The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has begun

[JB expat]

I cannot wait to vaccinate my children. I am totally willing to sign my 10 and 8 year olds up for this trial.

Moderna considers Australia for vaccine trial for under-12s

Moderna is evaluating Australia as one location for a trial that aims to enrol 6000 children aged from six months to 12 years, with most of the study taking place in the United States.

www.theage.com.au

 

[dairyfloss]

I cannot wait to vaccinated my children. I am totally willing to sign my 10 and 8 year olds up for this trial.

Moderna considers Australia for vaccine trial for under-12s

Moderna is evaluating Australia as one location for a trial that aims to enrol 6000 children aged from six months to 12 years, with most of the study taking place in the United States.

www.theage.com.au

Not sure I'd want to be 'first cab off the rank' with this one... but we'd be confident earlier adopters.

Once we can, my wife and I plan to visit her family in both Eastern Europe and the U.S., and we'd stop in places in between. Maybe a RTW is called for after all this locking down. In any event, and with variations and mutations of the virus set to continue, I'd be much more comfortable that our 5-6 Y.O. had some immunized protection to add to the [now somewhat] lower risk that younger ones have tended to carry

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[JB expat]

Not sure I'd want to be 'first cab off the rank' with this one... but we'd be confident earlier adopters.

Once we can, my wife and I plan to visit her family in both Eastern Europe and the U.S., and we'd stop in places in between. Maybe a RTW is called for after all this locking down. In any event, and with variations and mutations of the virus set to continue, I'd be much more comfortable that our 5-6 Y.O. had some immunized protection to add to the [now somewhat] lower risk that younger ones have tended to carry

Cheers,
Matt.

I'd be nervous, but I'd do it. Millions of above 12's have had it. I too am thinking about a 6-12 week trip to see family in the USA. I am much more worried about doing such a trip with unvaccinated children than having them participate in a late stage trial. If they were babies, I'd probably wait - but on balance given their ages and what I've read about Delta cases in children, I'd enroll them in the Moderna trial.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

From ABC News​

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NSW: ICU manager urges residents to get vaccinated as patients rise​

The manager of the intensive care unit at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Richard Totaro, say staff are looking after patients who were otherwise physically fit with no underlying health conditions.​

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"The remarkable thing about this disease is how incredibly sick patients can become," he said.​

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"It's a really difficult, really complex disease."​

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He urged everyone over 18 to get vaccinated, warning that complications from COVID-19 could stretch on for months.​

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There are 67 people in ICU in NSW.​

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

From ABC News​

​

NSW: ICU manager urges residents to get vaccinated as patients rise​

The manager of the intensive care unit at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Richard Totaro, say staff are looking after patients who were otherwise physically fit with no underlying health conditions.​

​

"The remarkable thing about this disease is how incredibly sick patients can become," he said.​

​

"It's a really difficult, really complex disease."​

​

He urged everyone over 18 to get vaccinated, warning that complications from COVID-19 could stretch on for months.​

​

There are 67 people in ICU in NSW.​

The poor Dr was a good shield for 25 minutes.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

The poor Dr was a good shield for 25 minutes.

Yes unfortunately ICU cases are continuing to trend up.

67 in ICU now. By way of context peak ICU in Victoria during the second wave was 48. Peak hospitalizations were much higher, but that was after many aged care facilities residents were transferred to the hospitals.

The hospitals will be really under the pump (I know from my daughter how hard and demanding it is), though fortunately with many healthworkers being vaccinated we are not seeing the workforce impacted in the same way that occurred in the Vic Second Wave at some hospitals..

 

[mviy]

I cannot wait to vaccinate my children. I am totally willing to sign my 10 and 8 year olds up for this trial.

Moderna considers Australia for vaccine trial for under-12s

Moderna is evaluating Australia as one location for a trial that aims to enrol 6000 children aged from six months to 12 years, with most of the study taking place in the United States.

www.theage.com.au

About half the participants would get a placebo so you’d still need to assume they are unvaccinated till the end of the trial when if they had the placebo they’d presumably get priority access to the real thing if it’s approved.

 

[JB expat]

About half the participants would get a placebo so you’d still need to assume they are unvaccinated till the end of the trial when if they had the placebo they’d presumably get priority access to the real thing if it’s approved.

Very good point that I hadn't considered....also, my husband just told me he isn't keen on volunteering our children for a trial, and I guess he has some say . I know some people who participated in the trials in the USA - they were told that if they got the placebo, they'd be front of line for the real vaccine when available. That was an incentive that appealed to the people I know (adults in NYC where the pandemic hit them hard).

