Time for a feel-good thread: only for positive news, outlooks, stories, meanderings, that bring hope and joy, despite Covid.

It had seemed that natural immunity of pregnant women was finding hard to pass the placental barrier to their unborn child. (Which ironically was in line with the low rate of infection: the placenta was stopping the infection but also the natural immunity)

But when pregnant women are vaccinated, it seems that immunity is shared with the embryo/fetus/child.

It is a study on a small sample and which needs to be confirmed on a larger scale.
But it definitely suggest a brighter tomorrow.

It seems the developments that brought us the Pfizer/ Biontech covid vaccine could be used to create a far more effective vaccine against malaria.

https://www.wbur.org/npr/979809529/covid-19-vaccine-progress-coul etc ...

I thought that was a bit of good news coming out of the pandemic.

Nursing homes are allowed visits back again from today. I haven't seen my mother in about 8 months. I have a visit booked for next week so that will be nice.

That's something, to look forward too.

Thats great news, i'm delighted for you. I seen my parents and brother yesterday for the first time in weeks and it was blissful.

Thanks guys

I have mixed feelings about it. She went there from a hospital and it wasn't planned. Still can't believe shes in a care home. Either can she. She's quite depressed. The visits will give her a lift.

Had my first vaccination on Friday and the second due on the 22nd of May .

Bring the kids, tell her she became a granny and then surprise her?

They are doing my head in!

Only 10% of the population done here.

In fairness to Robin Swann our health minister he delivered as promised a speedy programme.
There are worries that in April there will be shortages so surgeries are now running special clinics to vaccinate as many compromised citizens before April.
At the beginning of the month 50-59 year olds regardless of their health status could go online and book a vaccine .
Now that meant you have to go anywhere in the North where there is an available appointment but the take up has been amazing .

More than half the cases worldwide have recovered (some say 70 million, some 100 million).
Worldwide, more people have started to be vaccinated than have been infected.

In other words, we are working faster than the virus!

Covid figures down for health care professionals.
The vaccine works!

Vaccination programme here is now standing at a total of 800k .
That's roughly about 45% of our population .

I see the UK has offered Ireland a whopping 1.3 million doses of the vaccine to help speed up your programme.

If Ireland had 10 million doses, they'd screw it up somehow.