The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has begun

[drron]

experience would suggest that vaccinations alone are not enough

booking holidays ?

Watch this space..
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But vaccines are pretty effective.
People get very worried when they look at the UK data and immediately say opening up is far too dangerous when they see this.


Cases are at ~ 75% of January's peak.The sky is falling.
But you need the whole picture.Hospitalisations.


But hospitalisations are only 25% of the January peak.
Then deaths.


Deaths are 10% of January's peak.

Now as to the cases the highest percentages are in ages 6-11 then 12-15.Now 6-11s have not been vaccinated and vaccinations in 12-15 are ~ 50%.On top of that in the UK many in the 12-15 group have had only 1 shot of an mRNA vaccine due to worry about Myocarditis.

Covid rates shoot up in schoolchildren as only half are vaccinated

Public health director makes impassioned plea to residents in the face of growing winter pressures in health care

www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk

Why scientists say jabbing under-12s is best way to escape clampdowns

Right now, the rate of Covid infection in children aged six to 11 is twice the UK national average, according to data from the Office For National Statistics.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Add to that the fact that in the UK there is virtually mandated testing regularly of school children.

And in adults most infections are in the unvaccinated and those with 1 jab.

Almost half of UK COVID infections are in people who are at least partly vaccinated, study suggests. But the cases were much milder.

Cases among vaccinated people could soon overtake cases among unvaccinated, according to data presented by the UK's ZOE COVID Symptom Study.

www.businessinsider.com.au

 

[lovetravellingoz]

But vaccines are pretty effective.
People get very worried when they look at the UK data and immediately say opening up is far too dangerous when they see this.

I think the discussion in the UK is more about how open they should be for their current vaccination rate, rather than not opening up at all as their rates are sufficient to have opened up.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Vic is now at 90.56/ 74.74% doses for 16+ By Nov 8-ish it should be about at 95/90 % for 16+.

Of particular note is that there has been another large weekly jump in doses in the LGA's that had been generating the most cases.

• Most achieving over a 10% jump in the second dose rate.
• Most now also have a very high first dose rate.
• About half are still just under the 70% rate for second doses. These LGA's will be mainly still not at 80% when the restrictions are eased at 6PM Friday
• Indeed many of the LGA's of Greater Melbourne will not quite be at 80% second dose when the 80/80 restrictions commence.
• Most regional LGA's will be at 80/80 or greater. Mildura and Latrobe probably will not quite be there, along with maybe 2 other regional LGAs
• Great Melbourne is averaging less doses than the regions.

The regional LGA's of Latrobe, Mitchell, Greater Shepparton and Wodonga, which for the regions have had higher case numbers of late, have also all had large surges in the second dose rate.

First and Second Doses Administered by LGA - COVID Live

Live tracking of coronavirus cases, active, tests, deaths, ICU, hospitalisations and vaccinations in Victoria

covidlive.com.au

 

[dairyfloss]

Lowest daily vaccination numbers for NSW on Sunday since late June, with just 15,598 shots in arms. We're getting to the pointy end now, of this, and it's looking more likely to be materially slower to 95% SD & 90% DD. I do wish the NSW Govt had held onto tougher restrictions for unvaccinated folks beyond December 1st, like VIC is looking to do

 

[jakeseven7]

Lowest daily vaccination numbers for NSW on Sunday since late June, with just 15,598 shots in arms. We're getting to the pointy end now, of this, and it's looking more likely to be materially slower to 95% SD & 90% DD. I do wish the NSW Govt had held onto tougher restrictions for unvaccinated folks beyond December 1st, like VIC is looking to do

They could always roll out more mandates if it really shudders to a halt

 

[jb747]

They could always roll out more mandates if it really shudders to a halt

It would be better to stab the balloon now. Letting it go simply means that the holdouts will still take longer to get it done. Telling them now, that they'll be homebound for all of next year if they don't start contributing to society might make a few of them move. I'd also love to see any religion that is holding things up, reclassified as a cult, and lose any tax advantages that they have. That stick is long overdue.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Does it really matter when you tighten the screws? Maybe they won't need to in the end.

Government just has to say "as of midnight, no vax means no pub/shops/work etc"

If the system isn't falling apart there probably is no need to go harder.

 

[Quickstatus]

Their behaviour might be somewhat different it they’d been they’d be locked out until covid is a memory,

Telling them now, that they'll be homebound for all of next year

Not locked out - locked in. Australians love travelling especially internationally.
Maybe they just have not realised that they may indeed by “homebound” if they are 0Jab.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Not locked out - locked in. Australians love travelling especially internationally.
Maybe they just have not realised that they may indeed by “homebound” if they are 0Jab.

Yes the Jetstar $150 flights to coughet and Bali may inspire a vaccination surge.

 

[Quickstatus]

Once 2Jab rates get to 90s, it matters little if it’s not 100% immunologically. Even mid 80s.

