Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[DC3]

I hate to say it but I don't think most Australians care. People show their true colours in times like these and it seems a lot of people are selfish with no compassion, completely ruled by fear. We've seen this at a local level with the various state border closures last year and again during the recent Indian travel pause. It's OK if our citizens die as long as it's not on Australian soil. They don't mess up our stats that way.

I’d say that you are pretty much right on the money. Public indifference plays into this.

 

[oz_mark]

Everyone in Aus will be getting Pfizer as a booster I'd expect.

By next year, it should be Pfizer, or Moderna, or Novavax, which should help with the people crying about the lack of choice they have,

 

[Pom-DownUnder]

I hate to say it but I don't think most Australians care. People show their true colours in times like these and it seems a lot of people are selfish with no compassion, completely ruled by fear. We've seen this at a local level with the various state border closures last year and again during the recent Indian travel pause. It's OK if our citizens die as long as it's not on Australian soil. They don't mess up our stats that way.

This is true in spades unfortunately.

I've never really felt that homesick in AU in over a decade, but being cut off from the option of visiting the UK is having a negative effect, no doubt.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Certainly there seems to be great availability of COVID vax in the US. The current US administration is doing much better with the rollout than we are experiencing in Oz.

Indeed. My mate in the US says you can walk into just about any major pharmac_ and have your choice of two or three vaccines. And all free.

 

[Pushka]

Indeed. My mate in the US says you can walk into just about any major pharmac_ and have your choice of two or three vaccines. And all free.

Be an interesting case to make to fly to US to get medical treatment not available in Aus (over 50).

 

[mviy]

Be an interesting case to make to fly to US to get medical treatment not available in Aus (over 50).

I think you'd need more than just getting a COVID-19 vaccine to get such an exemption. Considering the closed borders the risk of serious illness from not taking the vaccine for a few months would probably be considered to be low.

This is true in spades unfortunately.

I've never really felt that homesick in AU in over a decade, but being cut off from the option of visiting the UK is having a negative effect, no doubt.

People talk about the negative mental health impacts of another lockdown in Vic, but the impacts of being locked away from family for a few years is taking its toll on people as well.

We're adults, understand there are risks to ourselves involved, we don't want to put others unnecessarily at risk and are willing to subject ourselves to things we'd normally find unacceptable to keep others safe, but want to be allowed to leave to go and see family. It shouldn't be too much to ask after over 12 months.

 

[DC3]

… It shouldn't be too much to ask after over 12 months.

Is anyone in authority listening?

 

[Flashback]

I dont think USA disregarding AZ will be an issue, alot of the western world is using AZ, they will be amenable to it. They are just not trusting the documentation around non-usa vaccinations for now is what i imagine.

What I'm hearing is that if the vaccine is WHO approved, you're fine. So no issues with AZ.

I think you'd need more than just getting a COVID-19 vaccine to get such an exemption. Considering the closed borders the risk of serious illness from not taking the vaccine for a few months would probably be considered to be low.


People talk about the negative mental health impacts of another lockdown in Vic, but the impacts of being locked away from family for a few years is taking its toll on people as well.

We're adults, understand there are risks to ourselves involved, we don't want to put others unnecessarily at risk and are willing to subject ourselves to things we'd normally find unacceptable to keep others safe, but want to be allowed to leave to go and see family. It shouldn't be too much to ask after over 12 months.

Oh wah wah wah, another lockdown in VIC for a week or two. Try and deal with the 6+ months at a time we've had. Time for people to put on their big boy pants and get over it.

 

[drron]

Everyone in Aus will be getting Pfizer as a booster I'd expect.

In the USA it is going to be Moderna as the booster.

 

[mviy]

When the Moderna deal was announced one of the things mentioned was using it for boosters next year. So I expect Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax will be used for boosters.

Also, with wanting to setup a mRNA facility here, the government would want some competition between Pfizer and Moderna to get the best deal possible. Without approving Moderna and ordering supplies the potential use of Moderna for that facility wouldn't have been that credible, but now it is.

 

[Pushka]

What I'm hearing is that if the vaccine is WHO approved, you're fine. So no issues with AZ.

Oh wah wah wah, another lockdown in VIC for a week or two. Try and deal with the 6+ months at a time we've had. Time for people to put on their big boy pants and get over it.

It's been horrid in the UK. But in the understanding of Victoria, their state has been locked down whilst for the rest of Australia it has been much freer. Seeing your neighbours doing normal things is especially difficult to handle.

 

[JB expat]

In the USA it is going to be Moderna as the booster.

Really - do you know why/what the thinking is?

 

[drron]

With the USA it probably means that they offered a better deal. It was a CDC announcement.

 

[Tad]

This would seriously be amazing because it effectively means at most 2-3 days quarantine if you test negative.

I'm more than happy to even stay 5 days in hotel quarantine at my expense if it means I can see my family and friends in Australia.

If this happens, it is an absolute game changer.

