General COVID-19 Vaccine Discussion

[drron]

This mentions 1.3m doses in Australia

100,000 Australians vaccinated as more COVID-19 vaccine doses arrive

Australia has now imported 1.3 million doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines.

www.smh.com.au

But the link does say half are being kept for second doses.

 

[jakeseven7]

That's just disinformation designed to shift the blame. We have 1.1 million doses of the vaccine in the country but only 125K have been vaccinated. The real problem seems to be that we just don't have the capacity to actually roll out the vaccine.

This has been the problem in many countries already but we don't seem to have learnt from their mistakes.

They absolutely have the capacity to roll out and jab people, and quickly - They just don’t have enough of the vaccine yet pure and simple and anyone working in health care knows it.

 

[burmans]

But the link does say half are being kept for second doses.

For Pfizer that sort of makes sense but haven’t they also announced we will be getting 1m doses per week starting 20th or so made locally. So by the time we would need them we’d have another 12 million, keeping for second doses doesn’t really seem to make sense.

 

[OATEK]

For Pfizer that sort of makes sense but haven’t they also announced we will be getting 1m doses per week starting 20th or so made locally. So by the time we would need them we’d have another 12 million, keeping for second doses doesn’t really seem to make sense.

The doses being kept are pfizer, administered at 3 week interval. AZ at 12 week interval will be covered by CSL. My brother has had first pfizer, and second scheduled for end of March.

 

[drron]

For Pfizer that sort of makes sense but haven’t they also announced we will be getting 1m doses per week starting 20th or so made locally. So by the time we would need them we’d have another 12 million, keeping for second doses doesn’t really seem to make sense.

The article also pointed out that 563000 doses had just arrived at the beginning of last week.I presume testing is done then distribution to the States for use.
On top of that the majority of AZ doses that were in Australia had just been delivered with only 125000 doses prior to last week.Not quite the shambles that people are suggesting.
Now the contracts that the Government initially signed had 3.8 million doses of AZ delivered by the end of February and Pfizer delivering 1 million doses a month starting February.That is the real reason the roll out has been slow.

 

[RAM]

They absolutely have the capacity to roll out and jab people, and quickly - They just don’t have enough of the vaccine yet pure and simple and anyone working in health care knows it.

Drron
The article also pointed out that 563000 doses had just arrived at the beginning of last week.I presume testing is done then distribution to the States for use.
On top of that the majority of AZ doses that were in Australia had just been delivered with only 125000 doses prior to last week.Not quite the shambles that people are suggesting.

Wrong. The Federal Govt has sufficent vaccine just insufficient common sense.

The management of vaccine process by the Federal Govt so far is abysmal.

Prior to Feb 28th (when the first AZ doses arrived) there were over 308,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine in Australia (calculated at 5 doses per vial NOT 6 btw).

More than 142,000 Pfizer doses arrived on Feb 15th, followed by 166,000 on Feb 23rd and 120,000 on March 2nd with a further batch of 149,000 on March 9th (approved for use this week). Just counting the ones tested & approved by the Australian authorities left 428,000 Pfizer doses available for injection up to yesterday. Keeping back half for the 2nd dose leaves 214,000 that were available to be injected.

First Pfizer vaccine doses arrive in Australia

More than 142,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine have arrived at Sydney airport in a major milestone in Australia’s response to the pandemic. Read more about how the vaccines will be rolled out.

www.health.gov.au

Second shipment of Pfizer COVID-19 arrives in Australia, boosting national supply

www.9news.com.au

100,000 Australians vaccinated as more COVID-19 vaccine doses arrive

Australia has now imported 1.3 million doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines.

www.smh.com.au

The vaccination program entered Day 16 yesterday.

On Feb 28th the first 300,000 AZ doses arrived. They were approved & declared distributed for injection beginning Monday March 8th - so yesterday was Day 7 of the AZ injections. Keeping back half (no valid reason given 12 week delay for 2nd dose) would have seen 150,000 available for use last week.

So, all up, the total number of vaccinations that could have been completed by the end of Day 16 was 364,000 doses.