 

[Pushka]

About half the participants would get a placebo so you’d still need to assume they are unvaccinated till the end of the trial when if they had the placebo they’d presumably get priority access to the real thing if it’s approved.

In the US because of this very issue, they released whether or not the person had received the placebo or the vaccine after the trials had been completed so they could then get vaccinated if needed. It was interesting reading the stories where couples had been part of the trial and subsequent side effects. People knew pretty much whether they'd received the placebo or not based on a comparison of post vaccine reactions.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Update released

https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2021/08/covid-19-vaccine-rollout-update-9-august-2021.pdf

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

PM press conference now with TGA head

Moderna 18+ provisional approval...

 

[lovetravellingoz]

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Oh...and notice how the Utilisation Rate for The Primary Care Channel has shot up now that more people are wanting AZ in some states and also that GP's are now also being allocation Pfizer.

Which just reinforces that the lower utilisation rate prior was low due to low demand.

If more GPs stopped recommending that their patients wait for Pfizer that rate would be even higher.

 

[Seat0B]

I'd be nervous, but I'd do it. Millions of above 12's have had it. I too am thinking about a 6-12 week trip to see family in the USA. I am much more worried about doing such a trip with unvaccinated children than having them participate in a late stage trial. If they were babies, I'd probably wait - but on balance given their ages and what I've read about Delta cases in children, I'd enroll them in the Moderna trial.

Feeling relieved that my babies are 30 and 34 so that I don’t have to make that decision. I am so very grateful to all trial participants, of whatever age, for stepping up and literally taking it for the team. True selflessness.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I guess the end of cash/lottery incentives - reporting fromABC

'We're not considering a cash splash': Federal Government considers other COVID vaccine incentives​

The Prime Minister says the government has considered a range of incentives to encourage Australians to get COVID-19 vaccines.

Scott Morrison has rejected the Opposition's proposal to offer $300 cash payments to anyone who's fully vaccinated by December.

In response to reports that the government approached gambling company Tabcorp to design a vaccine lottery, Mr Morrison said such a plan was not being proceeded with.

But he's told Parliament other options will be looked at later on.

"Operation COVID shield has considered many types of incentives, Mr Speaker. Particularly when we're in Phase B of the program, not Phase A of the program, Mr Speaker," Mr Morrison said.

"But I tell you what we're not considering, we're not considering a cash splash."

 

[Lynda2475]

Which just reinforces that the lower utilisation rate prior was low due to low demand

Not proven at all because still 12% lower despite AZ eligibility rules changing over a month ago.

Next mistake is not allocating any Moderna to state hubs.

 

[mviy]

I guess the end of cash/lottery incentives

Well let's see how the vaccine rollout progresses. The agreement to use lockdowns as a last resort wasn't worth the paper the media release was written on.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Not proven at all because still 12% lower despite AZ eligibility rules changing over a month ago.

LOL, so you still maintain that they are wasted doses despite the definitions.

Funny too that Hazzard stated that NSW were swimming in AZ not long ago, and nothing at all about wasting it. Whereas NSW are now injecting it as many there have realised the what the true health risk is = catching the virus if not vaccinated. Quite amazing that those wasted dosed are now in arms in NSW.

And by your logic WA will have wasted 9% of their Pfizer. Whereas they are just struggling to get people to get vaccinated and that is why they are now allowing people aged 30 to 39 to now book into Pfizer.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Next mistake is not allocating any Moderna to state hubs.

The mistake would actually be using it at the state hubs that are already set up for Pfizer. Besides the State Hubs will be getting increased doses of Pfizer per week anyway.

It is much easier to use than Pfizer widely and so it is very wise to use via Pharmacies to gain better coverage everywhere. So better mRNA coverage will be gained nationally and regionally by distributing it through Pharmacies.

There are many people that cannot get to Pfizer Hubs, or have unreasonably long journeys to do so. Moderna at Pharmacies will introduce greater fairness and equity into vaccine distribution and that is a very good thing.

Pharmacies are very convenient for many people. They do not require special trips, and for regions in outbreaks that in itself is a major improvement to community safety.

 

[Must...Fly!]

I am so very grateful to all trial participants, of whatever age, for stepping up and literally taking it for the team. True selflessness.

I agree and have often pondered what kind of reward/award, if any, could or should be bestowed on these people given the circumstances in which they volunteered.