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Vaccinations for vulnerable children to start next week, Taoiseach says

Micheál Martin said that vulnerable children will begin to receive vaccines from 20 December.

THE TAOISEACH HAS said the vaccination of children under 12 will begin on 20 December starting with vulnerable cohorts.

Speaking on this evening’s Six One News, Micheál Martin said that vulnerable cohorts will begin receiving vaccines from next Monday.

He said that the major cohort vaccinations in children will begin from 10 January onwards.

It comes after the HSE said today that registration for the Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11 will “open shortly”.

The health service also published new guidance for parents and guardians this afternoon regarding the vaccine for children.

The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has “strongly recommended” vaccines for children aged 5-11 who have a health condition that puts them at high risk of severe illness if they contract Covid, or if they live with a younger child or adult who has complex medical needs, or is immunocompromised.

Children will receive a smaller dose of the Pfizer vaccine. NIAC has advised that they receive the vaccine in two doses, three weeks apart. 

In a statement, Director of the National Immunisation Office (NIO) Dr Lucy Jessop said: “Covid-19 vaccines will soon be offered to children aged 5 to 11 years and we want parents to have time to read and discuss all the information we have about the vaccine.”

“We know that parents have questions and concerns, and we also know that they want to get information from a trusted source like the HSE, their GP or other healthcare professionals,” she said.

For all other children in this age group, severe illness from Covid-19 is rare, but it can happen. The recommendation is that the benefits of vaccination are greater than the risks from the vaccine. The benefits include avoiding getting Covid-19, and extra protection from the rare risks of serious illness from Covid-19.

The Government last week accepted NIAC’S advice that children aged 5-11 be offered the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. 

The Pfizer vaccine was first approved by the European Medicines Agency for use in children in this age cohort in late November.

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    Mute Eadbhárd Ó Corbáin
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    Dec 14th 2021, 7:56 PM

    It’s very unfortunate that there is no long term data available. Even more so that vaccine-related documents and records responsive to the freedom of information act are being held by Pfizer’s until 2076.

    255
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    Mute Adam Rekio
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    Dec 14th 2021, 7:59 PM

    @Eadbhárd Ó Corbáin: its for your safety. You can’t know what it does until after your die

    151
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    Mute Lee King Buckett
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:04 PM

    @Eadbhárd Ó Corbáin: you don’t think it’s a pity at all really – you’re a fairly obvious anti-vaxxer so you’re delighted to have things like this to give you ammunition for half truths an misinformation.

    If course there are no long term studies of these particular vaccines as they were only developed in answer to COVID.

    There is however, plenty of long term evidence on the safety of MRNA vaccines. Secondly, if nobody took a vaccine that didn’t have long term results then there would be no vaccines so stop being obtuse.

    Pfizer are not keeping records closed at all – you are purposely misstating a comment in relation to how long it would take to redact full FOI requests in terms of GDPR

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    Mute David Jordan
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:06 PM

    @Eadbhárd Ó Corbáin: Just to explain, there were 329,000 pages of documents generated during the Pfizer-BioNtech Phase III trial, much of it involving highly sensitive personal medical records of 44,000 Americans in the trial.

    The FOI is being respected by the FDA and documents are being released monthly, however, since there are 10 staff working in the office that is dealing with this request and the another 400 FOI requests, they are releasing 500 pages of documents per month. This is why it’s taking so long.

    “But the FDA can’t simply turn the documents over wholesale. The records must be reviewed to redact “confidential business and trade secret information of Pfizer or BioNTech and personal privacy information of patients who participated in clinical trials,” wrote DOJ lawyers in a joint status report filed Monday”

    “The FDA proposes releasing 500 pages per month on a rolling basis, noting that the branch that would handle the review has only 10 employees and is currently processing about 400 other FOIA requests.”

    https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/wait-what-fda-wants-55-years-process-foia-request-over-vaccine-data-2021-11-18/

    54
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    Mute Eadbhárd Ó Corbáin
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:08 PM

    @Lee King Buckett: Hi Lee. Just to note please.
    I’m pro-vaccines
    I’m vaccinated
    I oppose vaccine passports and mandates
    I respect each person’s medical choices
    It is none of my business if someone is vaccinated or not

    145
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    Mute Eadbhárd Ó Corbáin
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:09 PM

    @David Jordan: Thank you for sharing that David. It’s appreciated. I’ll give it a read now.

