[HN Gopher] The Spectator Fact Checking The New York Times
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       The Spectator Fact Checking The New York Times
        
       Author : dustinmoris
       Score  : 6 points
       Date   : 2021-01-02 21:43 UTC (1 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (twitter.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (twitter.com)
        
       | LatteLazy wrote:
       | It's not a real fact check.
       | 
       | UK gov hasn't decided whether they will "mix and match". They
       | also haven't decided yet whether they will open schools in 35h
       | time. They were 100% certain theur would be no Christmas lockdown
       | 4h before announcing Christmas lockdown.
       | 
       | The spectator used to be a respectable right wing outlet. But
       | since brexit, it's gone full foxnews.
       | 
       | The NYT (which is the right of where the spectator was a few
       | years ago and hardly "liberal" by the British definition) is
       | correct there will be mixing. The government themselves only
       | decided what circumstances would need to be for mixing a few
       | hours ago. They only decided that when dozens of experts
       | (including their own advisors) publically said it was a bad idea
       | to mix so they rowed back from anything goes. Apparently it
       | hadn't occurred to them to even ask.
       | 
       | Once again, policy by uneducated dictat. Now with political
       | coverage by bs claims of "fact checking".
        
         | alisonkisk wrote:
         | To be fair, it goes both ways. The UK gov said "if you can't
         | get a second dose of one vaccine, get another vaccine because
         | that's probably better than nothing, while we run studies on
         | the effectiveness of such" and the NYT and other left wing
         | outlets ran articles stirring up outrage, finding scientists to
         | "slam" (modern infotainment media's favorite word for "disagree
         | no matter how slight") the UK for "making decisions based on
         | zero evidence", pushing the Follow the Science narrative that
         | has sadly become more of a religion than an actual scientific
         | method.
        
           | LatteLazy wrote:
           | Originally they said:
           | 
           | >Each person's second dose must be from the same manufacturer
           | as their first dose [1]
           | 
           | That's from the instructions to the doctors schuding and
           | giving the doses.
           | 
           | That was on 30/12.
           | 
           | On 31/12 new guidance buried in the chapter 14a of the "green
           | book" said:
           | 
           | >If the course is interrupted or delayed, it should be
           | resumed using the same vaccine but the first dose should not
           | be repeated. There is no evidence on the interchangeability
           | of the COVID-19 vaccines although studies are underway.
           | Therefore, every effort should be made to determine which
           | vaccine the individual received and to complete with the same
           | vaccine. For individuals who started the schedule and who
           | attend for vaccination at a site where the same vaccine is
           | not available, or if the first product received is unknown,
           | it is reasonable to offer one dose of the locally available
           | product to complete the schedule. This option is preferred if
           | the individual is likely to be at immediate high risk or is
           | considered unlikely to attend again. In these circumstances,
           | as both the vaccines are based on the spike protein, it is
           | likely the second dose will help to boost the response to the
           | first dose. For this reason, until additional information
           | becomes available, further doses would not then be required.
           | [2]
           | 
           | So we're still waiting for what the actual rule is. In the
           | mean time, rather than saying "I'll get back to you" various
           | ministers have insisted on both and a whole set of various
           | levels in between. Including saying you can mix and match and
           | that's A-OK! Something not supported by the links above.
           | 
           | It it makes you feel any better, the UKs current Conservative
           | government is probably a little to the right of Joe Biden
           | rather than being close to the republicans. And they're
           | vastly below his dog in terms of communication skills,
           | competence and IQ.
           | 
           | [1] https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/wp-
           | content/uploads/si...
           | 
           | [2] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploa
           | ds/...
        
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       (page generated 2021-01-02 23:02 UTC)