The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has begun

[33kft]

I'm finding it hard to regard this as a serious comment. Many of these countries hit our current level of fully vaccinated rates 2-3 months ago, you aren't a Liberal party apologist by chance?

The comment was made in the context of us all understanding well how late we started to ramp up vaccination and the ground that we've made up in the meantime. If you need a disclaimer before every post rather than the context of 300 odd pages of discussion, so be it.

I am certainly not a Liberal party apologist and as a Victorian I'm exceptionally angry about how the federal channels have been managed but what good does either whinging about state allocations or the late start do? The point is, once you start, making up ground and you are sitting in front of a graph that shows us 1 day away from overtaking Germany in terms of first dose coverage of population, with a 20% delta between jabs being an unfortunate byproduct of a late start, but you're not seriously suggesting that we won't be able to match first doses with second doses are you? Because if not, we're already ahead of the US, next to Germany and 10% off of Canada, Denmark and China for first dose and thats not bad for a country that started in earnest 3-6 months after most of the countries you're referring to, a point illustrated by the graph you've provided.

You can see it clearly in the curve shown. We started in earnest way too late but we have at least maintained a run rate that is allowing us to finally catch up. With 10% delta on first jabs (a different metric to your fully vaccinated graph) and 25% on full vaccinations, Australia will soon be in that league, albeit late - we're talking perhaps a month and a half behind at this stage and this rate, and I'd love to see where in my post you think I suggested otherwise.

 

[Lynda2475]

With all the moving goal posts its worth looking at the vax stats for everyone 12+ as it seems this is the stat that WA, Tas, ACT and Qld are going to insist on

Victoria: 82.8 per cent of the population over the age of 12 have had one dose and 52.8 per cent have had both
NSW: 88 per cent of the population over the age of 12 have had their first dose and 66.9 per cent are fully vaccinated.

 

[dairyfloss]

I'm going to double-down on this suggestion that we'll be doing some more overtaking, soon, and predict we're going to slip past Germany, Israel, the U.K. and a number of others within the next 7-10 days, on 1st doses. In September, it took Germany nearly 12 days to rise by 1% for this statistic... Israel 20 days to rise 1%, and it was nearly 27 days for the UK to do the same. We're averaging this 1% increase for both 1st and 2nd doses of our population - that's against total, not just eligible - in less than 2 days. Faster states will soon slow, but there's lots of catching up from others, plus the 12-16 Y.O. population now going hard at it.

Second doses will naturally take some time to catch this up, but we're still realistically looking at being ahead of the U.S. for the fully vaccinated % of our population by the last week of October, and ahead of Israel & the U.K. in the first half of November. Combine this with the fact that we have stayed in the bottom 3 OECD nations for COVID-19 deaths per capita throughout the pandemic, and it's a pretty good story.

The big omission from here of course - is lockdowns. Its been frequently awful to be in Australia for a large proportion of the population, over a long period of time, and it will take much longer for us to get over that, mentally, physically, emotionally and financially... even if we do pick up the 'most improved' trophy at the first 'International COVID-19 Awards for Vaccination Pace'.

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[Lynda2475]

Been a few weeks since I had tome to read the weekly surveillance report, but this table (which is about 3 weeks old) really helps to highlight that vaccinations are working:



The serious breakthrough cases are predominantly in elderly population, and we know from the pressers many of those were in palliative care for other conditions.

 

[mviy]

ATAGI recommends booster shots for the immunocompromised. Only a matter of time one would think before they recommend it for a wider group.

COVID-19

Information about COVID-19, vaccines and recommendations for vaccination from the Australian Immunisation Handbook.

www.health.gov.au

 

[Pushka]

ATAGI recommends booster shots for the immunocompromised. Only a matter of time one would think before they recommend it for a wider group.

COVID-19

Information about COVID-19, vaccines and recommendations for vaccination from the Australian Immunisation Handbook.

www.health.gov.au

Indeed.
“ATAGI will provide further advice on booster doses (including for healthcare workers, older adults and the general population) separately,” a statement from the group said.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

ATAGI recommends booster shots for the immunocompromised. Only a matter of time one would think before they recommend it for a wider group.

COVID-19

Information about COVID-19, vaccines and recommendations for vaccination from the Australian Immunisation Handbook.

www.health.gov.au

Indeed.
“ATAGI will provide further advice on booster doses (including for healthcare workers, older adults and the general population) separately,” a statement from the group said.

"The recommended interval for the 3rd dose is 2-6 months ... minimum interval of 4 weeks...

Seems very short?!?! Based on all the reading/information internationally referred to on AFF threads I was expecting 5-7 months.

 

[Pushka]

"The recommended interval for the 3rd dose is 2-6 months ... minimum interval of 4 weeks...

Seems very short?!?! Based on all the reading/information internationally referred to on AFF threads I was expecting 5-7 months.

It’s not like a booster I guess but part of the initial start up vaccination. Assumes that the initial antibody response wasn’t good enough at the get go as opposed to the waning that we’ve read about.

