The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has begun

[Princess Fiona]

This is the current public information about the AZ vaccine from the Federal Health Department and ATAGI.
Please contact your GP if you have any concerns or questions.
Patient Information on TTS

 

[Must...Fly!]

Amateur question - Can antibody testing differentiate between actual infection & vaccine induced protection? I presume not, but curious anyway.

 

[bcworld]

Amateur question - Can antibody testing differentiate between actual infection & vaccine induced protection? I presume not, but curious anyway.

I don't think so.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Amateur question - Can antibody testing differentiate between actual infection & vaccine induced protection? I presume not, but curious anyway.

Short answer is yes it can.

 

[burmans]

NSW first dose figures increasing about 1% a day at current rates. I know we can't count our chickens before they hatch but at this rate we will hit closer to 65% by EOM than 60%.

I share the sentiment that 60% is not enough for anything other than minor tweaks to restrictions (and suspect this will b the case anyway) but I do think the prospect of some escape from lockdown is helping with driving the take-up. Interesting conundrum.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Vaccination stakes update!

Haven’t done this for awhile as it was borderline depressing with Australia bouncing between 80 and 78, while we overtook some laggards but were overtaken in turn.

However the last few weeks have seen us start to take part in the race again. We have overtaken countries like Romania, Azerbaijan and Kuwait and managed to hold off Russia and Belize. Currently a nose in front of Kazakhstan and South Korea to put us into 71st position.

We are taking on the drug cartels next week, with Mexico and Columbia blocking our progress into the 60s.

 

[serfty]

Their story is that the indemnity was never 'tabled' or some such thing.

Reports are the negoiations between the federal government and the AMA have been problematic.

---

Is someone who has 2 doses of AZ 4 weeks apart considered to be fully vaccinated? Or are they required to have a 3rd dose x weeks later for that to be the case? Or even boosted with something else.

Yes

They are likely to need a booster shot (probably not AZ, but could be if we still have supplies of it) sooner than they otherwise would have. Probably of Pfizer or Moderna, but that's still probably not till there's more than sufficient supplies available for everyone in the country to get vaccinated even those who are anti-vax and will refuse to have it.

Someone who takes AZ 4 weeks apart is still going to be much better protected than someone who has only had one dose.

Of course, but I am just wondering if this is something for which there is a specific timeline for 4 week AZ'ers.

Just thinking back to when Dr Chant first raised the 4 week thing in the press conference I'm fairly sure a 3rd shot was mentioned.

This comparison referred to is between Pfizer, the Israel 3 weeks and the UK 12 weeks, basically the longer break provides for significantly longer protection before a booster may be needed.

General COVID-19 Vaccine Discussion

Iceland is experiencing its worst Covid-19 pandemic outbreak. That’s despite near-total vaccination levels. And what Delta’s doing there may now be a sign of things to come for Australia. The issue seems to be that once vaccination rates are high enough that all precautions seem to be chucked...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

---

It's a vaccine, not an immortality serum!

True, my MIL was fully Pfizered but, sadly, still passed away in late June from dementia. She was 87.

 

[JB expat]

Still reverts to paywall but at least now I can see the comments! Usually comments are better than the article! Thanks!

I tried to post but it was removed because it was behind a paywall.

 

[jakeseven7]

Reports are the negoiations between the federal government and the AMA have been problematic.

Nope, it’s done. It’s just a heap of cowpoo and is unusable, unsurprisingly.

 

[jakeseven7]

Vic really targeting the younger cohort with Brett Sutton on a charm offensive on TikTok showing his Tatts and Dan flogging the slow coach boomers which always gets a cheer from the younger crowds.

Seems to be working with the vax hubs swamped with under 40’s this week - leading VIC to open another 40 mass hubs for under 40’s from Monday, basically ignoring the now irrelevant ATAGI.

——-

Dan The Man Andrews Praised Young Aussies For Getting Vaxxed & Subtly Told Boomers To Do Better

Suck cough, boomers.

www.pedestrian.tv

 

[mviy]

Joe Hildebrand: One simple change could get all Aussies vaccinated

“Barring a medical certificate, as I said last week, there is no excuse for not having had at least one dose.

By the end of this month there will be little excuse for not having had two.”

Compared to him my view that people will have had plenty of time to be fully vaccinated by the end of September, or say late October for those who procrastinated a bit after becoming eligible, looks overly generous.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Joe Hildebrand: One simple change could get all Aussies vaccinated

“Barring a medical certificate, as I said last week, there is no excuse for not having had at least one dose.

By the end of this month there will be little excuse for not having had two.”

Compared to him my view that people will have had plenty of time to be fully vaccinated by the end of September, or say late October for those who procrastinated a bit after becoming eligible, looks overly generous.

Interesting opinion.... the second link is entitled "Joe Hildebrand: People who refuse to get vaccinated are no longer decent members of society" was published on 7 August so a person with that view might choose to be generous and say if you are not on this stat page of 9 August you are not a decent person.

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

Lots who are not decent people.......

