The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has begun

[jakeseven7]

Dad told me his clinic is on the approved list. Expects to run extended hours in early morning and late evening as vaccine only appointments, leaving the day for regular clinical work. Was not given detail on dose numbers or a start date, but hopes to get the first shot within 4 weeks and then begin administering to 1B patients.

He probably won’t need to worry about any extended hours just yet as the maximum GP allocation was just 400 doses a week! Most are getting 50-100 to start with....

GPs have already been told their initial allocation and start dates so surprised he hasn’t heard.

 

[Lynda2475]

More queue jumping by politicians and ex-politicians today. Think its more important to vaccinate front line workers and elderly, not privileged people like Julia Gillard who has no interaction with overseas arrivals nor are in a high risk group based on age. Poor form.

 

[mviy]

More queue jumping by politicians and ex-politicians today. Think its more important to vaccinate front line workers and elderly, not privileged people like Julia Gillard who has no interaction with overseas arrivals nor are in a high risk group based on age. Poor form.

It’s important that people feel confident to get vaccinated. People can say do what I say, but it’s so more powerful to say do what I’ve done.

The politicians make up a small proportion of those who have received a vaccine dose so far. It’s not going to make a material negative difference to when the most at risk get vaccinated. In fact, if anything it could make a significant positive difference as more of those most at risk have confidence in the vaccine

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Covid is unusual that government is buying doses for all Australians

1/ And the customer the Federal Government has made its purchase decision with respect to CV19 vaccines .
No company is going to build a hugely expensive plant without some certainty in being able to sell its product. The additional plant you want built, has no customer.

2/ The Government buying vaccines for free vaccination of all applicable Australians is actually not unusual at all as many vaccines in Australia are free to the public. Even the flu vaccine is free to many.

What is the NIP Schedule?​

The National Immunisation Program (NIP) Schedule is a series of immunisations given at specific times throughout your life. The immunisations range from birth through to adulthood. All vaccines listed in the NIP Schedule are free. ​

National Immunisation Program Schedule – from 1 July 2020​

For all non-Indigenous Australians
National Immunisation Program Schedule (from July 2020)

Just some of these include:

• chickenpox
• diphtheria
• Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib)
• hepatitis B
• measles
• meningococcal disease
• mumps
• pneumococcal infection
• polio (poliomyelitis)
• rotavirus
• rubella
• tetanus
• whooping cough (pertussis)

For the full list go to National Immunisation Program Schedule



PS And the Sequirus plant by the way was not just about CV19 Vaccines, but about expanding Flu Vaccination supply as well as a range of others products:
The site will not only produce seasonal influenza vaccines for international use, but also shots for viruses local to Australia, including antivenom for snakes, spiders and "marine creatures," and the world’s only human vaccine for Q-Fever, a bacterial infection spread by livestock, the company said

The Melbourne site will complement existing production at Seqirus' manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, North Carolina, and will also produce a key adjuvant used in some of the company's vaccines.)

 

[RooFlyer]

Changes to the rollout

Australia will enlist the help of more than 4,500 GP clinics in its bid to keep its vaccine rollout on schedule.

I saw that report and thought "But GPs and their clinics have always been part of the roll-out", along with some pharmacies. I think the report is mainly a bit of fluff to keep the good news story going. Maybe they have expanded the number of clinics, but not new, I'm pretty sure.

I don't think my GP clinic (a Travel Doctor one, with a number of nurses and a pathology blood-letting taking facility) is participating. My GP there said they would be too busy and couldn't spare the room (or two, given prep etc).

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I saw that report and thought "But GPs and their clinics have always been part of the roll-out", along with some pharmacies. I think the report is mainly a bit of fluff to keep the good news story going. Maybe they have expanded the number of clinics, but not new, I'm pretty sure.

I don't think my GP clinic (a Travel Doctor one, with a number of nurses and a pathology blood-letting taking facility) is participating. My GP there said they would be too busy and couldn't spare the room (or two, given prep etc).

Probably true.

