this is an odd case. People are skeptical about something that should be fairly cut and dry, why is that? Make no mistake these companies making the vaccines are making money, alot of it. And will continue to profit from added vaccines, boosters and vaccines for new variants. A little over a year ago it would have been unthinkable to be able to produce these so quickly. The speed at which these vaccines rolled out is source for concern as even the "experts" said early on that this would take years. Politicians at high levels questioned if they would take a vaccine produced under the previous admin. Now they have mandates forcing the same jab. The media managed to politicize the pandemic at the vary onset which divided and scared people. Now the same media uses that same fear tool to further separate the public into deniers, anti vaxxers and many other monikers to further divide the population. Data about numbers of cases and deaths are questioned from the agencies that are supposed to track them. Certain media outlets report higher numbers some report lower numbers all with a caveat and footnote but the data rarely adds up.

I think people just don't believe the message and its not going to improve with age in this case. It will only get worse. BTW I've had the shot.

I am all for the vaccine and think everyone over 12 should get it. But, let's be honest, as you said above people not getting the vaccine are just looking for excuses and the governments reaction to the pandemic gave them plenty.

The government shut down a good part of our economy for several months without a thought to how that would effect folks. 10s of millions of Americans were severely financially impacted by this decision that ultimately did nothing to stop the spread (yes it slowed it down but as soon as people starting to congregate together it started right back up) as the experts at major universities told the politicians would happen.
They wasted time and PPDs trying for universal precautions for an entire society instead of focusing on older folks and nursing home residents who were greatest at risk.
They pushed masks on people knowing that the science wasn't there to back it up creating the whole political BS going on to this day. Why not just say we suggest wearing masks or it can't hurt or wear a mask when you are mixing with older people?
They curtailed education, forcing it into the homes for a good amount of people, overloading already pushed to the limit parents and children. (Closing the schools in the spring of 2020 was probably a good call, but they should have been opened in the fall).
They wasted political capital arguing with a President over issues that should never have been mandated alienating a sub-group of people.
They called anyone (and actually censored many) that disagreed or pointed out the actual science as anti-science or stupid. Can't think of a better way to alienate people than that, can you? Orwell would be proud!

So when the one thing we know can work (vaccines), showed up in record time, many Americans had lost all trust in the government and public health officials.

And the worst of all this is we don't seem to have learned any lessons yet. Will we use what we know for the next one????

 

[Dhersh]

There are a few things that allowed vaccines to be available so quickly.

• The amount of money and resources being pooled together at a global scale. This cannot be understated. We have never seen a global effort like this to combat a virus.
• Science and all things related are more advanced than ever. One example of this is mRNA vaccines, something which has been in development for decades. These particular vaccines can be made rapidly after a virus is discovered. Literally the only thing "holding up" the process of making an mRNA vaccine is being able to make a look alike of the virus. Once you have the virus, you can make the vaccine.
• Less important but still relevant, SARS-CoV-2 is so similar to SARS-CoV that they literally just stuck the number 2 after the name. They were able to take what they had learned about SARS-CoV and apply much of it to SARS-CoV-2.

People seem to always circle back to issues with the government or distrust with the media. Yes, there are things that we wish could have been done differently, but I'm not here to talk about that. Pharmaceutical companies are not the government, yet for some reason in this case, government decisions reflect poorly on the vaccine.

And one more thing about financials. As I said before, all of these companies expect to make money from this, but Pfizer was the only company to turn down $2B in federal funding to create a vaccine. Pfizer put it's own money on the line, and imo that says something.

 

[fsufool]

There are a few things that allowed vaccines to be available so quickly.

• The amount of money and resources being pooled together at a global scale. This cannot be understated. We have never seen a global effort like this to combat a virus.
• Science and all things related are more advanced than ever. One example of this is mRNA vaccines, something which has been in development for decades. These particular vaccines can be made rapidly after a virus is discovered. Literally the only thing "holding up" the process of making an mRNA vaccine is being able to make a look alike of the virus. Once you have the virus, you can make the vaccine.
• Less important but still relevant, SARS-CoV-2 is so similar to SARS-CoV that they literally just stuck the number 2 after the name. They were able to take what they had learned about SARS-CoV and apply much of it to SARS-CoV-2.

People seem to always circle back to issues with the government or distrust with the media. Yes, there are things that we wish could have been done differently, but I'm not here to talk about that. Pharmaceutical companies are not the government, yet for some reason in this case, government decisions reflect poorly on the vaccine.

And one more thing about financials. As I said before, all of these companies expect to make money from this, but Pfizer was the only company to turn down $2B in federal funding to create a vaccine. Pfizer put it's own money on the line, and imo that says something.

Now if we can only get all those freakin commercials off of TV.

 

[Dhersh]

Now if we can only get all those freakin commercials off of TV.

Side effects may include:

Constipation, Skin rash or dermatitis, Diarrhea, Dizziness, Drowsiness, Dry mouth, Headache, Insomnia, Nausea, Abnormal heart rhythms, Suicidal thoughts, Internal bleeding, Cancer, Fever, Fatigue, possibly due to anemia, Heart disease, Muscle and joint stiffness, Loss of appetite, Low sex drive, Dry mouth, Moodiness, Vomiting, Infertility, Hearing impairment, Dry or sore skin, Brittle and flaky nails, Infection, Inflammation, Loss of function, Nerve damage and Scarring.