 

[mviy]

Say someone is on chemo for example. We know that chemo kills both good cells and bad cells including cells that produce anti-bodies. So a third dose is definitely needed for people in that group.

They would be expected to need regular boosters as well, much more often than the general population, one would think.

 

[Quickstatus]

minimum interval of 4 weeks...

In exceptional circumstances…


Not AZ unless previous 2AZ or previous problems with PZ

 

[mviy]

In exceptional circumstances…


Not AZ unless previous 2AZ or previous problems with PZ

Based on that one would think AZ may be available for some time to cater for those who can't have mRNA due to a reaction or would prefer to have a 3rd AZ having had two doses of that already.

I guess a lot about that would depend on when Novavax is approved and available. Presumably that will be another alternative for those with an adverse reaction to mRNA vaccines.

 

[Quickstatus]

Presumably that will be another alternative for those with an adverse reaction to mRNA vaccines.

AZ

 

[jakeseven7]

Indeed.
“ATAGI will provide further advice on booster doses (including for healthcare workers, older adults and the general population) separately,” a statement from the group said.

Sounds like may copy the US where the majority will not be boosted.

 

[drron]

I have it on very good authority that ATAGI is not currently considering boosters for frontline health workers or the General community.Only older folk who have comorbidities.For younger only really necessary if proof that there hasn't been a proper antibody response to 2 doses.
And currently thinking Moderna to be used as booster but possibly AZ as well.

 

[Lynda2475]

The advice is for the booster to be an mrna vaccine not AZ (AZ was never untended to be part of the booster program), I will definitely be booking my imuno compromised Mum in for early Dec exactly at 6 month mark.

Several friends in the US who have had a 3rd doses because they are medical workers (a radiographer, a paramedic and a doctor) wall had theirs at the 9 month mark last month, although they are healthy younger types, so I figure oldies are better to go at 6 months than 9 months.

Federal CMO Paul Kelly said today ""There is flexibility, but the general principle is mRNA vaccine as the third dose. The preference is to go for a third dose of the two you had first, so if you've had two Pfizer, the third one would be Pfizer."

So if you had AZ or Moderna your booster will likely be Moderna.

 

[Tiki]

Good ATAGI is addressing boosters. Pfizer will probably be approved for kids 5-11 soon. Kids 0-4 are unlikely to be sick with Covid or superspreaders.

Annastacia is running out of excuses! I hope the new CHO is a better influence than the outgoing one!

 

[drron]

The advice is for the booster to be an mrna vaccine not AZ (AZ was never untended to be part of the booster program), I will definitely be booking my imuno compromised Mum in for early Dec exactly at 6 month mark.

Several friends in the US who have had a 3rd doses because they are medical workers (a radiographer, a paramedic and a doctor) wall had theirs at the 9 month mark last month, although they are healthy younger types, so I figure oldies are better to go at 6 months than 9 months.

Federal CMO Paul Kelly said today ""There is flexibility, but the general principle is mRNA vaccine as the third dose. The preference is to go for a third dose of the two you had first, so if you've had two Pfizer, the third one would be Pfizer."

So if you had AZ or Moderna your booster will likely be Moderna.

No the advice from ATAGI is that if you have had 2 doses of AZ you can choose AZ as your booster.The UK have already studied a third AZ dose at 6 months+ and have found better results than after the second dose with less side effects.
They also recommend it be considered if a person has had problems with a mRNA vaccine such as severe myocarditis/pericarditis or severe allergic reaction as they also can occur with Moderna.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Good ATAGI is addressing boosters. Pfizer will probably be approved for kids 5-11 soon. Kids 0-4 are unlikely to be sick with Covid or superspreaders.

Annastacia is running out of excuses! I hope the new CHO is a better influence than the outgoing one!

EVentually someone will have to address when a 10 year old turns 12 or a 14 year old turns 16 in 2022-23

 

[Quickstatus]

(AZ was never untended to be part of the booster program)

Boosters were not on the horizon back then.
AZ now approved for those with 2AZ and those who can’t have mRNA

So if you had AZ or Moderna your booster will likely be Moderna.

Not according to ATAGI - see the ATAGI statement - 3rd bullet point…

 

[jakeseven7]

Victoria moves ahead of targets let’s hope the speed continues… meanwhile in QLD and WA *crickets*

———

Victoria ahead of schedule in its pursuit of 70 per cent double vaccination target​

Victoria is flying ahead of schedule in its push to get 70 per cent of its eligible population double vaccinated - and as a result, the planned easing of Covid restrictions could happen sooner than expected.

The Herald Sun reports that official vaccination tracking figures, provided to the state government by Covid Commander Jeroen Weimar, show Victoria is on track to reach the 70 per cent target by October 23, rather than October 26.

The 80 per cent threshold may be reached by November 3, two days ahead of schedule.

CHO ‘did not endorse’ new road map

Kerry Chant’s absence at Thursday morning’s new road map announcement raised eyebrows – leading many to believe she’d been benched by Dominic Perrottet.

www.news.com.au