My impression was that phase 1b was partially Pfizer which would have meant partial hubs. And phase 1a was definitely through hubs.

With Astra Zeneca coming along quicker relative to Pfizer, it now means phase 1b is solely Astra Zeneca and possible phase 1a will be Astra Zeneca through hubs.

The other part is the timing Astra Zeneca was really due to roll out 1 million per week from April, but I feel it’s starting a little early at 22 March (but of course not at 1m per week)

 

[Pushka]

SA. 130 vaccines yesterday.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

SA. 130 vaccines yesterday.

Weekend though.

 

[Pushka]

Weekend though.

Oh. Covid takes the weekend off now. And in the same breath they raise concerns there may be a community spread because Covid results are being seen in sewage. They stated months ago that they would not be releasing data on sewage.

 

[Lynda2475]

It’s important that people feel confident to get vaccinated. People can say do what I say, but it’s so more powerful to say do what I’ve done

How does a politician instill any confidence? Gillard is not a doctor or scientist so no expert knowledge nor is she representative of those we most need to get vaccinated. Queue jumping plain and simple, and likely to inspire anger and resentment not confidence. If you want to convince people its safe show those who need it most - follow up on the oldies who got the shot and show how well they are doing, show frontline workers.

I have personally had to pay for vaccine boosters over the pasr 25 years for travel (and to protect my immuno suppressed mum when whopping cough and measles was going around) . My Dad got his measles booster free as was primary carer and over 65, but my sister and I had to pay. I have the receipts and health fund reimbursement claims for tetnus, whooping cough, measles, hep b, rabies, yellow fever and polio - if these are free then why do GPs charge and health funds process paid claims? Chemist warehouse require a payment or vocuher when booking flu shot, but if you have health card free at GP, but i had to pay at GP, so flu shot not free for all.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Oh. Covid takes the weekend off now.

No but this is a program to run till Oct. Maybe permanently, if long-term immunity is not gained.

Most hospitals typically do less procedures on the weekends and so not being flat chat everyday probably has rostering benefits.

They may also need gaps for maintenance/cleaning or other protocols.

As long as they achieve the weekly through put all is good. But main test will be once the AZ doses start arriving when the programs have to ramp up.

 

[Pushka]

As long as they achieve the weekly through put all is good. But main test will be once the AZ doses start arriving when the programs have to ramp up.

The current speed does not reassure me they have established good systems. People have Saturday off. Hospitals don't close. So that's a good time to get vaccinated surely.

 

[Lynda2475]

The ability to get early morning, evening and weekend appointments will be critical for mass vaccinations, most people cant take time off work during business hours. If you dont make it easy to acess, take up will be lower than needed.

I think there is a huge missed opportunity by not running office schemes like they do with flu shot each year. Many people dont have a regular GP they go to, whereas they are already at work so finding 15mins to drop by a meeting room for a shot is easy.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

The current speed does not reassure me they have established good systems. People have Saturday off. Hospitals don't close. So that's a good time to get vaccinated surely.

We are in the 1a phase at present, and not into the general public yet. Doses are still very limited and mass vaccinations have not really kicked off yet.

Hospitals at least in Vic are less busy on weekends. Your ones in SA may be different. Emergency obviously still happens, but many procedures, tests, physio etc are mainly Monday to Friday in Vic.

Virtually everyone being vaccinated at present are in 1a, which is where we are at, has an employer who will facilitate them to get vaccinated as soon as their name is called.

Indeed at least in Vic the 1a vaccinations are scheduled either during their shifts or change in shifts. So again it looks like SA must be different to Vic in how the 1a rollout is occurring.

That plus aged and disability residents who get special in facility vaccinations.



All I am really saying is that with the teams deployed so far it really does not matter which 5 of the 7 days they work, and if most teams coincide M-F, it will most likely not impact the weekly throughput.

As more and more doses become available (ie once AZ really starts to flow), then yes they may well want to make greater use of the weekends and the vaccination centres will be a bottleneck, and moreso when then get into 2a and beyond.