I think the first article basically says give vaccinated privileges from 1 September 2021 (no detail even on whether applicable to 2-dose, 1 dose with 3 weeks, or 1 dose) and it will all be done and dusted. Conveniently ignoring amongst other things that almost 80% are now willing to have a covid vaccine and that demand is above available shots (appointments/prepped needles) in many places.

May be let's have another look at Christmas.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Interesting opinion.... the second link is entitled "Joe Hildebrand: People who refuse to get vaccinated are no longer decent members of society" was published on 7 August so a person with that view might choose to be generous and say if you are not on this stat page of 9 August you are not a decent person.

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

Lots who are not decent people.......

I think the first article basically says give vaccinated privileges from 1 September 2021 (no detail even on whether applicable to 2-dose, 1 dose with 3 weeks, or 1 dose) and it will all be done and dusted. Conveniently ignoring amongst other things that almost 80% are now willing to have a covid vaccine and that demand is above available shots (appointments/prepped needles) in many places.

May be let's have another look at Christmas.

Not to mention children who can’t be vaccinated yet. They will still be at risk with an 80% strategy but that seems a reasonable balance. Going too soon is just selfish, while having some sympathy for those who have done the right thing. I still think we will hit 80% fully vaccinated in November - exactly when depends on the mix of mRNA and AZ and intervals between jabs.

WA keep threatening to go on a vaccination blitz - hopefully happen soon. NT are spending a couple of million to bring health professionals to the Territory to help with vaccinations.

 

[jb747]

Lots who are not decent people.......

You only need to visit a Woolworths/Coles car park to see that.

On the NSW/Vic border, I'd have no issues with vaccination being made a requirement to cross. Have an announced date for that, and run a local vaccination blitz, and much of the angst that has been evident on the borders could (perhaps) be relieved.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Not to mention children who can’t be vaccinated yet. They will still be at risk with an 80% strategy but that seems a reasonable balance. Going too soon is just selfish, while having some sympathy for those who have done the right thing. I still think we will hit 80% fully vaccinated in November - exactly when depends on the mix of mRNA and AZ and intervals between jabs.

WA keep threatening to go on a vaccination blitz - hopefully happen soon. NT are spending a couple of million to bring health professionals to the Territory to help with vaccinations.

Yes, I've been concerned about the children ineligible to be vaccinated for a while.

The WA blitz is targeted at those aged in 30s - I think its Pfizer for 2 weeks from 16 August (est 140,000 shots)

 

[mviy]

I think the point from my view is that as clearly all adults who are are desperate to be vaccinated will have had plenty of time to be fully vaccinated by end of September/October, it would be completely reasonable to have a date set to learn to live with this before Christmas.

Wanting to travel overseas once fully vaccinated to see Australian family, have a negative COVID test prior to returning home and do home quarantine is not selfish. It poses almost zero risk to the community if the states get their act together and run it properly.

Children are far less likely to get seriously ill from COVID than adults. Any kids that die from it almost certainly would be terminally ill with something else. Prioritising the vaccination of kids with co-morbidities is a responsible step, but vaccinating all kids before beginning to open up would cause unnecessary delay.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Children are far less likely to get seriously ill from COVID than adults. Any kids that die from it almost certainly would be terminally ill with something else. Prioritising the vaccination of kids with co-morbidities is a responsible step, but vaccinating all kids before beginning to open up would cause unnecessary delay.

Children are much more likely to get COVID with the Delta virus and it’s not just deaths but life long problems.

no-one is saying wait for children to be vaccinated, but waiting for 80% vaccination of adults is sensible. Anyway it’s a pointless discussion - the one thing I am confident of is that there will be no significant opening up prior to 80% vaccination.

 

[jakeseven7]

Yes, I've been concerned about the children ineligible to be vaccinated for a while.

The WA blitz is targeted at those aged in 30s - I think its Pfizer for 2 weeks from 16 August (est 140,000 shots)

Oh I didn’t realise WA had started vaccinating yet

 

[mviy]

Oh I didn’t realise WA had started vaccinating yet

Vaccination rates for 70+ in WA aren't that bad. Whilst they have the worst progress of any state in the nation for first doses for 70+ it's not by much and their 2nd doses are higher than VIC. For 50+ their 2nd doses are higher than SA and not too far below VIC. However first dose for 50+ is the worst of any state in the nation, still just below 2/3 with first dose, not far behind SA and QLD.

For 16+ is where WA's bad progress becomes extremely evident. Only QLD is close to WA's 41.21% first dose and 21.92% second dose.

With no imminent plans to restart international travel in the next month or two and with WA's extreme approach to maintaining zero COVID and shutting out its own residents from returning from interstate, is it little wonder that young WAs see little rush to get vaccinated and if they have swallowed the anti-VAX anti-AZ scaremongering will be waiting for Pfizer?

 

[Must...Fly!]

Unfortunately for children there will have to be a risk I think. COVID will reach everyone over the next year or two no matter how many lockdowns we have.