The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has begun

[mviy]

I think first doses will definitely be down. There is no restoration of freedoms for the partially vaccinated that the fully unvaccinated don’t also get.

Those due for their 2nd dose may want to still get vaccinated over the weekend so they can enjoy the fully vaccinated freedoms that have now kicked in, but there may not be enough places doing vaccinations for that to happen.

 

[mviy]

Thursday’s numbers released yesterday show that VIC reached 80.12% first dose for 12-15. So late next month VIC could be at 80% fully vaccinated for 12-15. VIC reached 80% first dose for 12-15 ahead of NSW. NSW was at 78.96% in Thursday’s numbers released on Friday.

 

[jakeseven7]

I think first doses will definitely be down. There is no restoration of freedoms for the partially vaccinated that the fully unvaccinated don’t also get.

Those due for their 2nd dose may want to still get vaccinated over the weekend so they can enjoy the fully vaccinated freedoms that have now kicked in, but there may not be enough places doing vaccinations for that to happen.

Anti vaxxers get locked out of non essential retail in a few weeks in VIC don’t they? That should kick a few more in the bucket!

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Anti vaxxers get locked out of non essential retail in a few weeks in VIC don’t they? That should kick a few more in the bucket!

At 90% second dose, and so approx in the third week of Nov. Nov 24 being the Vic Gov estimate. Others have it a bit quicker.

From 70 to 80% second dose for the 16+took about 12 days. But the assumption is that 80 to 90% second dose will not be quite as quick.

EDIT: Note that the 90% second dose target will be for 12+ and not just 16+

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

At 90% second dose, and so approx in the third week of Nov. Nov 24 being the Vic Gov estimate. Others have it a bit quicker.

From 70 to 80% second dose for the 16+took about 12 days. But the assumption is that 80 to 90% second dose will not be quite as quick.

NSW authorities only put a date to allow freedom to unvaccinated which might be kicked down the road by about 3 weeks but still before Xmas. Any chance Vic authorities might change to 95% if its still before Xmas?

 

[mviy]

We’ll need to see how quickly VIC progresses towards 95% first dose if it even looks like getting there.

 

[jb747]

Of course the internet is full of experts. So were coughpits at 3am. Nevertheless, ‘just in time’ was a Japanese management/supply system that was designed around never having to store items until their use. I think Toyota was one of the original inventors. And they also gave it away, in part, after the Japanese earthquake, as it had removed so much fat from their supply system that it was unable to handle much disruption.

 

[Lynda2475]

In NSW only one third of doses have been through the state channel

Because the feds did not give the NSW state run hubs more doses (or any moderna) even though they had capacity to deliver far more, and had months long wait lists.

In Victoria you were lucky that your state hubs got given a much greater proprotion of Vics total vaccine allocation than any other jurisdiction.

The state hubs drove the demand in NSW, the take up was sluggish when only GP/GPRCs channel was available, hubs opened to public and vax rate increased markedly. GPs then benefitted because of huge hub wait lists, drove some people back to them taht woudl ahve preferred the hub.

 

[Quickstatus]

preferred the hub.

Not sure about that.
Not sure that hubs drove demand either
Actually I disagree.

Not until after GP CovidVax started to ramp up with PZ and the pharmacists did Vax rates accelerate.

Vax demand was driven by the pandemic knocking on the doorstep of every NSW resident. Not the hubs. I don’t see how the hubs could ever “drive” demand - except they had PZ.

NSW health just did not setup enough hubs at the start. - that’s why they had long waiting lists. It wasn’t because of preference of a NSW Health hub/clinic. It was just not enough supply (booking slots). At the time GPs were starting to get up to speed . And those that were opened only had AZ - remember the AZ scare campaign?. Lots of AZ thrown out.

NSW health only had Sydney Olympic Park open for the whole of NSW in May. Others based in hospitals at the time were not avail to the public due to the Vax Phase

The number of NSW Health Vax Clinics are a lot lower than GPs and pharmacists.
Why would anyone want to travel afar to go to Sydney Olympic Park when they could go to their GP - especially during a lockdown when you could be stopped by police.

AFAIK in Sydney there are only 5 NSW Health Vax hubs/clinics:
Sydney Olympic Park x2
-1 opened May,
-1 opened August
Sydney CBB opened July
Lake Macquarie opened July
Macquarie Fields opened late July
Wollongong opened August

What’s the point of driving long distances during a lockdown when you could be stopped by police when your local GP could do it for you.

