The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has begun

But if the Vaccinations are starting on 22nd, they had to respond to the invite, be trained, then order their supplies (and they weren't included unless they had done those three things) then surely it's obvious something will happen this week?

Yes, but as we know, the vaccination program is the best excuse ever for a general whinge and complain-a-thon. There was a (previously vocal) GP on ABC radio in Tas this morning carrying on extraordinarily and angrily pointing the finger at the govt for the clinic not having enough staff, for their switchboard melting down, for all the time and effort its going to take. Someone gently pointed out that this GP volunteered his surgery as a vaccination point, and the terms and conditions and what would happen has been known for weeks. I asked my GP 6 weeks ago if they would be a vaccination clinic and he said "No way! We don't have the staff or the time ...". Yet this GP thought it was a good idea to go on radio and give an angry spray because of his business choice.

The killer is that they are only being given 80 doses a week… insane….

Hmmm ... where do you think the doses should be conjured from right now? The Europeans are withholding some supplies, CSL not yet producing locally and even some doses going urgently to PNG. Plus, perhaps, holding back half the available doses for the second injection in 3 weeks.

So, do you think ALL supplies should be with-held from the clinics until they can go full-bore? Or do you think it might be better to release what limited supplies they have, spread around the country to the clinics that have put in an order, get the show moving (even if a little creakily) and then ramp up as supplies become available?
 
No we will be having the AZ vaccine hopefully from our GP.The second shot if we have the first in Late April will be in July about 4 weeks from planned travel
Gotcha. 👍Thought you meant you were done and dusted in late April.
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Thanks for that - I will alert her. You really have to make sure you are across these things. She contacted her Rheumatologist (the Canberra one not the Sydney one) and she wasn’t even able to tell her whether she fell into 1b or not, let alone what the interactions are.
GP's know best it seems although mine is pretty good. She only lets the GP manage when she is confident they know what they are doing.
 
Gotcha. 👍Thought you meant you were done and dusted in late April.
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GP's know best it seems although mine is pretty good. She only lets the GP manage when she is confident they know what they are doing.
I might tactfully (not my strongpoint), find out where she is getting her info on medication interactions and then get her to get Dr FM to do a second check with some of her Rheumatology colleagues. Never hurts to get some extra opinions.
 
Got a txt msg from GP clinic today saying I’m on the list but don’t call us.


Dear TMA, ,

You have been placed on the COVID Vaccine - Phase 1b [Dose 1] waitlist.

You will receive an SMS when it arrives. Please do not call the clinic prior.

Kind regards,
xx_ Clinic”
 
Got a txt msg from GP clinic today saying I’m on the list but don’t call us.


Dear TMA, ,

You have been placed on the COVID Vaccine - Phase 1b [Dose 1] waitlist.

You will receive an SMS when it arrives. Please do not call the clinic prior.

Kind regards,
xx_ Clinic”
That is excellent that they 'know' you.
 
Gee Roo Flyer , are you on a salary as the official apologist for the vac programme ?
My perspective is that the feds and the states have over promised and under delivered , inviting criticism.
We appear to be skating along on a pr generated perception that the ice is quite thick, thats fine as long as it remains so ...
 
Vaccination rates are ramping up well now though. Maybe not exponential and Sundays clearly a day off 😉
 
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Vaccination rates are ramping up well now though. Maybe not exponential and Sundays clearly a day off 😉)
ACT will probably do the same number this week as they had done in all the previous weeks and will increase rapidly in the next month (if they get allocated enough). I think if I remember correctly that Murphy said it would be the week beginning the 29th that the CSL produced vaccines would really start hitting the GPs.
 
Gee Roo Flyer , are you on a salary as the official apologist for the vac programme ?

Gee, I dunno, tgh, but before you go calling or querying someone as an 'apologist', you may like to look to your own hyperbole.

My perspective is that the feds and the states have over promised and under delivered , inviting criticism.

Sure, join the cheap seats in taking the invitation for criticism. My perspective is that much of the criticism of the vaccination roll-out is simplistic, sometimes petty and often unreasonable and that consideration of the circumstances of the roll-out is useful when weighing criticism. But I know its more satisfying to throw rocks over thinking a situation out, so there you go. :)
 
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Victorians desperate to get the coronavirus vaccine are inundating their local general practitioners with phone calls after it was revealed GP clinics would be offering the COVID-19 jab from Monday.

Hanover Street Medical Centre manager Susan Karakostas told NCA NewsWire the Oakleigh clinic had booked two weeks worth of vaccines within an hour on Monday after they sent a text message out to patients over 70 years old.

And on Wednesday when the list of 285 Victorian GP clinics that could administer the vaccine went public, the phones “rang off the hook”.

 
Victorians desperate to get the coronavirus vaccine are inundating their local general practitioners with phone calls after it was revealed GP clinics would be offering the COVID-19 jab from Monday.

Hanover Street Medical Centre manager Susan Karakostas told NCA NewsWire the Oakleigh clinic had booked two weeks worth of vaccines within an hour on Monday after they sent a text message out to patients over 70 years old.

And on Wednesday when the list of 285 Victorian GP clinics that could administer the vaccine went public, the phones “rang off the hook”.