Given another 500,000 to 700,000 doses of AZ arrived since Feb 28th - there was no reason to hold back the other 150,000 AZ doses from the first shipment as since then another 300,000+ have been approved for use.

In reality there could (should?) have been up to 514,000 people vaccinated by last night if the Fed Govt had some people who are good at health logistics in charge. However the failure to pre-order the required syringes, to be available before the vaccines arrived, demonstrates otherwise.

Two guesses why the Fed Govt changed the reporting of the rollout process to weekly instead of daily and reduced what it will report? And no, it had nothing to do with anything any State wanted.

 

[drron]

Sorry RAM just a couple of minor errors in your post.414000 doses of AZ arrived on March 10.149000 doses of Pfizer arrived on March 12.By the time it took to test the first batches those doses are not yet available to distribute.The AZ should get approval today and Pfizer in the next 2 days.

That is all in the last article you posted as a link.So last weeks deliveries totaled 563000 doses. So as they brought the total up to 1.3 million there were at most 737000 doses available so it looks like the first 3 shipments of Pfizer and the first of AZ which totals 728000 doses was what was able to be used through the last week.

Now despite your vast knowledge of everything a vaccine program doesn't get into full swing immediately.The system needs testing as was amply demonstrated with the 4 dose mistake in QLD and the left in the fridge incident in an aged care home.These things have to be ironed out first.And by the way the distribution,preparation and giving of the doses is all dependent on individual humans.And we are all prone to mistakes.

 

[RooFlyer]

Well I just like to say a thank you to our collective governments in Australia for doing such a magnificent job at containing the Covid virus and arranging for us all to be vaccinated. It hasn’t been without cost – significant cost – and it hasn’t been without mistakes being made - some very significant mistakes. But we 25 millions are a hell of a lot better off than the vast majority of the 4.6 billion people in the world, including the West. Read that last bit again and see if you disagree.

Just have a think about that when you complain about things being delayed here and there when the governments are attempting to do something they have never done before With a vaccine type they have never seen before.

There is no Covid emergency in Australia. The threat from COVID right now is less I would say than flu in an average flu season. That’s not to say the governments shouldn’t be working with necessary speed but I simply don’t understand this harping on and complaining about what’s been done. Life in my society is just about as normal as it has ever been. I’m older with some chronic Heath issues but I’m in no hurry to be vaccinated. I’ll wait patiently until it’s my turn.

Just be thankful for the type of society we live in. Bring on normal flying when we can all complain about the airline food again.

 

[drron]

You have ignored my point about testing of the system and slowly ramping up the schedule.Even Israel did this.You just don't go out and give every available dose immediately.
All I can say if the Government followed your advice we would be seeing far more reports of accidents in the vaccine process.

 

[RooFlyer]

You have ignored my point about testing of the system and slowly ramping up the schedule.Even Israel did this.You just don't go out and give every available dose immediately.
All I can say if the Government followed your advice we would be seeing far more reports of accidents in the vaccine process.

Another thing they ignore Drron is that the government is not trying for an open slather approach to vaccinations right now. It has mostly been a highly targeted cohort focused around centres that can handle the Pfizer vaccine.

1b phase, the next specifically targeted group, ( so still not open slather) hasn’t even begun yet.

 

[Flying mermaid]

This mentions 1.3m doses in Australia

100,000 Australians vaccinated as more COVID-19 vaccine doses arrive

Australia has now imported 1.3 million doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines.

www.smh.com.au

Great so now smh is the authority rather than Dr Brendan Murphy. That’s like believing Craig Kelly instead of the scientists....

Anyway Dr Ron is correct - the vaccines don’t just arrive in the country and get jabbed into arms. They have to go through a testing and quality assurance program before being distributed. The vaccination program has been escalating as more vaccine arrives.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Another thing they ignore Drron is that the government is not trying for an open slather approach to vaccinations right now. It has mostly been a highly targeted cohort focused around centres that can handle the Pfizer vaccine.

1b phase, the next specifically targeted group, ( so still not open slather) hasn’t even begun yet.