Regional and rural areas had some local clinics associated with hospitals.
There are only 29.
Ask yourself. How many LGA are there in regional NSW - more than 29?.
My other hometown Jindabyne: residents had to go to Canberra to get Vaxxed. 8hrs drive all up for 2Jab.
Cooma hospital?nope.
The GP in Jindabyne had AZ but had few bookings but it exploded when PZ arrived. It’s a testament to the locals there that many drove 8 hrs because Cooma did not provide Jabs. Cooma is the hospital for the Snowy Monaro. Why not?
Albury is a major regional town right?. Why isn’t there a NSW Health CovidVax clinic there - closest NSW Health one is in Wagga.

My personal experience:
I’m was prioritised due the work I do.
I was given a booking in Mar at a hospital in Sydney - which was not opened to the public. Only healthcare.
I asked then if I could take my elderly mother there and we can both get jabbed at the same time. Nope. She has to go to the Hub in Olympic Park or her GP. She lived 1.5hrs from the Hub. She went to her GP - I drove her there which was 45 min from me.
There were a lot of obstacles thrown in the way of people wanting jabs. Lack of hubs was one. None of my immediate family or extended family went to a Hub. It was too far away - remember the 5-10km rule?. Yes I know exempt if getting a Vax, but if Gp is closer why go to hub?

 

[jakeseven7]

NSW health just did not setup enough hubs at the start. - that’s why they had long waiting lists. It wasn’t because of preference of a NSW Health hub/clinic.

They were slow off the mark to set up the hubs yes (relatively)

 

[lovetravellingoz]

NSW authorities only put a date to allow freedom to unvaccinated which might be kicked down the road by about 3 weeks but still before Xmas. Any chance Vic authorities might change to 95% if its still before Xmas?

Let me see if I understand your question correctly.

Note that the 90% double vaxxed for 12+ minimum is mainly for non-essential retail. ie Once at that if you are not double vaxxed you cannot shop in-store except for essential items (ie food). At 90% double vaxxed the unvaxxinated will have few freedoms. Private and public gatherings will have no limit, but many other aspects will be denied to those who are not double vaccinated if eligible.

Essential retail — such as supermarkets and chemists — will remain open to everyone, regardless of their vaccination status. There are no signs of that changing.​

​

However, when 90 per cent of Victorians aged 12 years and over are fully vaccinated, which is expected to happen on November 24, people who have not had two COVID-19 vaccine doses will not be allowed at non-essential retailers.​

​

From then, workers in non-essential retail settings — such as clothing shops and florists — will be required to check that customers entering physical stores are fully vaccinated.​

​

As an aside, retail workers are classed as authorised workers and will need to be fully vaccinated by November 26 under the vaccine mandate.​

So the ban begins when we hit 90% which is a bit odd.
So as 95% is higher than 90% the Vic Gov would have no reason to move it up to 95% as they would still be banned from shopping in-store at non-essential retail.

For some reason understood by no-one there is this "window" when those who are not double vaxxed can shop in store, before we reach 90 % double vaxxed for 12+. Perhaps it is to try and have them rush to get vaccinated now.

For the other settings like pubs, cafes, events etc it is that only the double vaxxed can participate now.


Or are you are you asking if they will allow the unvaccinated to shop in non-essential retail if we hit 95% double vaxxed?
If so I guess the answer to that will depend on what hopitilastions and other severe negative outcomes are happening at that time. If they are very low then, or even prior to, the Vic Gov may increase the freedoms for the unvaccinated.


Right here and now we still need to get to at least 90% double vaxxed not just overall, but in as many LGA's and age cohorts as possible. Based on first doses so far that should be achievable. Hopefully 95% double vaxxed too.

From what the Vic Gov has publicly stated so far it would seem that restrictions on the unvaccinated will stay for a while yet. One would guess thought that in the new year that things would ease. Though major events may retain them.

 

[Quickstatus]

slow off the mark

Basically they had to build new infrastructure and train nurses and staff. Not their fault BTW, it was never going to be quick if you had to build a hub from scratch. Whereas the GPs are already setup having being the place to get Vaxxed for all sorts of things - just needed training.

 

[Lynda2475]

AFAIK in Sydney there are only 5 NSW Health Vax hubs/clinics

That is now, but there were 24 dedicated to Pfizer alone in June (only Olympic Park did both Pfizer and AZ) plus more for AZ only.

Refer The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has begun where the 25 NSW run Pfizer hubs were listed, this is on top of the AZ only ones and pop clinics run in areas of concern.