    21
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    Mute Lee King Buckett
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:10 PM

    @Eadbhárd Ó Corbáin: Hi Eadhbard, just to note please,

    I don’t believe you.

    34
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    Mute David Jordan
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:16 PM

    @Eadbhárd Ó Corbáin: “Falsehood flies, and the Truth comes limping after it; so that when Men come to be undeceiv’d, it is too late; the Jest is over, and the Tale has had its Effect…” – Jonathan Swift.

    34
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    Mute Mango mango
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:18 PM

    @Eadbhárd Ó Corbáin: Do you really believe that vaccines are being approved by health various global medicines board’s without the relevant data. Over 1 million children in the USA have already been given the vaccine, there would be data from this cohort if they are expercing issues. Obviously noone can tell if long term effects willing happen as this is new. Studies are published on pfizers site.

    26
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    Mute Eadbhárd Ó Corbáin
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:18 PM

    @Lee King Buckett: I swear some people here go out of their way to be offended.

    It’s so weird.

    It you say you like apples, people will ask why you hate oranges. Or didn’t mention bananas.

    51
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    Mute Hear me now
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:55 PM

    @Lee King Buckett: quiet the assumption that he is against taking the vaccine. No basis to say that…is it because you can’t stand to hear something that doesn’t chime with you?

    48
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    Mute Hear me now
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:58 PM

    @David Jordan: “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” George Santyana.

    45
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    Mute xDemo17
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    Dec 14th 2021, 9:01 PM

    @Hear me now: 100%, This guy is like a pro vaccine cheerleader, it’s embarrassing.

    39
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    Mute Lee King Buckett
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    Dec 14th 2021, 9:03 PM

    @Hear me now: When you pile straight in with a comment that is one part nonsense (no long term history from a newly created vaccine) and one part falsehood repeated by anti-vaxxers then you paint yourself in a certain light.

    I have no issue with people’s personal views on vaccines but I can’t stand when people use lies and misinformation to try and influence the choices of others.

    If nobody is lying or talking nonsense the I’ll happily keep my neck wound in.

    19
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    Mute Hear me now
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    Dec 14th 2021, 9:04 PM

    @Eadbhárd Ó Corbáin: wouldn’t worry about it…any differing view that vaccines are the end all & be all of everything & everything is grand at the moment is met with seriously worrying hostility here by a lot of people. I’m fully vaccinated myself & still question the hell out of the vaccines, how unvaccinated people are being treated, how their is an over reach of power by most governments…the day we stop asking questions is a very bad one indeed.

    58
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    Mute Hear me now
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    Dec 14th 2021, 9:09 PM

    @Lee King Buckett: what lies….it was a point of view & you call the person a liar…maybe share information instead jumping down their throats…easier said than done admittedly sometimes but I don’t think that person’s comments were all that strong to be honest.

    28
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    Mute Eadbhárd Ó Corbáin
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    Dec 14th 2021, 9:13 PM

    @Hear me now: Many don’t consider how their decisions now are going to impact their children and grandchildren. I think about this often, despite not being a father yet. There are no guarantees that things will just automatically be ‘better’ in the future… It takes effort. I’ll continue to question the information given to me including my own beliefs. What I do know for sure is discrimination is wrong, regardless of who it is against.

    46
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    Mute Lee King Buckett
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    Dec 14th 2021, 9:14 PM

    @Hear me now: Pfizer sealing all documents for 57 years is a lie.

    15
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    Mute Maximus_Demonus #FBPE
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    Dec 14th 2021, 9:32 PM

    @Lee King Buckett: Well said.

    8
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    Mute Lee King Buckett
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    Dec 14th 2021, 9:34 PM

    @Bennasi84: You should look up the tripe you’re being fed. No single Dr invented mRNA vaccines for a start.

    Secondly, RNA wasn’t ‘invented as a drug’ RNA stands for ribonucleic acid, an acid found in all living cells. Its principal role is to act as a messenger carrying instructions from DNA for controlling the synthesis of proteins, although in some viruses RNA rather than DNA carries the genetic information.