No Vax rates ever gets to 100%
Even smallpox jabs were only in the 90-95%

Public health messages such as Vax, alcohol, smoking, cholesterol, obesity etc have never been completely successful.

 

[N860CR]

Public health messages such as Vax, alcohol, smoking, cholesterol, obesity etc have never been completely successful.

Yep. 100% vaccination isn't going to happen, and it's not needed. Say we reach 95%, that is an incredible achievement and would leave COVID as a far lesser impact to society than most other viruses, including influenza. I think a lot of people have lost sight of reality a bit... even without vaccinations, this virus is far from a death sentence. If we have ~5% of the population who are still susceptible to it, there's zero chance of it having any greater an impact on the rest of us than somebody electing to light up a dart every hour or so. The rate in over 50s is already high, and that's what is critical.

As Dr Young said; a young person probably won't die from COVID

 

[jakeseven7]

Yes the Jetstar $150 flights to coughet and Bali may inspire a vaccination surge.

Not even joking this is a hard truth, especially in WA.

 

[Tiki]

The best way to drive vaccination rates is to mandate that everyone needs to show a Covid-safe document. This document can be either a double dose vax certificate. OR a PCR test at your own expense. This should be done for flights, restaurants, bars, cinemas, sports, everything. No one will want to keep paying for PCR tests everytime they want an evening out so they will get the vax.

The vax certificate should remove the need for PCR tests altogether.

 

[Quickstatus]

No one will want to keep paying for PCR tests

Medicare enshrines free health care

Making CovidSwab non rebatable would be against the spirit of a universal health insurance scheme. Some tests are not reimbursable by Medicare as they are not required for good healthcare. But I can’t see CovidSwabs going that way

Bear in mind 2Jab people can also transmit Covid

However you could:
You could have a differential Medicare levy…

Or reduce the Medicare rebate for CovidSwab such that there is a gap payment - in conjunction with a CovidCert

 

[Tiki]

I didn't mean the free Covid tests if people have symptoms or are a close contact. The ones that determine who has Covid and needs to be treated. These ones should remain free.

I mean the paid ones that people have to show to travel overseas. Expand this requirement to non-essential activities that people like to have in their life - sports, cinemas, pubs, etc. But exempt people who have double dose vax from this requirement. Anti vaxxers are whining about choices that make them more likely to develop bad Covid and need hospital care. So let them choose to be unvaxxed but have to prove they are negative everytime they go to social events where they could spread Covid. Vaxxed people are not a drain on the hospitals because when they get it, it is a mild case that can be treated at home.

 

[Quickstatus]

These ones should remain free.

I mean the paid ones

Will be difficult to police if people have to fill out a declaration form to get the free version. Who is going to verify the accuracy?

Possibilities:
1) A Medicare levy extra for 0Jabs
2) CovidSwab Medicare rebates for 2Jabs and none if 0Jab
3) Medicare Copayment if 0Jab

The paperwork and admin for 2 and 3 may not be worth the effort for providers

Even bigger question as Covid deaths hospitalisations more frequent in people with obesity - should we do the same - increased Medicare levy if BMI >30?

 

[Tiki]

Will be difficult to police if people have to fill out a declaration form to get the free version. Who is going to verify the accuracy?

Possibilities:
1) A Medicare levy extra for 0Jabs
2) CovidSwab Medicare rebates for 2Jabs and none if 0Jab
3) Medicare Copayment if 0Jab

The paperwork and admin for 2 and 3 may not be worth the effort for providers

Even bigger question as Covid deaths hospitalisations more frequent in people with obesity - should we do the same - increased Medicare levy if BMI >30?

The free ones are at testing centres like Boondall, RBWH, Prince Charles Hospital (Brisbane). They don't give the cert the airlines want. The paid ones are a QML or Sullivan Nicolaides and cost $150 and give a cert the airlines will accept.

 

[Tiki]

12-15 year olds got approved at the same time and vax supplies were plentiful. Other age groups had to deal with supply issues and age restrictions before Sept.

NSW and VIC are almost double the other states.I suspect because they were desperate to get out of lockdown. Qld, WA have nothing to gain unless they want to travel so they won't get vaxxed until something happens to kick their butts into gear.

 

[andye]

Nice to see us at a semi-respectable colour (sorry to NZ-couldnt squeeze in)

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

View attachment 263090
12-15 year olds got approved at the same time and vax supplies were plentiful. Other age groups had to deal with supply issues and age restrictions before Sept.

NSW and VIC are almost double the other states.I suspect because they were desperate to get out of lockdown. Qld, WA have nothing to gain unless they want to travel so they won't get vaxxed until something happens to kick their butts into gear.

Maybe yes, maybe no. In NSW and Vic I think vaccination of 12-15 was not helpful to meet vaccination target (16+) nor current access to venues under fully vaxxed relaxations