The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has begun

[lovetravellingoz]

I also wonder whether there'll be a change to deliver second Pfizer doses after 6 weeks to try and get more first doses delivered.

With Alpha that would be a good idea. With Delta the studies seem to suggest that people need two doses. With AZ that second dose timing has already been brought down in NSW to speed up when people get their second dose. With Pfizer I think 3 weeks is the minimum.

Post automatically merged: Jul 17, 2021

Dr Chant: Another death in Sydney. Man in his 80's.

 

[mviy]

That's a shame. In his 80's he should have been fully vaccinated by now. Did they say if he had had any vaccine doses?

 

[Flying mermaid]

Looking at the figures the ACT has much higher than average vaccination rates. In fact their first dose rates are the highest in the country and the second dose rates are only beaten by the NT. This would suggest that the NT has been given relatively more Pfizer than the ACT, presumably because of the NT's significant vulnerable population.

I think there'll be a longer wait in VIC and NSW for Pfizer to be opened up. My GP still has a long wait before it will get some and presumably then they'll start with the older priority age groups that haven't sourced it elsewhere.

I also wonder whether there'll be a change to deliver second Pfizer doses after 6 weeks to try and get more first doses delivered.

Wouldn’t surprise me to see them lengthen it to 6 weeks. ACT has 1 AZ clinic and 2 Pfizer clinics and they are pushing through as much as they can. They run until quite late 8pm for the Garran clinic and I think the airport one will be going to 8pm soon - they run at the weekends as well. The respiratory clinic runs all weekend so that helps - our weekend numbers are only a little lower than during the week.

ACT does have a history of supporting vaccinations and our childhood vaccination rates are 95%.

Mr FM and I had our second AZ jabs on Thursday and our group seemed to be a mixture of first and second people - probably slightly more second.

Post automatically merged: Jul 17, 2021

That's a shame. In his 80's he should have been fully vaccinated by now. Did they say if he had had any vaccine doses?

They said yesterday only 1 vaccinated person in ICU and they had only had 1 dose.

 

[mviy]

On the 1st July 16.6% of 70+ were fully vaccinated whereas as of the 15th 29.15% are fully vaccinated. The first dose count only climbed from 70.09% to 74.54% for the same cohort.

In 50+ it went from 9.98% to 16.82% for fully vaccinated and 52.96% to 58.55% for first doses

In 16+ it went from 8.37% to 12.95% for fully vaccinated and 30.07% to 34.48% for first doses.

So over the past few weeks we've seen bigger jumps in second doses compared with first doses. The jump in fully vaccinated for the 70+ population is particularly pleasing and should continue to climb quickly over the next few months as more and more become due for their second doses.

 

[Must...Fly!]

I think people are finally starting to get it. My GP family member reports that instead of people coming to beg for Pfizer, they are getting a lot of >60s coming to ask for dose 2 of AZ before 12 weeks is up.

Obviously the strong advice is not to bring it forward unless facing an outbreak situation but it's still pleasing to hear.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

163, 937 yesterday.

 

[mviy]

We have passed 30% of 70+ fully vaccinated. Only slightly less than 75% of 70+ have had their first dose.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

We have passed 30% of 70+ fully vaccinated. Only slightly less than 75% of 70+ have had their first dose.

Yes...

 

[JB expat]

We need rules like France once the supply is up. Look how the record was set for appointments. Ignore the reference to protests.

Protests erupt as France introduces new vaccination requirements - The Points Guy

Vaccines or recent negative PCR test will soon be required to do many things in France

thepointsguy.com

 

[Flying mermaid]

We need rules like France once the supply is up. Look how the record was set for appointments. Ignore the reference to protests.

Protests erupt as France introduces new vaccination requirements - The Points Guy

Vaccines or recent negative PCR test will soon be required to do many things in France

thepointsguy.com

40% fully vaccinated isn’t great though, given how long they have been going!

 

[DC3]

The politicians should really be talking this up to remind people that both AZ and Pfizer are good vaccines.

Yes, well, what more is there say? Other than, who is actually listening?

 

[burmans]

We need rules like France once the supply is up. Look how the record was set for appointments. Ignore the reference to protests.

Protests erupt as France introduces new vaccination requirements - The Points Guy

Vaccines or recent negative PCR test will soon be required to do many things in France

thepointsguy.com

Carrot/stick. It’s always worked well in the past!

 

[DC3]

Carrot/stick. It’s always worked well in the past!

The trouble is, in Oz we don’t have enough supply of the vax to implement a similar policy, even if our leaders had the will.

 

[jakeseven7]

Eventually once everyone has had a fair chance to get vaccinated, if you don’t (without very good reason) you should have to pay an additional Medicare surcharge

 

[Flying mermaid]

The trouble is, in Oz we don’t have enough supply of the vax to implement a similar policy, even if our leaders had the will.

I don’t think it’s needed at the moment as people seem to be turning up and using all the supply. It’s more when we get through all the eager ones and supply starts exceeding arms that we will need some sort of carrot and stick approach.

 

[JB expat]

Another point of comparison re: vaccine rollouts.

Life for Australians in Seattle, America's most vaccinated city, is getting back to normal

'Here, you basically wouldn't know that coronavirus had ever happened,' said Daniella Phair, who lives in Seattle, where more than 70 per cent of the population is vaccinated.

www.traveller.com.au

 

[Flying mermaid]

Another point of comparison re: vaccine rollouts.

Life for Australians in Seattle, America's most vaccinated city, is getting back to normal

'Here, you basically wouldn't know that coronavirus had ever happened,' said Daniella Phair, who lives in Seattle, where more than 70 per cent of the population is vaccinated.

www.traveller.com.au

To paraphrase Keating - these are the lockdowns we had to have. Australians have been too lucky with so few cases and deaths. Hopefully this new mess will be sending people off to get vaccinated and with supplies ramping up we will be able to get them done! Numbers will be looking much better by October.

 

[mviy]

Yesterday’s numbers are in. Now over 35% of 16+ have had their first dose and over 75% of 70+ have had their first dose.

 

[Flying mermaid]

And running total for the week is 970,000. When will we hit the magic million

 

[mviy]

And running total for the week is 970,000. When will we hit the magic million

Once the increased Pfizer supply is able to go into arms that will happen. If the shipment arrives this week, there will be a lag for batch testing and distributing the doses before they go into arms.