The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has begun

[Lynda2475]

AZ is approved as a 3rd dose for the immune compromised, as is Moderna and Pfizer, largely depending on what you had for your first 2 doses. You dont have to wait 6 months to get a 3rd dose if you are immune compromised you can have it in as little as 4 weeks after the 2nd dose.

AZ is not a standard offering for the booster program, where you are 6 months since your 2nd jab. Anyone needing an AZ booster instead of a MRNA due to a contraindication will likely need to go to a GP to request it.

In NSW the state run hubs have always been Pfizer only with the exception Olympic Park. If you want to choose AZ then you are choosing the hassle of going to a GP, but it doesnt mean you cant get it.

 

[Quickstatus]

choosing the hassle of going to a GP,

I don’t know why you keep thinking it is a hassle. All of my family have had their Jabs via GP - no hassle at all, and I dare say the majority of people going to GP whether their own or another GP also agree

When I had mine it was at a hospital “hub” for the healthcare workers only.
Parking was atrocious, and 1Jab in-out time took 2hr 30min. The 2Jab was 1 hour. Luckily the 1hr parking spot I used did not see a parking ranger.
None of my family had in-out times longer than 15min

Apparently the reason for the 2hr and 30min was a tea break occurred and they forgot about me and several others even though we were sitting in designated seats visible like a sore thumb.

 

[Myrna]

We had our 2 doses in London (the 2nd one some six months ago - how time flies!) and have been getting texts and phone calls this week from NHS England and the local GP office in London offering to book us for the booster (3rd dose). We told them we are now in Sydney and will be getting our booster jab here this month. Hubby has made enquiries and there is a local place near us where we can book appointments for the booster - he has not done it yet but would (said he!)

 

[Princess Fiona]

OK, I acknowledge and apologise for saying so.

The official ATAGI advice still remains that AZ is recommended for people with 2Jab AZ and those with mRNA contraindications. With that in mind, everyone has to make their own personal decision regarding such matters - ATAGI is one such recommendation that carries a certain amount of weight but clinical decisions are nuanced beyond what ATAGI can recommend. ATAGI is only the starting point and therefore there is no issue whatever the decision is - that is after all what being informed is. (And to be clear, I have no issue if informed individuals decide against ATAGI)

My problem that I have is with the view that it is moot if there are people who decide on want AZ due to the above recommendations but can’t get it because the Hubs don’t supply it - as though it is inconsequential or irrelevant - in other words “Yeah too bad you can’t get your booster”.

I’m glad @Pushka got a solution that works and appear to have an available booster solution. But spare a thought for those who want a booster but can’t. It is not moot. It is unfortunate and hopefully that will be addressed.

I’m interpreting the ATAGI advice the same as NSW Heath which is that the recommended booster is Pfizer regardless of whichever vaccine you had as the your first two doses.

AZ is not recommended as the booster dose for those who had their initial doses as AZ.

 

[Quickstatus]

AZ is not recommended as the booster dose for those who had their initial doses as AZ.

See ATAGI - especially 2nd dot point
It would be a brave GP, immunologist, cardiologist or even ATAGI to say to someone with reaction to PZ to say that PZ is still recommended.

 

[VPS]

Just to confirm - the booster should be at least 6 months after the second vaccination - is that correct?

Is there any point having it earlier?

 

[mviy]

Just to confirm - the booster should be at least 6 months after the second vaccination - is that correct?

Yes. Probably up to a point the longer you wait the more effective the booster will be, however if exposed to COVID-19 you want optimal protection so there is a bit of a trade-off. Just like the argument of a longer or shorter gap between first and second doses.

Is there any point having it earlier?

The severely immunocompromised I think I read should have it after 2-6 months.

Some friends just had a booster early for peace of mind before they head overseas. At least one of them would have been at the 6 month mark whilst overseas.

If you work in a high risk setting e.g. a COVID ward then I guess you may want to boost earlier than the advice would indicate as well.

My second dose wasn't that long ago, I don't work in a high risk setting and at this point I don't intend to have a booster early.

 

[jakeseven7]

Just to confirm - the booster should be at least 6 months after the second vaccination - is that correct?

Is there any point having it earlier?

Depends on a few things for example heaps of HCP’s had their boosters early because of their guaranteed proximity to known cases and they were well into the Pfizer fade

 

[mviy]

WA has reached 80.27% first dose for 16+. Only NT and QLD are yet to reach 80%.

NSW has reached 89.69% fully vaccinated for 16+ and is probably just a couple of days numbers away from 90% fully vaccinated for 16+.

NSW has reached 80.05% first dose for 12-15

VIC has reached 90.33% fully vaccinated for 50+ (though if you look at the age groups that make up 50+, four of them are yet to go past 90%, though three of those are getting pretty close).

SA should go past 70% fully vaccinated for 16+ when today's numbers are released tomorrow.

On the national average every age group 40-44 and up has gone past 80% fully vaccinated.

 

[mviy]

The national average for 16+ is now 80.16% fully vaccinated. We should go past 90% first dose next week too.

The national average for 12-15 has reached 50.99% fully vaccinated and at 69.6% first dose should go past 70% first dose soon.

 

[Princess Fiona]

See ATAGI - especially 2nd dot point
It would be a brave GP, immunologist, cardiologist or even ATAGI to say to someone with reaction to PZ to say that PZ is still recommended.

