General COVID-19 Vaccine Discussion

[burmans]

Right now, COVID is barely an issue in Australia. If it wasn't for the panic-stations reactions of certain (most) Premiers, it likely wouldn't make the news outside the state where its occurring. Put bluntly, we are not losing as many people to serious illness or death than even a mild flu season. I have never heard criticism of past flu vaccination roll-outs anything like what we are hearing now for COVID. I wonder why.

It’s not an issue until it is and this weeks events are a great example of how quickly this can turn. I think most observers are totally over the on again/off again lockdowns. It’s easy to knock the premiers but the evidence is vet clear that the general public support these measures but equally when they happen it’s really annoying those directly impacted.

The reason I keep banging on about ‘it’s not over till it’s over’ is because all the evidence points to this keeping on happening until vaccination is complete. I see many people saying we can’t keep on doing this, unfortunately I think that’s exactly what will happen until vaccinations are complete.

 

[jakeseven7]

. It’s easy to knock the premiers but the evidence is vet clear that the general public support these measures

Well they did when the fed government was propping up their job.

Now jobkeeper is vamoosh I suspect a tide will begin turning.

 

[burmans]

Well they did when the fed government was propping up their job.

Now jobkeeper is vamoosh I suspect a tide will begin turning.

Good point but we will see. At 6-7 % unemployment that still means 93/94% in a job. I’m a bit of a cynic and believe most are fairly selfish in regards to these things. Unless you and your family live in a tourist town most are not very affected vs a relatively small %ge who are very affected. Unless your are affected personally by losing job keeper I suspect most will value their own personal safety.

Would be nice to be proven wrong though, but I suspect not.

 

[Must...Fly!]

It may be one of the reasons... but the lack of supply is the real problem. On the Melbourne news tonight one GP clinic said they were down for 20 doses a week! That's just crazy... the logistics and bureaucracy involved in delivering those 20 doses would be insane, and probably not worth it. Perhaps that time could have been better spent organising mass vaccination centres.

As I mentioned above, we're *still* waiting for our GP to call us back with an appointment time for my folks to have their vaccine. That's after two calls (a week apart), being added to waiting lists, and doing the pre-registration over the phone. The council vaccination centre 5 mins away has over 250 appointments available every day. We booked at booked at 930 and were in at 1130. How much time and cost is being wasted with clinics and clinic-networks fielding calls, adding people to waiting lists, going through patient records, doing pre-registration? And for what?

I think giving vaccines to GP surgeries was a sound idea in theory. But as the rollout has developed, with supply issues it has turned out to be probably more inefficient than useful.

There will be some people who really rely on their local GP and find it very difficult to travel to a more centralised location.

Perhaps the GP vaccination will come in to its own as supply ramps up from CSL. Certainly with the 1m doses/week that we were expecting, it's hard to imagine how a handful of state government run hubs could make effective use of that number. Especially in the context of how many vaccines they have "stockpiled"

 

[mviy]

Unless your are affected personally by losing job keeper I suspect most will value their own personal safety.

Indeed. Whilst it would hurt more than it would help, more lockdowns with no JobKeeper or similar support would actually benefit some businesses that have been harmed by JobKeeper. Personally, I hope that soon lockdowns will just be a past memory as the vaccine rollout progresses.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Germany to restrict AstraZeneca use in under-60s over clots

BERLIN (AP) — German health officials agreed Tuesday to restrict the use of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine in people under 60, amid fresh concern over unusual blood clots reported in a tiny number of those who received the shots.

apnews.com

Around the twist again with AstraZeneca and Germany.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Germany to restrict AstraZeneca use in under-60s over clots

BERLIN (AP) — German health officials agreed Tuesday to restrict the use of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine in people under 60, amid fresh concern over unusual blood clots reported in a tiny number of those who received the shots.

apnews.com

Around the twist again with AstraZeneca and Germany.