Yes, I agree, but .....
Firstly, you need to be fully vaccinated (=-3weeks), and getting a jab in Australia is happening at snail's pace.
Secondly, vaccination must be done in Australia or select few countries. Obviously our translator services are not up to scratch to accept vaccination certificates from non-Commonwealth countries

For example, I am fully vaccinated since mid May '21, with EU Vaccination Certificate. This is not enough to be recognised in Australia (not yet). With vaccination records including jabs s/n translated to English, I maybe able to get it registered in AIR, but wait, only when I return to Australia, and personally go to one of the vaccination centres for the record to be entered into AIR database i.e. can not return to be eligible for "vaccinated Australian's trial" until I return spend 2 weeks in quarantine etc. etc. (catch 22?).

Looks like there are no reliable links between Australia and non-Commonwealth (at best) countries, to verify whether one has really been vaccinated or not.

...... so a game changer, but only for "chosen one's", so it seems.

Post automatically merged: Jun 7, 2021

This would seriously be amazing because it effectively means at most 2-3 days quarantine if you test negative.

I'm more than happy to even stay 5 days in hotel quarantine at my expense if it means I can see my family and friends in Australia.

If this happens, it is an absolute game changer.

Yes, I agree, but .....
Firstly, you need to be fully vaccinated (=-3weeks), and getting a jab in Australia is happening at snail's pace.
Secondly, vaccination must be done in Australia or select few countries. Obviously our translator services are not up to scratch to accept vaccination certificates from non-Commonwealth countries (exception US)

For example, I am fully vaccinated since mid May '21, with EU Vaccination Certificate. This is not enough to be recognised in Australia (not yet). With vaccination records including jabs s/n translated to English, I maybe able to get it registered in AIR, but wait, only when I return to Australia, and personally go to one of the vaccination centres for the record to be entered into AIR database i.e. can not return to be eligible for "vaccinated Australian's trial" until I return spend 2 weeks in quarantine etc. etc. (catch 22?).

Looks like there are no reliable links between Australia and non-Commonwealth countries, except US, to verify whether one has really been vaccinated or not.

...... so a game changer, but only for "chosen ones", so it seems.

 

[Flashback]

Yes, I agree, but .....
Firstly, you need to be fully vaccinated (=-3weeks), and getting a jab in Australia is happening at snail's pace.
Secondly, vaccination must be done in Australia or select few countries. Obviously our translator services are not up to scratch to accept vaccination certificates from non-Commonwealth countries

For example, I am fully vaccinated since mid May '21, with EU Vaccination Certificate. This is not enough to be recognised in Australia (not yet). With vaccination records including jabs s/n translated to English, I maybe able to get it registered in AIR, but wait, only when I return to Australia, and personally go to one of the vaccination centres for the record to be entered into AIR database i.e. can not return to be eligible for "vaccinated Australian's trial" until I return spend 2 weeks in quarantine etc. etc. (catch 22?).

Looks like there are no reliable links between Australia and non-Commonwealth (at best) countries, to verify whether one has really been vaccinated or not.

...... so a game changer, but only for "chosen one's", so it seems.

Post automatically merged: Jun 7, 2021

Yes, I agree, but .....
Firstly, you need to be fully vaccinated (=-3weeks), and getting a jab in Australia is happening at snail's pace.
Secondly, vaccination must be done in Australia or select few countries. Obviously our translator services are not up to scratch to accept vaccination certificates from non-Commonwealth countries

For example, I am fully vaccinated since mid May '21, with EU Vaccination Certificate. This is not enough to be recognised in Australia (not yet). With vaccination records including jabs s/n translated to English, I maybe able to get it registered in AIR, but wait, only when I return to Australia, and personally go to one of the vaccination centres for the record to be entered into AIR database i.e. can not return to be eligible for "vaccinated Australian's trial" until I return spend 2 weeks in quarantine etc. etc. (catch 22?).

Looks like there are no reliable links between Australia and non-Commonwealth (at best) countries, to verify whether one has really been vaccinated or not.

...... so a game changer, but only for "chosen ones", so it seems.

Not even Commonwealth countries, but even the country of King and Queen.....

 

[Tad]

Not even Commonwealth countries, but even the country of King and Queen.....

I know, this wasn't precise, sorry. Guardian lists UK, Canada, Singapore and US only as possibilities.

 

[Flashback]

I'd still surprised if UK makes it!

 

[hb13]

I'd still surprised if UK makes it!

Exactly. I doubt the UK will make it.

 

[dajop]

I know, this wasn't precise, sorry. Guardian lists UK, Canada, Singapore and US only as possibilities.

That was a qualified list, just examples. It might not include all of them, it might include some others, or it might not include any countries at all. I wouldn't read too much into the Guardian article, the Australian media is jumping at shadows at the moment.

This was the exact wording (with my bolding):

Exemptions would be extended to people vaccinated in Australia or in countries where vaccination status can be reliably verified – such as the UK, US, Canada and Singapore.

 

[roogirl]

Exactly. I doubt the UK will make it.

I’d be shocked if the U.K. didn’t make it. Easiest country in the world to verify records (everything done through a single provider - NHS) and same vaccines as Aus - imagine what saying no to AZ, Pfizer or moderna would do to you domestically.