 

[Pushka]

We are in the 1a phase at present, and not into the general public yet. Doses are still very limited and mass vaccinations have not really kicked off yet.

Hospitals at least in Vic are less busy on weekends. Your ones in SA may be different. Emergency obviously still happens, but many procedures, tests, physio etc are mainly Monday to Friday in Vic.

Virtually everyone being vaccinated at present are in 1a, which is where we are at, has an employer who will facilitate them to get vaccinated as soon as their name is called.

Indeed at least in Vic the 1a vaccinations are scheduled either during their shifts or change in shifts. So again it looks like SA must be different to Vic in how the 1a rollout is occurring.

That plus aged and disability residents who get special in facility vaccinations.



All I am really saying is that with the teams deployed so far it really does not matter which 5 of the 7 days they work, and if most teams coincide M-F, it will most likely not impact the weekly throughput.

As more and more doses become available (ie once AZ really starts to flow), then yes they may well want to make greater use of the weekends and the vaccination centres will be a bottleneck, and moreso when then get into 2a and beyond.

Sure. But stories of many in 1A, front line medical staff, not being advised of how they can obtain the vaccination. And it's not as though at 300 a day they are ripping through them during the week either.

 

[RooFlyer]

I tend to agree with Pushka. With 1a being for the front-liners, in an easy to contact and arrange cohort, and you’d think ( hope) all willing to get the vaccination ( ie turn up) AND now a couple of weeks in, you’d think a bit more of a wiggle on might be evident in the larger states. Small states more dose limited - Tas gets though it’s single tray a week in about 4 days.

 

[drron]

Though the definition of front line health care workers is quite fluid in some States with hospital administrators being considered front line but doctors outside of ED are not.
Here in QLD I know one anaesthetist who is not considered frontline even though he was on call for the Covid ward and was required to do intubations there.

 

[Pushka]

Though the definition of front line health care workers is quite fluid in some States with hospital administrators being considered front line but doctors outside of ED are not.
Here in QLD I know one anaesthetist who is not considered frontline even though he was on call for the Covid ward and was required to do intubations there.

Agree re definition. But I'm referring to Nurses working in ER where as you'd know, people with all kinds of potential (although currently in SA unlikely ) Covid cases walk in day and night.

 

[ethernet]

The rollout is a disaster. The message to vaccinate and the key word convincingly is required. In the past week:
1) Doctors gagged, being fed lines to feed their patients, that is void of data or unfavorable international bench-marking. PC correctness like "The best vaccine you can get is the one available now'. Probably get into trouble saying the Germans have 1 million AZ in a warehouse, and Germans only will take the other one you cant have.
2) OK to lie about allergies - that nurse/worker made the practical decision
3) JohBP on numbers. Never you mind about that.
4) Nobody in the priority group yet sacked/idled for refusing a vaccination
5) Overly complicated plan - not like Israel. In Bryon Bay you can score much easier.
6) No mention of a green privileges card like Israel
7) Scope creep. Language, country of birth to be recorded when you get the COVID jab
8) No commercial rockstars - like Hemsworth. Those politicians maybe just got a shot of saline for all I know.
9) No scare or grim reaper campaign selling the negatives: You could loose your job, have your hours cut back, you could get long covid, your pet cat could get sick or die.
10) Scare em. If there is another lockdown, you could be stuck at home. If you were vaccinated , you could get privileges. But if you wait or hestitate, or it is sold out, you are stuck. Why do think the politicians got their shots? Exactly , different rules for different people.
11) Invent a rumor. Like if you get covid, and even if you get better, you will have crows feet around the eyes and baggy jowls after, and maybe gain weight in unwanted areas. Then show an infomercial, where the hawker says' Our expensive miracle face and wrinkle cream does not work on covid eyes, and that demonstrator B cant be helped.

The current crop of TV ads are worthless and unconvincing, just nudges at those who accept authority, or in the yes line anyway.

 

[MelMel]

My GP clinic will be receiving a delivery of Astra Zeneca on 29th March. They have an on site Nurse but I don’t know who will be administering them yet.