The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has begun

[kyle]

I'm in support of the vaccine passport but only until we get to the 70-80% vaccination rate. Once we get there, is the passport of much use? Probably a lot of resources being used for little benefit.

As a someone who is into earthing and likes doing everything or going barefoot as much as possible, I crave for personal freedom and expression and so am always wary of new measures which get thrown around by institutions and businesses in the name of liability or OHS.

Perhaps maybe a NZ style government sponsored no fault insurance scheme for businesses? Just a thought.

 

[Pushka]

I'm in support of the vaccine passport but only until we get to the 70-80% vaccination rate. Once we get there, is the passport of much use? Probably a lot of resources being used for little benefit.

As a someone who is into earthing and likes doing everything or going barefoot as much as possible, I crave for personal freedom and expression and so am always wary of new measures which get thrown around by institutions and businesses in the name of liability or OHS.

Perhaps maybe a NZ style government sponsored no fault insurance scheme for businesses? Just a thought.

We should start using the vaccine passport once everyone has had a fair and reasonable chance of accessing the vaccine which should be later this year.

 

[justinbrett]

Dan’s not-so-subtle swipe at NSW

NSW’s vaccine performance is really eating up some premiers. I think the distribution bias is blown way over the top, excluding the Polish jabs I think they have been more or less pro rata, as the premiers insisted on at the time.

The Polish jabs would not have been available had it not been for Sydney, and only 50% went to NSW, instead of about 30%. All up thats only about 200,000 vaccines extra.

We all know the difference between NSW and other states is the complete lack of fear about AZ and the desperation of the public to get vaccinated.

It is good however that NSW is motivating other states to be quicker.

 

[jakeseven7]

You can only vaccinate based on the supply given.

The Fed Gov controls how many GP's and Pharmacists get vaccines and how many doses each. This is much lower than say NSW.
They also control what goes to all 3 channels including the state hubs.

With respect to the State Hubs The Age reported that 600,000 of the then 2.2 million doses given were AZ. According to The Age no other State Channel had at that time given more than 250,000 AZ via State Hubs. So based on that despite many wanting to wait for Pfizer, the % of AZ used at the Vic State Hubs was very high.

Yes, we have certainly found it much easier to increase allocations into our Sydney clinics than Brisbane or Melbourne that’s for sure. To be expected giving the severity of the virus spread there.


But who honestly cares, the state v state sniping is such a yawn fest, though some people seem to roll around in it, reposting every comment about it!

The only good that comes out of it is that we are getting flayed as being so slow up here in QLD which has some red faces hurriedly trying to get vaccinated so our smoothie drinking mates in Sydney and latte sipping fashion crowd in Melbourne don’t hold it over us forever

Some of the youth social media are doing a great job in that respect - needling but not disparaging.

 

[antycbr]

We're starting to get an idea of where non-sticks and carrots vaccination rates will top out from first doses, noting theres some stragglers still.

70-79s are at 87.2% first doses
60-69s are at 78.2% first doses.
50-59s are at 78.2% first doses

I'm comfortable with how these are tracking without any incentives (other than status credits!) or sticks applied yet. The other cohorts are rapidly going up, indeed the younger cohorts look something like exponential growth.

 

[justinbrett]

Note that these "brought forward" doses arrived in Victoria for distribution much later than the announcement and only began being injected in arms last Tuesday. The Victorian Polish distribution has also only now starting to be available. So it is only from last week that the available Pfizer doses (as in ready to inject) have actually been lifted.

Also note that the Feds do not report on what it is being boosted from. Why are they not transparent with what is delivered each week everywhere? Throughout the rollout they have only provided partial data on this.

As you say, we don't have the stats (they do exist and are given to the states, up to a 7 week forecast, but it's not made public).

Arguing that there's supply issues based on delivery stats is like arguing a retail store has supply issues due to low sales.

 

[Must...Fly!]

"And the thing that's holding us back on the vaccination levels is supply. And the sooner the Commonwealth opens its chequebook and starts providing us more vaccinations is the sooner we can get there."

Quote via the ABC from Martin Foley, the Victorian Health Minister.

Agree 100% we need more vaccines, though at least the supply seems to be coming. Bit odd to accuse the federal government of not opening the chequebook though. Early on criticisms were valid, but I don't think there would be much evidence of not paying up...just feels like more political gamesmanship, getting more and more tiresome each day.

 

[JB expat]

I'm in support of the vaccine passport but only until we get to the 70-80% vaccination rate. Once we get there, is the passport of much use? Probably a lot of resources being used for little benefit.

As a someone who is into earthing and likes doing everything or going barefoot as much as possible, I crave for personal freedom and expression and so am always wary of new measures which get thrown around by institutions and businesses in the name of liability or OHS.

Perhaps maybe a NZ style government sponsored no fault insurance scheme for businesses? Just a thought.