View attachment 264338

Yes of course but that is not what I said.
There are currently no recommendations for the widespread use of AZ as a booster.
It’s not recommended for those with “2jab AZ”

 

[Chalkie]

I’m interpreting the ATAGI advice the same as NSW Heath which is that the recommended booster is Pfizer regardless of whichever vaccine you had as the your first two doses.

AZ is not recommended as the booster dose for those who had their initial doses as AZ.

Which is odd - the benefits of heterologous prime boosting are (impliedly) recognised for AZ, but not for mRNA recipients.

Has anyone at ATAGI actually read any of the studies, and in particular the outcomes of the Quebec and British Columbia real world negative studies just published? It's as though there's wilful blindness in play, and that makes me doubt the rigour of ATAGI's deliberations.

 

[jakeseven7]

Looks like the kids at this school are going to have a total bludge for a while with no teachers lol

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Mullumbimby Steiner school in NSW loses 40 staff over COVID-19 vaccination deadline​

A third of all staff at a school in the Byron Bay region have not met a government-imposed vaccination deadline to continue teaching.

• Forty staff at Shearwater are yet to yet to be vaccinated, despite Monday's deadline
• Shearwater sits in an area with some of the lowest childhood immunisation rates in Australia

From tomorrow, only staff who are fully vaccinated will be able to work at schools in New South Wales.

James Goodlet, principal of Shearwater, a Steiner school at Mullumbimby, said 40 of his staff were not vaccinated, including 30 teachers.

Shearwater has been recruiting vaccinated educators from other states such as Victoria who are experienced in teaching the Steiner curriculum.

Teachers withdraw as vaccination deadline looms

A school in New South Wales' Byron Bay region is bracing for the loss of a third of its staff, as a government-imposed vaccination deadline looms.

www.abc.net.au

 

[MooTime]

Looks like the kids at this school are going to have a total bludge for a while with no teachers lol

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Mullumbimby Steiner school in NSW loses 40 staff over COVID-19 vaccination deadline​

A third of all staff at a school in the Byron Bay region have not met a government-imposed vaccination deadline to continue teaching.

• Forty staff at Shearwater are yet to yet to be vaccinated, despite Monday's deadline
• Shearwater sits in an area with some of the lowest childhood immunisation rates in Australia

From tomorrow, only staff who are fully vaccinated will be able to work at schools in New South Wales.

James Goodlet, principal of Shearwater, a Steiner school at Mullumbimby, said 40 of his staff were not vaccinated, including 30 teachers.

Shearwater has been recruiting vaccinated educators from other states such as Victoria who are experienced in teaching the Steiner curriculum

Good luck to them or actually hope they find tough times, see how they live without employment.
Magic mushrooms only get you so far.

 

[Must...Fly!]

I can speak for my workplace where we (inexplicably) had several people claiming they were not going to get jabbed or waiting for Novavax. Stunningly when threatened with unemployment there was a dash for a jab. Some left it until the last day to make some kind of point, but not a single person held the line...

 

[Pushka]

In SA we have two senior people in Disability services refusing vaccination. There is an expectation of disruption if they are terminated but just can’t believe someone in this sector doesn’t think of the clients they are supposed to be caring for.

 

[jakeseven7]

In SA we have two senior people in Disability services refusing vaccination. There is an expectation of disruption if they are terminated but just can’t believe someone in this sector doesn’t think of the clients they are supposed to be caring for.

I think I mentioned previously we have 2 (maybe 1 now actually I think) refusing - they are burning up their leave then they will be terminated and the mandate means they will not be working anywhere else either in their vocation….

As I’ve previously said and observed with others in same situation (letting anti-vaxxers go), these people seem to be the ones you’d be happy to be losing anyway for other reasons too - it’s quite strange!

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

In SA we have two senior people in Disability services refusing vaccination. There is an expectation of disruption if they are terminated but just can’t believe someone in this sector doesn’t think of the clients they are supposed to be caring for.

There is this case I saw reported recently that is refusing even though mandated through two occupations (nurse and footy player)

Dual AFLW premiership player explains her anti-vax stance after SA workers stood down

Adelaide’s Deni Varnhagen is a registered nurse who works in intensive care units - and she’s refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

7news.com.au

 

[Pushka]

There is this case I saw reported recently that is refusing even though mandated through two occupations (nurse and footy player)

Dual AFLW premiership player explains her anti-vax stance after SA workers stood down

Adelaide’s Deni Varnhagen is a registered nurse who works in intensive care units - and she’s refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

7news.com.au

The Footy club has now put her on the inactive list immediately. They won't play her again. She's very much a demonstrative 'anti lockdown' protestor and has been pictured at rallies but when she was asked by the club why she wasn't vaccinated (before all that came to light) she said she needed more information. Yeah. Right.

Post automatically merged: Nov 7, 2021

I think I mentioned previously we have 2 (maybe 1 now actually I think) refusing - they are burning up their leave then they will be terminated and the mandate means they will not be working anywhere else either in their vocation….

As I’ve previously said and observed with others in same situation (letting anti-vaxxers go), these people seem to be the ones you’d be happy to be losing anyway for other reasons too - it’s quite strange!

They are senior people in the organisation. Guess it's a test of how much they are there for the job or there for their clients.

 

[Pushka]

Online Bookings in SA for booster shot (and now called Booster and not third shot) opened up today and now booked in for post 6 months vaccination in early December. Pfizer.

Only Pfizer shows as the booster selection.





The third dose referenced here relates to the severely immunocompromised people who in order to have their first two rounds considered complete, have the third one. Not sure if they then need a booster as well.