Notices by Adam Jacobs 🇺🇦 (statsguy@mas.to), page 3

I'm old enough to remember when peaceful protest was legal in the UK.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/oct/17/greta-thunberg-arrested-at-london-oil-summit-protest

@botvolution It really is. Current government covid policy almost seems designed to do maximum damage to the economy.

I honestly believe the government don't care in the slightest about the economy. All they care about is their culture wars. Keeping people healthy is "woke", and therefore bad.

@botvolution Indeed. See also: #Covid19 autumn boosters

Apparently the cost-effectiveness justification used to restrict NHS shingles vaccines to the over 65s is that they don't take account of costs of people taking time off work when they're ill with shingles, and they justify this by saying that most over 65s are retired.

Well, quite apart from the fact the most over 65s probably don't value their time at zero, have you noticed the massive circular argument?

Many thanks to everyone who responded with helpful thoughts when I posted last week with my question about whether it's worth paying for a private shingles vaccine given it's still a good few years before I can get an NHS one.

Just had my first dose of shingles vaccine this morning 🙂

Not cheap mind you, and it makes me angry to think that many people who are not lucky enough to be able to afford it will completely unnecessarily get shingles. Really should be on the NHS for all over 50s.

When Russia inflicts this kind of damage on civilian targets in Ukraine, we call it a war crime, and rightly so.

Why isn't it a war crime when Israel does it to Gaza?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-middle-east-67092441

@botvolution @els76uk Yes, and the gradient is not all that steep with age after 60 (I haven't found good data for the under 60s), so as someone nearer the end of my 50s than the beginning, I'm not massively less likely to get it than a 70-year-old. I think I shall bite the bullet and shell out for a private vaccine.

@els76uk @botvolution Funnily enough I did consider doing that for my autumn covid booster, as technically I'm not allowed one in the UK.

But I managed to blag one anyway, so plans for a trip to France have been stood down for now.

So, shingles vaccine.

If I wait until I'm 70, I can get a free one on the NHS. But I'm only in my 50s, so that's quite a while to wait.

What are the risks of my getting shingles before I'm 70? Is it worth paying to have one privately sooner than that?

Ah, I stand corrected: looks like I can get a free shingles vaccine when I turn 65, they changed the rules last month.

Weirdly, if you're already over 65 and under 70, then you still can't get one until you're 70.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/shingles-vaccination/

@catrionagold Or maybe no-one is bothered by it. I'm reasonably happy with my SA, but have never had any negative reactions to my wearing a mask. I suspect the times you hear people getting a hard time about it are very rare, but just get talked about a lot when they happen.

@goatsarah I get mine from Amazon too. Haven't tried anywhere else. But looks like Boots sell them. Probably many other pharmacies too.

https://www.boots.com/boots-protective-ffp2-nr-face-masks-5s-10292473

You probably don't need any more evidence that #MasksWork if you've been paying attention, but if you do, then here you go.

Particularly important to wear a mask in high-risk situations now that covid is on the rise again and vaccine boosters are banned for most of us here in the UK.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/24/lockdowns-face-masks-unequivocally-cut-spread-covid-study-finds

#Covid19 #CovidIsNotOver

@goatsarah @Ralnik Christ, I did indeed miss that.

Mind you, although that's pretty shocking, worth remembering that similar sentiments have been echoed by UK ministers.

Still, I had thought the Scandinavians were the sensible ones.

OK journalists, now we all know that it was Huw Edwards, he didn't do anything illegal, and that all the relentless stories you've been writing about him for the last week have put him in hospital with a severe mental health crisis (jolly well done, guys, you must be so proud of yourselves), can you all get back to reporting proper news?

Like, for example, what happens now that the government and Johnson have failed to comply with the order to hand over the WhatsApp messages?

#CovidInquiry

@goatsarah @jacqui76 @JorisBohnsonPM Perhaps it depends on whether you live in a safe or marginal constituency? I've lived in 2 constituencies since 2001, both of them very safe seats.

I can imagine my experiences might have been different if I lived in a marginal.

@JorisBohnsonPM @jacqui76 I think the last time I had a politician knock on my door at election time asking for my vote was before the 2001 general election. Is that even still a thing?

Harsh but fair

https://newsthump.com/2023/04/13/people-who-make-tea-in-the-microwave-should-be-put-to-death-insists-britain-2/