Well that doesn't sound good

 

[drron]

Germany to restrict AstraZeneca use in under-60s over clots

BERLIN (AP) — German health officials agreed Tuesday to restrict the use of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine in people under 60, amid fresh concern over unusual blood clots reported in a tiny number of those who received the shots.

apnews.com

Around the twist again with AstraZeneca and Germany.

That just doesn't make sense as the reports out of Europe about the clots said there was a higher incidence of clotting in younger women who are those in the community most at risk in the first place.So why then restict it's use in older people.

 

[jakeseven7]

That just doesn't make sense as the reports out of Europe about the clots said there was a higher incidence of clotting in younger women who are those in the community most at risk in the first place.So why then restict it's use in older people.

Clearly didn’t get the price they wanted from AZ.

Well lots of other countries will gladly take the stock they don’t want.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

That just doesn't make sense as the reports out of Europe about the clots said there was a higher incidence of clotting in younger women who are those in the community most at risk in the first place.So why then restict it's use in older people.

My take is that for younger, otherwise healthy people, the risk of getting the vaccine is too high compared to just getting covid? Whereas those over 60, the benefit of the vaccine would outweigh the risks?

 

[serfty]

So why then restict it's use in older people.

I thought the article indicate restricting its use in people under 60.

BERLIN (AP) — German health officials agreed Tuesday to restrict the use of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine in people under 60, amid fresh concern over unusual blood clots reported in a tiny number of those who received the shots.

Health Minister Jens Spahn and state officials agreed unanimously to only give the vaccine to people aged 60 or older, unless they belong to a high-risk category for serious illness from COVID-19 and have agreed with their doctor to take the vaccine despite the small risk of a serious side-effect.

 

[drron]

Sorry my mistake.I guess I just assumed everything is in reference to older folk with the vaccine.
Still a stupid move as in those younger women there was a greater risk of clots if not vaccinated in the study.

So Germany hasn't got over Brexit or the EU vaccine manufacturers don't like the fact that AZ is making the Oxford vaccine as a non profit exercise.Certainly is one of the likely factors in the US criticisms knowing the lobbying power of Big Pharma there.

 

[Lynda2475]

So we know that Queensland has been hoarding pfizer vaccine and still havent given even one dose to some staff who work in covid ward at PA hospital but it seems in NSW they may have got ahead of themselves by starting some 1B on Pfizer (instead of AZ) before finishing 1A and not holding enough for some 1A second shots.

At pub last night i was talking to another regular who is a nurse in icu at a Sydney hospital and she regularly treats any overseas arrivals who get transferred from medi / hot hotels i.e those with serious covid issues. She was on leave in week 3 (when her team was done), so only got her first Pfizer dose last Friday at RPA. She said the line was huge, they were running 4 hours late on appointments and most there were cops . When they went to book her second dose, no appointments until September!!!!! Which is well beyond the 3 weeks it should be, with that delay she may as well start over on AZ but they arent allowed to mix vaccines.

NSW should stop offering the limited Pfizer to 1B, so we can complete 1A. This nurse treats covid patients, I"m outraged, stop wasting doses on politicians, priorities.

 

[Pushka]

So we know that Queensland has been hoarding pfizer vaccine and still havent given even one dose to some staff who work in covid ward at PA hospital but it seems in NSW they may have got ahead of themselves by starting some 1B on Pfizer (instead of AZ) before finishing 1Anot holding enough for some 1A second shots.

At pub last night i was talking to another regular who is a nurse in icu at a Sydney hospital and she regularly treats any overseas arrivals who get transferred from medi / hot hotels i.e those with serious covid issues. She was on leave in week 3 (when her team was done), so only got her first Pfizer dose last Friday at RPA. She said the line was huge, they were running 4 hours late on appointments and most there were cops . When they went to book her second dose, no appointments until September!!!!! Which is well beyond the 3 weeks it should be, with that delay she may as well start over on AZ but they arent allowed to mix vaccines.

NSW should stop offering the limited Pfizer to 1B, so we cwn complete 1A. This nurse treats covid patients, I"m outraged, stop wasting doses on politicians, priorities.