    RNA invented as a drug… seriously, how do you actually believe all this stuff and discount the actual verifiable scientific facts?

    22
    Damo
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    Mute Damo
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    Dec 14th 2021, 9:52 PM

    @Bennasi84: I think your mother is calling you…
    …your dinner is poured…

    10
    Damo
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    Mute Damo
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    Dec 14th 2021, 9:55 PM

    @Eadbhárd Ó Corbáin: it amazing how people who have no kids have such strong a forthright views on how to raise them. You might as well be telling us how to give birth…

    7
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    Mute Eadbhárd Ó Corbáin
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    Dec 14th 2021, 10:05 PM

    @Damo: I have no children, no. I became an uncle recently and I do find it humbling, the thoughts of being an active part of my nephew’s life. However, please take a closer look at my comment. You’ll see it mentions consideration of decision and nothing to do with rearing of children.

    18
    Damo
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    Mute Damo
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    Dec 14th 2021, 10:14 PM

    @Eadbhárd Ó Corbáin: I read your harmless comment…if you had kids you’d know all about their many regular vaccinations which is part of rearing children…you know, caring for them and, you know, keeping them healthy? This is no different if you believe medical professionals.

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    Mute Eadbhárd Ó Corbáin
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    Dec 14th 2021, 10:22 PM

    @Damo: I’m quite aware of the childhood immunisation schedule. I don’t know why you would suggest I should have kids to know about it?

    18
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    Mute Hear me now
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    Dec 14th 2021, 10:42 PM

    @Lee King Buckett: 50 years & yes…that’s actually true…David Jkrdan has elaborated in another comment as to why this is but yes, full disclosure by Pfizer on the vaccines will not be published for 50 years!

    23
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    Mute Hear me now
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    Dec 14th 2021, 10:46 PM

    @Damo: so if you don’t have kids you can’t have an opinion or concern for them…

    17
    Damo
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    Mute Damo
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    Dec 15th 2021, 5:53 AM

    @Hear me now: not one that’s based in reality…only imagination, but then again that makes sense.

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    Mute Murph11
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:42 PM

    I’m after 2 shots and booster so I’m not an anti Vaxer but I will think many times before my 5 year old daughter receives a shot of a very experimental drug which may alter her already strong natural immune system. Before I had my tonsils removed at 6 years old, I’m 46 now btw, I was dosed to the hilt with antibiotics to deal with my sore throats . The result of which are extremely soft teeth which are prone to everything. My parents basically went along with what they were told by the medical profession and made a decision based on those facts. However now I’m being presented with flimsy facts and and I don’t want my daughter living with consequences which I feel will be more severe than soft teeth in 40 years time. I appreciate technology does bring with it knowledge but also false info.

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    Mute Mags Murphy
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    Dec 14th 2021, 9:04 PM

    @Murph11: a wise decision

    67
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    Mute John Black
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    Dec 14th 2021, 10:01 PM

    @Murph11: it’s not very experimental.
    By alter her immune system you mean improve.
    Soft teeth can occur just from an infection itself rather than the antibiotics so you’re misplacing blame there.

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    Mute Brendan Gordon
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    Dec 15th 2021, 11:05 AM

    @Murph11: I’ll never understand why people are putting more trust in the potential after effects of a barely understood and demonstrably dangerous virus than those associated with the mitigation measures used against it.

    4
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    Mute Derek Gannon
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    Dec 14th 2021, 7:51 PM

    Shocking altogether.

    84
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    Mute Lisa Quinn
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    Dec 14th 2021, 7:56 PM

    @Derek Gannon: you OK hun.

    31
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    Mute Gordon Larney
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    Dec 14th 2021, 7:57 PM

    @Derek Gannon: yes children being given vaccinations is shocking, because it’s never happened before…..

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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Dec 14th 2021, 7:59 PM

    @Derek Gannon: I’m guessing you’re being droll.

