UK Becomes Very First Country to Administer Covid-19 Vaccine

Uncategorized,

The UK makes record of being the first to roll out a COVID-19 Vaccine Program; administering a vaccine proven safe and effective in several clinical trials. Prior to the rollout last December 08, the UK government initially approved the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech for emergency, for which 40 million doses have been procured to see to the immediate vaccination of about ⅓ of the country’s population.

Is the Vaccine Really Safe?

The government gave assurance that the Pfizer vaccine is safe to administer as it went through meticulous clinical trials. Afterwards, the results of those trials were thoroughly evaluated by the country’s national medicine regulator. It has been deemed safe enough to gain confidence in administering the first 800,000 doses to people at risk and the frontline medical and healthcare workers. Another batch from the country’s population will be vaccinated before the new year.

The country’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is himself a former Covid-19 victim, thanked the National Health Service (NHS) and the country’s scientists who were thorough in their assessment of the Pfizer vaccine.

Order of Prioritization Based on the Guidelines of the Vaccine Program

A group of experts from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation offered suggestions to UK health departments on who to prioritize during the actual rollout of the COVID-19 Vaccine program. The suggestions now serve as guidelines in prioritizing the people who will be the firsts to be injected with the vaccine:

People who are young and considered healthy will need to wait for a while to receive their injection, as the older population are given first priority. While there are approximately 70 hospital hubs currently administering the vaccine in the country, vaccine administrators must give vaccine priority in the following order:
:

  • Older citizens living in care homes, including their respective caretakers
  • All people aged 80 years and above, simultaneously with medical and healthcare frontliners;
  • Old folks aged 75 and above;
  • Old folks aged 70 and simultaneously prioritize those who have existing health problems;
  • Older adults aged 65 and above
  • Older adults aged 55 and above
  • Older people aged 50 years and above.

90-Year Old British Woman Takes Pride in Making History as the First Vaccine Recipient

Margaret Keenan, a 90-year old British woman has been administered with the first of two vaccine shots at the University Hospital. Ms. Keenan professes that she feels very privileged to be the first ever person to be vaccinated against the virus. She will receive the second dose after three weeks, and can expect full immunity, in a week’s time, after receiving the second dose.

Ms. Keenan, who was alone during the entire quarantine period also considers being the first to receive the vaccine, as the greatest early birthday present she could ever wish for, as she will be celebrating her birthday in good health next week.

Justice Ginsburg’s Death Sparks Another Partisan Political Conflict

Congress, Politics,

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s battle with cancer is over but her death has sparked another partisan issue, in relation to her replacement in the Supreme Court. The question of whether the position left vacant by Justice Bader should set off before the November general election would not be an issue if the Republicans had not made a different ruling in 2016.

The filibuster ruling had barred then incumbent President Obama from appointing a replacement for Justice Anthony Scalia after his untimely demise in February 13, 2016. Being the ruling party in the Senate House, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel, suspended any hearing that would formally confirm President Obama’s appointee (Merrick Garland) as Justice Scalia’s replacement.

Rationale Behind Republican Senate’s 2016 Suspension of Obama’s Exercise of Filling Up Vacant SC Seat

Back then, Mitch McConnel, along with other Republicans were already of a mindset that no other Democratic-appointee will sit as a member of the U.S. Supreme until after the results of the 2016 general election declares a new U.S. president. In his announcement, McConnel argued that the American people have to have a say on who gets to appoint a new member of the Supreme Court.

Now that Justice Ginsberg’s death has turned the tables on the Republicans, Mitch McConnel is making it known that the rule will not apply to Donald Trump, even if there are only less than 45 days before the 2020 November election.

Apparently banking on the strength of the Republucan majority leadership, Mitch McConnel, the ruling party can confirm any appointee Trump names even if the November election is only less than 2 months away. However, with many Republucan senators running for re-election, a resolution to overturn the previous filibuster ruling might not muster majority votes.

However, a reversal of the 2016 filibuster ruling will put Republican senators who are up for re-election, in an awkward position. They will literally be baring themselves as Trumpets (Trump puppets) serving the interest of Donald Trump and not of their constituents.

As it is, Trump has been experiencing defeat in Supreme Court rulings, since even his appointee, Chief Justice John Roberts,had sided with the liberals in protecting former President Obama “Dreamers” program, which basically gives immigrants the right apply for U.S. citizenship.

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