You were slow off the mark.
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Remarkably uncommon nowadays
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Not really. Many people are having to pay some of their housing costs from the part of the benefit payment meant to cover living expenses…
And not all people on benefits have ID.
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So pay the landlord directly and give free ID. Again, simple.
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No, again, people are topping up landlords from their main entitlements because the amount the government pays for housing costs isn’t considered enough by those willing to rent their properties to benefit claimants. There is already an option for the government to pay landlords direct for those that need it. Then there is a question about items such as heating which is probably metered, or phone credit and not part of the usual shopping bill.
As for ID. ‘Free’ ID costs money and takes time to provide. ID also gets lost/stolen especially amongst those who have temporary or uncertain housing situations.
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In this digital age, all these problems can be solved so that what people get from the government are the basics of food, shelter, heat, clothing etc. Kids are fed properly and everybody had a decent “base level” of social security. Giving cash to those who might not be capable of making the wisest decisions has proven to lead to hungry children. Surely that’s a bad thing? I’m sure some would advocate more cash. In the words of Tony Stark, not a good plan.
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Sure, but the same government you think can whizz out a voucher system is one that has frozen/reduced welfare payments for much of the last decade and achieved little in regards to increasing the housing stock (particularly significant for those on low incomes), these are two factors which I would expect be significant drivers as to whether or not some children (and parents) get to eat properly.
I’m pretty sure I read somewhere the government had looked into issuing vouchers at some point over the last decade but decided against doing so (Under Iain Duncan Smith?), so I would assume the evidence isn’t all that compelling.
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Probably costs more that’s why. Also why child benefit isn’t means tested. Handing out cash is easier than managing a voucher system. I just see a system where you’re provided with everything you need to live safely, healthily and securely if it all goes tits up. If you want more than that, we all know the answer.
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An article I found interesting @LondonRich might also find it of interest given our discussion a few days ago.
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Child Benefit is means tested. Introduced in 2013. But to avoid losing votes amongst the better off families, they continue to pay out the full amount and deduct back from taxes if you don’t pay the money back directly first or stop the claim.
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Indonesia, the 4th most populous country in the world has started vaccinations using Sinovac. Problem is even some healthcare professionals are questioning the transparency of this vaccine. Too many questions unanswered and considering that the healthcare system is breaking, a huge number of healthcare professionals infected and dead, and still they questioned the vaccine, should be a huge concern. But they are going ahead anyway. I can understand the concerns because its one thing to rush out a vaccine, its another thing to rush out a vaccine with wildly different results in their various trials over the world and being secretive with their data.
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Anyone else just a teensy bit concerned that the consequences of tackling this particular virus with vaccines that are not substantially effective against it (or existing mutations) are just going to hasten the prevalence of strains that are more highly resistant?
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Its a concern but I guess it is gonna happen with or without the vaccine. Japan just discovered a new strain distinct from the African and UK strains recently discovered. So this virus is going to just keep mutating. Whether it will become resistant or how it will become as it mutates, I would say, nobody knows. It is a sobering reminder from the government here in Singapore that even with a vaccine, which represents our best hope, is not guaranteed a 100% cure-all solution. We can only hope.
I’m not sure resistance comes into it.
If current vaccines are ineffective against a possible future mutant strain then a new vaccine will need to be developed (not unlike with flu vaccines though that’s a bit different however could become similar).
The biggest worry is that people in the ‘free’ world refuse the vaccine leaving a large virale pool.
As for the vaccines Pfizer is upto 98% effective if taken within their protocol, Zeneca up to 95% effective and Sinovac upto 84% effective I believe.
The perogative is to encourage and get people vaccinated (so I can get back to work 
)
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Is that due to cost?
It’s a bit damning that the Glaxo-Sanofi vaccine had such poor effectiveness amongst at risk older groups (then again I’m not sure other vaccines effectively tested these groups). It was much cheaper and the delay has probably forced some governments to rethink their strategy as the people will demand whya vaccine programme hasn’t been initiated.
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I am sure cost is a factor. For Indonesia, Sinovac actually sold 40 mil doses bulk to Indonesia where the local partner redistribute them into vials and with China’s global vaccine diplomacy, countries which are poorer would definitely accept these assistance. Sinovac’s vaccine is so inconsistent, its worrying. It has just a 50.4% efficacy, just barely making it to WHO’s baseline for approval. And it has a huge swings between each trial sites and does not inspire any confidence and it is like countries who have no choice but to take it because 50% is better than 0%.
The announcement of Brazil’s 50.4% efficacy for Sinovac has prompted Singapore’s government to assure us that it is yet to approve the vaccine even if it is one of the 3 that is in line to reach us earliest, we are already vaccinating with the Pfizer ones with Moderna under approval stage and Sinovac expected to come later if approved.
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Brazil is one of the ‘trial’ zones I presume that that 50% figure is just from one of the trials for obtaining dosage levels 6micrograms gave a 50% efficacity however a 3 microgram dose gave an 84% efficacity (and if it’s a figure from outside trials I would be very wary of it). The dosage s very important and vaccines are not necessarily more effective with a bigger dose (it’s important the drug companies protocols are followed).
It’s important to know where information comes from how it is filtered, what’s real, what’s true. When it comes to country bias we have to be even more careful. Then perhaps to eliminate country bias our governments shouldn’t buy from countries that suffer negative bias.
It is clear Pfizer is the best vaccine so far approved (as long as you are not allergic to it).
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I’m more concerned about the risk that a less-effective/not effective vaccine is going to give ammunition to all sorts of anti-vaxxers.
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Vaccinations are 3 weeks ahead of Spain but then Covid deaths are 3 times as many as Spain . Pity the UK could not get the deaths down at the same time as the vaccinations started. I believe this could have been done had things been handled better earlier. Mask wearing would have been a simple way to start and banning parties etc instead of leaving it until the virus was running rampant before seriously trying to stop it.
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