    13
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    Mute ⚡ Seánie ⚡
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:58 PM

    Offer away… I can’t see there being a huge uptake

    70
    Damo
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    Mute Damo
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    Dec 14th 2021, 10:02 PM

    @⚡ Seánie ⚡: so to be clear, you don’t think parents of vulnerable children will get them vaccinated against a potentially deadly virus? Ok then…

    25
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    Mute Togs
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    Dec 15th 2021, 5:16 PM

    @Damo: well said Damo.. These lads are absolute jinits.. I have to stop reading their comments.. Oh.. look.. I’m a name caller now. Somebody will report me or call me out for resorting to insulting eejits…

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    Mute xDemo17
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    Dec 14th 2021, 9:04 PM

    People should have a listen to Joe Rogans latest podcast with Dr Peter Mc. Very insightful.

    56
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    Mute Lee King Buckett
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    Dec 14th 2021, 9:27 PM

    @xDemo17: Rogan is a quack – not surprising that you listen to him or believe what you hear in his echo chamber.

    23
    Damo
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    Mute Damo
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    Dec 14th 2021, 9:59 PM

    @xDemo17: try listening to your local GP. He’s a doctor too you know.

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    Mute xDemo17
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    Dec 14th 2021, 10:17 PM

    @Lee King Buckett: I listen to all sources.

    17
    Damo
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    Mute Damo
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    Dec 14th 2021, 10:28 PM

    @Lee King Buckett:
    Joe Rogan – 1 W.H.O. – 0

    who’d have thunk it?

    10
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    Mute Togs
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    Dec 15th 2021, 5:18 PM

    @xDemo17: Joe “we never landed on the moon” rogan.. Yeah thats exactly who we should turn.

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    Mute Epgenetics29 Declan Christoph
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:20 PM

    It’s a good move and should have happened earlier as it’s a no brainer for the vulnerable children to get it. Pfizer vaccinated children of their workforce months ago. This was just after staff and contractors in August. With that said I still believe in freedom of choice for parents who are reluctant to get it for a child without underlying issues. Autonomy is a fundamental part of civil liberties; are guarantees and freedoms that governments commit not to abridge, either by constitution, legislation, or judicial interpretation, without due process.

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    Mute Rob
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:57 PM

    Sad to say I am happy for these vulnerable kids to go first. In a few months if there are no adverse effects reported i’ll then consider it for my kids. At the moment, no chance

    20
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    Mute Mags Murphy
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    Dec 14th 2021, 9:06 PM

    @Rob: I’d be more worried about the longer effects years from now, covd is not a risk to your children, let their naturally strong immunity do its thing and let them develop.lifelong natural immunity

    71
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    Mute Paul Dolan
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    Dec 14th 2021, 9:09 PM

    My local vaccine centre closes at 4.30pm. Why not open at 6am and close at 10pm. A lot of people cannot get to centres until after work. All hands on deck my a r s e

    18
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    Mute Mick Dunne
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:03 PM

    The children should have had the vaccine before any other age group months ago.The government are a farce.

    14
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    Mute David Jordan
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:13 PM

    There is a misleading claim that the FDA or Pfizer will not have to release any documents related to the vaccine trial held last year until 2076, this is not quite true, the full release will be completed by about 2055, at the current rate they are going.

    329,000 pages of documents were generated during the Pfizer-BioNtech Phase III trial, much of it involving trade secret, commercial and sensitive personal medical records of 44,000 Americans in the trial.

    The FOI is being respected by the FDA and documents are being released monthly on a rolling basis, however, since there are 10 staff working in the office that is dealing with this and another 400 FOI requests, they are releasing 500 pages of documents per month. This is why it’s taking so long.

    “But the FDA can’t simply turn the documents over wholesale. The records must be reviewed to redact “confidential business and trade secret information of Pfizer or BioNTech and personal privacy information of patients who participated in clinical trials,” wrote DOJ lawyers in a joint status report filed Monday”

    “The FDA proposes releasing 500 pages per month on a rolling basis, noting that the branch that would handle the review has only 10 employees and is currently processing about 400 other FOIA requests.”

    https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/wait-what-fda-wants-55-years-process-foia-request-over-vaccine-data-2021-11-18/

    18
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    Mute SquintEastwood
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    Dec 14th 2021, 9:52 PM

    @David Jordan: surely with this being the worst virus in 100 years the FDA would use some of Pfizer’s payments to the FDA to hire more staff to do their job they are supposed to do…ho many people did it take to go through all them pages of research in such a short time to get approval

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    Mute Dermot Sexton
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:18 PM

    vue

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