These are not all the possible side effects.

 

[GbrNole]

There are a few things that allowed vaccines to be available so quickly.

• The amount of money and resources being pooled together at a global scale. This cannot be understated. We have never seen a global effort like this to combat a virus.
• Science and all things related are more advanced than ever. One example of this is mRNA vaccines, something which has been in development for decades. These particular vaccines can be made rapidly after a virus is discovered. Literally the only thing "holding up" the process of making an mRNA vaccine is being able to make a look alike of the virus. Once you have the virus, you can make the vaccine.
• Less important but still relevant, SARS-CoV-2 is so similar to SARS-CoV that they literally just stuck the number 2 after the name. They were able to take what they had learned about SARS-CoV and apply much of it to SARS-CoV-2.

People seem to always circle back to issues with the government or distrust with the media. Yes, there are things that we wish could have been done differently, but I'm not here to talk about that. Pharmaceutical companies are not the government, yet for some reason in this case, government decisions reflect poorly on the vaccine.

And one more thing about financials. As I said before, all of these companies expect to make money from this, but Pfizer was the only company to turn down $2B in federal funding to create a vaccine. Pfizer put it's own money on the line, and imo that says something.

they were able to make the vaccines so rapidly because a Chinese scientist from the Wuhan lab uploaded the gene sequencing data for COVID in early January 2020.

we could already plug and play with viral vector vaccines. mRNA didn't provide anything novel in that regard, it was just a different delivery system. mRNA is also a delivery system that Moderna, as recently as 2018, was having a real issue in not killing its test subjects when using it. Too low a dose wasn't providing a therapeutic effect, too high of a dose or repeated use was causing toxicity. No mRNA drug had ever made it past stage 2 of clinical trials prior to COVID. This is all well reported by STAT news.

 

[ChiefWB]

More positive news.

Veklury® (Remdesivir) Significantly Reduced Risk of Hospitalization in High-Risk Patients with COVID-19

FOSTER CITY, Calif., September 22, 2021--Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced positive results from a Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a three-day course of Veklury® (remdesivir) for intravenous (IV) use for the...

finance.yahoo.com

 

[goldmom]

they were able to make the vaccines so rapidly because a Chinese scientist from the Wuhan lab uploaded the gene sequencing data for COVID in early January 2020.

we could already plug and play with viral vector vaccines. mRNA didn't provide anything novel in that regard, it was just a different delivery system. mRNA is also a delivery system that Moderna, as recently as 2018, was having a real issue in not killing its test subjects when using it. Too low a dose wasn't providing a therapeutic effect, too high of a dose or repeated use was causing toxicity. No mRNA drug had ever made it past stage 2 of clinical trials prior to COVID. This is all well reported by STAT news.

Wasn’t that the holdup for use of mRNA all along? Uncertainty about the proper dosage level for efficacy and thus the two dose approach for both Pfizer and Moderna? Otherwise we would have seen it used already. I understand it will be incorporated into flu shots now,

 

[GbrNole]

More positive news.

Veklury® (Remdesivir) Significantly Reduced Risk of Hospitalization in High-Risk Patients with COVID-19

FOSTER CITY, Calif., September 22, 2021--Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced positive results from a Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a three-day course of Veklury® (remdesivir) for intravenous (IV) use for the...

finance.yahoo.com

hopefully the shorting dosing sequence eliminates the renal failure problems being seen in the longer dosing sequence.

 

[GbrNole]

Wasn’t that the holdup for use of mRNA all along? Uncertainty about the proper dosage level for efficacy and thus the two dose approach for both Pfizer and Moderna? Otherwise we would have seen it used already. I understand it will be incorporated into flu shots now,

yep dosage and toxicity from repeated use are why it never made it past phase 2 prior to COVID.

 

[Dhersh]

Moderna CEO released a statement where he said that at a global scale, things can return to normal by mid-2022. They will have enough vaccine so that everyone can get a dose “in a year,” and added that those who do not get vaccinated will likely “immunize themselves naturally.”

Moderna is is testing a vaccine optimized for the delta variant. This form of the vaccine will form the basis of booster shots in 2022.

 

[MagNoleA]

Wasn’t that the holdup for use of mRNA all along? Uncertainty about the proper dosage level for efficacy and thus the two dose approach for both Pfizer and Moderna? Otherwise we would have seen it used already. I understand it will be incorporated into flu shots now,

Did you like the show Marcus Welby, M.D.? I found it very intriguing.

 

[flmom777]

I think there are a lot of people who care a lot about the state of the pandemic, and moments like this offer a real, visible step in the right direction. One thing that is fascinating to me is that we are watching science play out in real time in a highly transparent way, the likes of which we have never seen before. Things are constantly changing, and there are certain events that can help alter the course of the pandemic. For people who care deeply, this might cause anticipation while the process takes time to play out, and some might be eager to celebrate when progress can finally be seen.

Transparent is not a word I would use.