TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Yes /Vaccine!

Great news with Pfizer. Vaccine is 90 percent effective. Maybe we can put an end to this madness.
carib cheers all,
doctorj

Yep! I read that early this morning. Very encouraging!!!!!

Only if enough people will take it. I will for sure.

Where is Pfizer stock now?

Just under $40/share. Nothing spectacular,

39.83. Up 3 for today

5 year range is from just under $30 to around $46. It has pretty much been a laggard when compared to the market.

According to one of the "talking heads" on TV, there are storage issues with the Pfizer vaccine and not every medical office or facility will have the extreme cold storage capacity this vaccine requires.

I guess the next question is: Who will be at the front of the line to get a vaccine, once it is approved?

Southshore--you are from Canada, so no idea what will happen there. In the US, reports have been that first responders will be first and then those with underlying health conditions and the elderly.

We have had Pfizer in our portfolios off and on. Never been a great performer for us.

Pretty much the same plan here, I believe. Here's hoping!

I will take it in a heartbeat. There is a positive for being in your sixties!
carib cheers,
doctorj

I'm in the 70's

Great news!

In Canada the recommendation is much the same. In their guidelines, the national advisory body suggested the elderly and the high risk as well as health-care and essential workers should be first in line for a vaccine. For more details see the report in the Toronto Star:
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada...canada-first-formal-advice-released.html

Very encouraged that a vaccine tested with no side effects and possibly will rid us of this nightmare China virus.

Yes we can get it first - and if there are any problems, we're expendable (just kidding, I think?). But I'll be first in line

Population control in a bad way.

Nice! The "little blue pill company" comes through again! My hope is that the vaccine will be readily available to the general public in February if I'm understanding the timeline correctly. Bear in mind this vaccine works with two inoculations spaced 21 days apart. Then, most likely an annual booster the following year. So, a March or April return to SXM is now a reality with hopefully few worries.

Heard projected time frame for getting vaccine is April 2021. We're booked to SXM Feb 28. Won't help us.

It was just reported that front line workers could be receiving the vaccine as soon as next month. After that older people will be near the top of the list.

So as I understand , the vaccine needs to be kept at a -104 deg f temperature. That said don’t hold your breath that it will be widely available in early 2021 .

There are somewhat conflicting reports with regard to the storage. It has to be stored at an extremely cold temperature as initially reported but that may be for longer term storage, based on another report I heard later. Time will tell.

This is fantastic news. I hope to get immunized prior to leaving for St. Maarten in 2 months. Also FDA authorization of Monoclonal Antibody for Treatment of COVID-19...we are making progress 😊👍

I wouldn't hold your breath you getting it in two months. First and second shot is 3 weeks apart and will first go to first responders, medical personnel, people with compromised health issues and elderly in care homes. Those will take up the first two monthly batches released.

At least there is some hope for an SXM trip in 2021 now.

That’s me 😊👍

It is true that the vaccine storage temperature must be -80 celsius, so getting the vaccine at your local pharmacy or doctor's office is unlikely. But hospitals, medical centers, and universities should all have holding facilities for proper storage at a temperature that cold, and IMO those places will become vaccination centers later this winter or early spring. So, stay tuned. Youngest son has told me that this vaccine will apply to people ages 14 thru 89 so I think we're all good there.

What do you mean, to age 89? Both my and Eric's mothers are over 90.

The Phase III efficacy trials did not enroll any adults age 90 or over from what I understand. I don't believe any person age 90 or older would be refused the vaccine, but the effectiveness of it may be less. As we age (me included) our immune systems slowly, progressively begin to slow down and auto immune disorders gradually increase in the elderly. Therefore, the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer (and essentially the same vaccine from Moderna) may be less efficient for older individuals. However, with that said and given the average age of mortality from Covid-19 is 83, I would surely opt for the vaccine for my parents if they were both still alive and over the age of 90.

I heard about the temperature being important which might be an issue for some clinics. There is another method that
is in trials that looks like a bandaid and can be sent to you by fedex, ups etc that you apply yourself and it is absorbed into the skin. It is a mRNA a geno altering technology that changes your DNA code and tricks your body into making an immune response to the virus. Very interesting.

Sammy--OK

Sxmmartini is referring to a micro-needle patch for the vaccine, which continuously injects medicine through 41 tiny needles as you wear it for say 30 days or so. I'm not sure, but this may apply to other Covid-19 vaccines still in development such as the one from AstraZeneca in England. I don't believe the Pfizer vaccine can be delivered in that manner. At this time it looks like the Pfizer vaccine will still require two injections, but I'm fine with that. The cold storage will be a potential issue in more remote locations, but one that can surely be overcome. The temperature of 'dry ice' is negative -78 celsius, so maybe that can be used to keep the vaccine viable while in storage?

Article I read was it needed to be stored at -70C.

Moderna announces today their vaccine is 94.5 effective and can be stored in regular freezers.
carib cheers
doctorj

Yes, that's great news from Moderna. Doctor offices and local pharmacies should be easily able to store the vaccine in their freezers which should help with the eventual distribution. Not one person in the Moderna trials who received their vaccine got seriously ill, either (just minor minor things like injection site soreness, etc.) so no one should be hesitant about getting vaccinated in the upcoming months. The end of this plague is coming into view -- finally.

Only if enough of the populatin get the Vaccine. There are a lot of anti vaxers out there that will keep this covid active if not vaccinated. .