1b will start in 1 week and from what they said the CSL produced vaccine will really come online the week after so numbers will grow rapidly. 1b is actually quite a big cohort- 6 million maybe - too lazy to go and check but something like that. I have got Ms FM to register with health engine as she is part of 1b and I will be really happy once she has vaccinated. In fact most of my friends seem to fall into it, as they are all a year or two older than me. I just miss out

 

[Pushka]

1b will start in 1 week and from what they said the CSL produced vaccine will really come online the week after so numbers will grow rapidly. 1b is actually quite a big cohort- 6 million maybe - too lazy to go and check but something like that. I have got Ms FM to register with health engine as she is part of 1b and I will be really happy once she has vaccinated. In fact most of my friends seem to fall into it, as they are all a year or two older than me. I just miss out

Niece falls into 1b too, just in her thirties, Lupus and APS, of course. Like me. Her mum has already had Pfizer due to frontline medical. She is keeping a watch out for when we can start sorting out times as she works in a vaccination hospital. As does MrP being 'other medical'. It is indeed a large cohort.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Niece falls into 1b too, just in her thirties, Lupus and APS, of course. Like me. Her mum has already had Pfizer due to frontline medical. She is keeping a watch out for when we can start sorting out times as she works in a vaccination hospital. As does MrP being 'other medical'. It is indeed a large cohort.

Ms FM is only 29 - it will be good when all of 1b are done. I have a few friends who have isolated themselves for most of the last year and are looking forward to a more normal existence.

 

[Pushka]

Ms FM is only 29 - it will be good when all of 1b are done. I have a few friends who have isolated themselves for most of the last year and are looking forward to a more normal existence.

It strikes young women early. She's been in and out of hospital since her late teens with heart issues. Latest was a DVT and she's now on warfarin and methotrexate.

 

[Flying mermaid]

It strikes young women early. She's been in and out of hospital since her late teens with heart issues. Latest was a DVT and she's now on warfarin and methotrexate.

Poor girl - yes Ms FM was diagnosed at 15 - very devastating for us but she soldiers on. She is on methotrexate plus monthly immunoglobulin - at least it gets her an early Covid vaccination. Have to find the silver linings

 

[lovetravellingoz]

1b will start in 1 week and from what they said the CSL produced vaccine will really come online the week after so numbers will grow rapidly. 1b is actually quite a big cohort- 6 million maybe - too lazy to go and check but something like that. I have got Ms FM to register with health engine as she is part of 1b and I will be really happy once she has vaccinated. In fact most of my friends seem to fall into it, as they are all a year or two older than me. I just miss out

Well look on the brightside...for everything else being younger is a good thing.

 

[John in Melbourne]

Well I just like to say a thank you to our collective governments in Australia for doing such a magnificent job at containing the Covid virus and arranging for us all to be vaccinated. It hasn’t been without cost – significant cost – and it hasn’t been without mistakes being made - some very significant mistakes. But we 25 millions are a hell of a lot better off than the vast majority of the 4.6 billion people in the world, including the West. Read that last bit again and see if you disagree.

Just have a think about that when you complain about things being delayed here and there when the governments are attempting to do something they have never done before With a vaccine type they have never seen before.

There is no Covid emergency in Australia. The threat from COVID right now is less I would say than flu in an average flu season. That’s not to say the governments shouldn’t be working with necessary speed but I simply don’t understand this harping on and complaining about what’s been done. Life in my society is just about as normal as it has ever been. I’m older with some chronic Heath issues but I’m in no hurry to be vaccinated. I’ll wait patiently until it’s my turn.

Just be thankful for the type of society we live in. Bring on normal flying when we can all complain about the airline food again.

Words of wisdom, RF...and I love your last sentence!!

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

9 countries stop/pause Astra Zeneca over blood clotting concerns

 

[drron]

9 countries stop/pause Astra Zeneca over blood clotting concerns

And because of blood clots in the brain.In other words likely to be Ischaemic strokes or emboli both of which are very common in older populations.The numbers don't suggest the vaccine is the cause as it is often older people getting vaccinated.
Basically sounds like the EU still hasn't got over Brexit.

As an aside the CDC has recorded over 1700 deaths in people who have been recently vaccinated with Moderna or Pfizer vaccines but don't believe they are vaccine related.