I originally agreed - support vaccine passport only once we get to the 70-80% but I'm beginning to think that there are low risk situations where double vaxxed could be granted some benefits. I understand the fairness argument - but does "fairness" alone merit keeping the double vaxxed unnecessarily restricted - I'm beginning to think not. I am not suggesting permissions that would increase the risk for the yet to be vaxxed and the permissions would require a high degree of compliance which we have not seen. For example, still in home learning so kids have no exposure - my husband & I are both double vaxxed, as are my inlaws. I think we should be allowed to visit with my inlaws. This is an example. If the visit is restricted to outdoors, so be it.

This is what caused me to reconsider:

Why the vaccinated should have more privileges

 

[jb747]

I do not think we should be held back at all by those who choose not to be vaccinated. If they need to be protected, I have no objection to them being locked down. But only them.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Dan’s not-so-subtle swipe at NSW

NSW’s vaccine performance is really eating up some premiers. I think the distribution bias is blown way over the top, excluding the Polish jabs I think they have been more or less pro rata, as the premiers insisted on at the time.

The Polish jabs would not have been available had it not been for Sydney, and only 50% went to NSW, instead of about 30%. All up thats only about 200,000 vaccines extra.

We all know the difference between NSW and other states is the complete lack of fear about AZ and the desperation of the public to get vaccinated.

It is good however that NSW is motivating other states to be quicker.

It would be good if the Opposition State MPs could stop stoking the “Sydney took our Pfizer” rhetoric on their Social media and start encouraging their constituents to get any of the vaccines available.
Sadly it isn’t only the other states that are playing this game.

 

[justinbrett]

It would be good if the Opposition State MPs could stop stoking the “Sydney took our Pfizer” rhetoric on their Social media and start encouraging their constituents to get any of the vaccines available.
Sadly it isn’t only the other states that are playing this game.

As Newcastle residents, we can factually say "Sydney took our Pfizer"... but in fairness, they gave it back

 

[mviy]

40-44 is the latest age group for first doses to go past 1 million.

30-34 first dose has reached 40.3% over half way to 80%.
25-29 first dose has reached 35.1% over half way to 70%.

NSW has gone past 2/3 for 16+ with a first dose (66.83%).

WA should go past 50% first dose for 16+ when today's numbers are released tomorrow. WA has 59.96% fully vaccinated for 70+ so should go past 60% when today's numbers are released tomorrow.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

As you say, we don't have the stats (they do exist and are given to the states, up to a 7 week forecast, but it's not made public).

Interestingly enough the breakdown of AZ and Pfizer dosed by each jurisdiction (ie the State Hubs Channel) was released by the Feds today. The Feds control and administer the other two channels.

That graph shows that the Vic Channel not only has the highest % use of AZ of any jurisdiction, but that it has also dosed more AZ than all the other jurisdictions combined.

 

[mviy]

So if NSW is using lots of AZ it's happening in the GP clinics and pharmacies where people prefer to go.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

The Utilisation Table was also updated today.

Notably the GP/pharmac_ Channel Utilisation Rate is now up to 89% almost approaching the average of all channels which is 93%. GP's now get assigned Pfizer as well as AZ, whereas initially they were AZ only. As Pfizer has gone up, so has their utilisation rate.
Now that for example the NSW State Hubs are also giving AZ there utilisation rate has declined.

Which goes to show that a significant influence on the rate is the type of vaccine that channel has access to, and that "wastage" is not at all significant.

.

 

[justinbrett]

Interestingly enough the breakdown of AZ and Pfizer dosed by each jurisdiction (ie the State Hubs Channel) was released by the Feds today. The Feds control and administer the other two channels.

That graph shows that the Vic Channel not only has the highest % use of AZ of any jurisdiction, but that it has also dosed more AZ than all the other jurisdictions combined.




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But it's (less) than half the picture.

It makes no difference if the person putting the jab in your arm is responsible to the PM or the Premier.

It's clear a higher proportion of vaccines are given by the state in Victoria, but it would seem the difference is largely made up by AZ (ie, the number of Pfizer given by the two states at their hubs is similar on a per capita basis).

If you are trying to say Victoria uses more AZ at its hub, yes, that's clear. Not an incredible useful stat. Does Victoria use more AZ per capita than NSW? No idea, we can't tell from these statistics. The make up is probably about the same (but far higher than the other states).

 

[justinbrett]

So if NSW is using lots of AZ it's happening in the GP clinics and pharmacies where people prefer to go.

Exactly. Why would you line up for an hour at a hub when you can make an appointment at your GP or pharmac_ with next to no wait?

The hubs are also more suited to younger people. I couldn't imagine an older person lining up like that.

 

[mviy]

I think for families with kids too queuing up at a state hub won't be the preferred option, but rather the local GP or pharmac_ or getting vaccinated in a pop-up clinic at school.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

So if NSW is using lots of AZ it's happening in the GP clinics and pharmacies where people prefer to go.

Which is one of the two channels that the Feds directly controls., and decides on what doses go where. And which GPs and Pharmacies get which doses and how many many.

It is the most convenient channel for most to access.

 

[justinbrett]

Which is one of the two channels that the Feds directly controls., and decides on what doses go where. And which GPs and Pharmacies get which doses and how many many.

It is the most convenient channel for most to access.

Yes, but what's the point you're trying to make?