Agree that all medical personnel involved with Covid patients need to be put to the front of the queue before anyone else. Not rocket science. As far as September well, that makes no sense. Thought the process would have been that every appointment on one day was automatically inserted for the same day in 3 weeks time. I know that was what happened with SIL - she knew her next appointment (which is tomorrow, the day she's supposed to fly out for Easter) and had no choice but was simply told to be there.

Didnt the Feds say it was their responsibility to stockpile Pfizer for 1A and not the states?

 

[Lynda2475]

I was surprised but September seemed to be when next dose would be available as all current supplies allocated to others before then. I just want her bumped up the queue.

 

[drron]

Well I am flabbergasted.QLD is the second best behind WA in the percentage of doses received that have actually been used.This from the Daily Mail.

"
NSW has administered about 50 per cent of its Covid vaccines, while Victoria has only delivered about 44 per cent.

Western Australia has succeeded with 62 per cent, South Australia has completed 35 per cent, Tasmania has given 59 per cent, the ACT has provided 57 per cent and the Northern Territory has done 53 per cent."

Thousands of Queensland health workers remain unvaccinated

Queensland's vaccine rollout has been slammed following the state's latest outbreak in Brisbane after it was revealed a doctor and nurse who contracted the virus had not yet been immunised.

www.dailymail.co.uk

SA though has been woeful.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

So we know that Queensland has been hoarding pfizer vaccine and still havent given even one dose to some staff who work in covid ward at PA hospital but it seems in NSW they may have got ahead of themselves by starting some 1B on Pfizer (instead of AZ) before finishing 1Anot holding enough for some 1A second shots.

At pub last night i was talking to another regular who is a nurse in icu at a Sydney hospital and she regularly treats any overseas arrivals who get transferred from medi / hot hotels i.e those with serious covid issues. She was on leave in week 3 (when her team was done), so only got her first Pfizer dose last Friday at RPA. She said the line was huge, they were running 4 hours late on appointments and most there were cops . When they went to book her second dose, no appointments until September!!!!! Which is well beyond the 3 weeks it should be, with that delay she may as well start over on AZ but they arent allowed to mix vaccines.

NSW should stop offering the limited Pfizer to 1B, so we cwn complete 1A. This nurse treats covid patients, I"m outraged, stop wasting doses on politicians, priorities.

So do you now believe what I said previously that frontline covid-close hospital workers across Australia weren’t getting even first jab???

It’s a sad scenario we have found ourselves in re hospital workers. And it seems clearer to me that this public service speak of having done all quarantine workers in some States doesn’t include important covid close healthcare workers

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Agree that all medical personnel involved with Covid patients need to be put to the front of the queue before anyone else. Not rocket science. As far as September well, that makes no sense. Thought the process would have been that every appointment on one day was automatically inserted for the same day in 3 weeks time. I know that was what happened with SIL - she knew her next appointment (which is tomorrow, the day she's supposed to fly out for Easter) and had no choice but was simply told to be there.

Didnt the Feds say it was their responsibility to stockpile Pfizer for 1A and not the states?

I heard (from you) mentioning of the reporting of the stockpiling, so I think the concern about over jabbing Pfizer will not eventuate as a problem.

But there doesn’t sound like there is a system for feedback eg NSW saying to Fed we need stockpile for Ms X, Mr Y etc who were jabbed with Pfizer two weeks ago.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Well... some positive news. The Fed Health Minister mentioned we had a record day for vaccinations yesterday, with 72,826 in 24 hours. And it's expected to ramp up from there. (670,000 vaccinations so far.)

So maybe not all doom and gloom!

 

[oznflfan]

Well... some positive news. The Fed Health Minister mentioned we had a record day for vaccinations yesterday, with 72,826 in 24 hours. And it's expected to ramp up from there. (670,000 vaccinations so far.)

So maybe not all doom and gloom!

We need to average double that to be all vaccinated by end of 2021. Doable.