It's quite interesting the different clinic experiences. Where I booked, they did not send out pre texts to any clients but simply went online. In fact they are the only ones in SA who went online. It was very easy to book, even as a new patient. In fact it seemed too easy so I just had to call them later in the day to confirm. The phone was answered very quickly, and by someone who was very cheerful and not stressed. She confirmed everything was booked, just checked I qualified as I wasn't old enough, repeated my Medicare number, allowed me to check that husbands appointment on Thursday was confirmed, then she said she would be sending the consent forms by email and that was done. There were still appointments available last night for next week. Now the proof is in the pudding and that I get to have the injection next week but so far, too easy.
 
I had no problem making a booking for late next week. Not my normal GP, in fact I have never been there but it's only a 5 min drive.

Just bring your medicare card she said and that was that.
 
My brother in the NT is eligible however there are no appointments and has been told to call back in a couple of weeks.
 
I had no problem making a booking for late next week. Not my normal GP, in fact I have never been there but it's only a 5 min drive.

Just bring your medicare card she said and that was that.
That is exactly how it is supposed to work. Seems like many are demanding a first Dr visit before booking people into a vaccination appointment which is very disappointing.
 
Ready for all the complaints about diverting vaccine to PNG delaying the roll out further.Though when you see the stats from PNG it really is disturbing.
1616031731291.png
The 3 circles represent first that 100% of provinces affected,second that 40% of tests done are positive results and last that 41% of women giving birth are Covid positive.


Daily New Cases in Papua New Guinea​


1616032114591.png.
 
Ready for all the complaints about diverting vaccine to PNG delaying the roll out further.Though when you see the stats from PNG it really is disturbing.
View attachment 243166
The 3 circles represent first that 100% of provinces affected,second that 40% of tests done are positive results and last that 41% of women giving birth are Covid positive.


Daily New Cases in Papua New Guinea​


View attachment 243167.
Given the geography of that area and the vulnerabilities of the people and potential leakage into the mainland then PNG is very much a priority area.
 
Awkward. The immunisation clinic sent out consent forms today and must have not done blind CC to all. Or something. One guy has just emailed me his entire medical history! 😱🤭. What do I do?

Looks like it will definitely be Astra, not that this was in any doubt. And advice provided for Astra.
 

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Oh for goodness sake! Do you really think the situation with Covid in Australia anywhere near comparable to that vast majority of countries in the world? Especially the countries in the graph ( except to South Korea). They have deadly health emergencies. How are we going here?

Have you seen the news of countries stopping their vaccination programs? Including countries in the EU in your graph.. Should we be following the quoted countries in that regard, do you think?

Our roll out is suiting our circumstances, not the circumstances In the USA, Norway Iceland Chile or anywhere else. How about that?

Sorry? Economists calling out the government on its performance on a vaccine roll-out? Sorry, while I suppress a laugh. Perhaps they might stick to wrongly predicting the performance of you know, the economy. Now, when bat sexers have their say, I might pay attention. :)

The good perfesser says: If Australia was vaccinating at the US rate we’d be vaccinating about 150,000 people per day. I dunno. What does he say about the comparative the death rates from COVID in Australia and the USA? Is that a 'rollout rate' he'd like to see?

You continue to get it terribly wrong, time and time again.

Let me address all of your errors, one at a time.

Do you really think the situation with Covid in Australia anywhere near comparable to that vast majority of countries in the world?

The vaccination roll out in Australia should be proceeding at a faster rate than other countries because we have had time to set up the roll-out infrastructure & because we are not doing it under emergency conditions. In the US & UK, for example, they have to manage the vaccination roll-out in conditions where they are simultaneously trying to manage COVID-19 outbreaks. They are trying to walk and chew gum at the same time. We are failing to even walk.

Have you seen the news of countries stopping their vaccination programs? Including countries in the EU in your graph.. Should we be following the quoted countries in that regard, do you think?

No vaccination roll-out program is perfect. No one ever claimed that they would be or could be. We cannot even get our program started. A far worse position to be in.

Our roll out is suiting our circumstances, not the circumstances In the USA, Norway Iceland Chile or anywhere else. How about that?

It is not suiting our circumstances. Our circumstances require us to roll out the vaccination program as quickly as is safely possible because, without mass vaccinations, we are:
- letting billion dollar industries die (eg tourism, education) leaving tens of thousands of people out of work
- risking rolling lock downs & panics over lock downs every time a COVID-19 case escapes from hotel quarantine
- forcing families to be separated & for persons to miss important life events (births, deaths, marriages, etc).

What does he say about the comparative the death rates from COVID in Australia and the USA? Is that a 'rollout rate' he'd like to see?

I'll ignore the rest of your remark which shows your inability to understand that Australia's botched roll-out is having massive economic consequences and therefore is in the domain of economics.

To answer your question, the economics profession was one of the first to call for border & school closures to stop the spread of the virus. They were some of the people you should be thanking for Australia's great performance in containing the virus. Would you like to make an apology?

----

Australian GPs are now having to resort to writing op-eds to draw attention to how bad the roll-out is proceeding. Utterly embarrassing.
 
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Awkward. The immunisation clinic sent out consent forms today and must have not done blind CC to all. Or something. One guy has just emailed me his entire medical history! 😱🤭. What do I do?

Looks like it will definitely be Astra, not that this was in any doubt. And advice provided for Astra.
Did you get any warning about checking with the doctor if you take blood thinners? Some friends have got appointments in the ACT for a few weeks time and that was one of the items on the list that was emailed to them. Not that you couldn’t have it but just to discuss with the doctor prior to vaccination.
 

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