When I booked my vacination in late May via NSW hub link I was offered a choice of 4 locations - Olympic Park, St George Hospital, Liverpool Hospital or Blacktown hospital. Only Olympic Park was suitable, so I waited until start of July to go there precisley because it didnt require one to drive (bus, train and ferry options, just as there is now for the CBD one). But when a friend registered in June they were offered RPA and St Vincents both great central locations and she went same days as me.

You assume people go to a GP near their home, whereas the GP ive always used is in the CBD (as is my Dentist, Optomitrist and Physio) as pre covid it is much easier to squeeze in an appointment near the office (before work, at lunch or after work) than it is to have to take time off to go to one in the burbs in business hours. Plus Macquarie St is specialist central if you need a referral.

Whilst i generally have zero need to go to Homebush except if attending a concert at Qudos, it is technically a couple of kms closer than my GP.
Even during lockdown it was permitted to travel more than 5km for vaccine appointment and many did.

The most popular hubs still operating like Olympic Park have a role to play in getting the initial boosters adminstered.

 

[Quickstatus]

25 NSW run Pfizer hubs

Most are regional. But again there are over 100 LGA in NSW but only at last count 29 regional NSW health Vax clinics.

assume people go to a GP near their home

Many did and many went to one which they are not usually a previous patient. Some Gp initially were only giving PZ to their regular patients but then opened to all and sundry

Sure, travel is exempt for CovidVax but why when there is one closer?

It’s a bit of a moot point now. There are now so many outlets where people can get CovidVax that reasons for not getting one are either 1)antiVax 2)CovidVax contraindicated 3)under 12

And really who cares who did it better. It got done in the end - and I think ahead of schedule. The multiplicity of access points is definitely the way to go in a pandemic

(Except that history should be accurately recorded).

 

[Lynda2475]

Sure, travel is exempt for CovidVax but why when there is one closer?

Because in many cases it was quicker and more conveninet to not go to the closest GP.

Hub appointments could be booked completely online and all the assosciated paperwork was also done online. On arrival you simply presnted your phone to get the QR scanned. My second jab was 2 mins from arrival to being administered.

If you went to a GP practice where you were not alredy a patient (and many younger people do not have a regular GP) you were required to register and manually fill out health history making for a much longer in person process.

My parents had to do this twice. First dose went to a nearby GP as their regualr wasnt doing covid vaccines. Pages of paeprwork to fill out despite my Dad pre-printing my mums very compliated health history - made him hand write it all out again - even though they never saw a GP there just the nurse. Were there for almost 90 minutes despite having an appointment.

Then that GP cancelled their second appointment at very short notice (due to mismangemment of vaccine orderind, despite having 12 weeks notice of the follow-up), forcing me to book them into a GPRC for second dose to keep the 12 week interval where they had to fill in yet more paperwork.

If they had been eligible to go to a hub like Olympic Park none of that nonsense would have been necessary, and there second appointment would have been guaranteed not cancelled.

 

[drron]

I had my 2 AZ jabs at GPs I did not go to at all. Booked online without using my title.Did not have to have a separate consultation.And it was more convenient.

 

[Quickstatus]

Hub appointments could be booked completely online

GPs are also Online for all sorts of GP related things:

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Vic lucky to not had more GP's and Pharmacists vaccinating earlier? Bad luck that is.

It is no coincidence that when the current outbreak took off in Vic that the LGA's with the lowest vaccination rates where the LGA's that had the least GPs and Pharmacist up and running vaccinating people. And these same LGA's were the ones that have generated the most cases.




Waitlist lengths were driven by lack of supply and lack of approved vaccinators. People went where they could get vaccinated. If no where closer you went further including to state hubs. Some wanted to use their own doctor and waited.


Once people in Vic had the genuine choice of where to get vaccinated not restricted by supply or location, the % vaccinated via GP's and Pharmacists increased.

 

[Quickstatus]

LGA's with the lowest vaccination rates where the LGA's that had the least GPs and Pharmacis

Unfortunately.
In jindabyne NSW many drove to Canberra - 8 hrs total for 2 jabs.

Covid didn’t follow exactly socioeconomic lines. But socioeconomic issues come to the forex with any health care program including CovidVax and CovidSwab

 

[Lynda2475]

ic lucky to not had more GP's and Pharmacists vaccinating earlier?

Ah there you go again flipping what was said. The good luck was that there was greater hub access in Victoria than anywhere else, which is why hub doses were so much higher. Also the only state with the privilege of being able to get Moderna via 2 channels instead only one everywhere else.

Victorian State Run Hubs had greater access to doses than any other state's state run hubs = advantage. The other states had to use GPs more because thats where the feds sent the doses.

The lack of approved GP channels in some of Vic is completely different issue, which has zero baring on the advantagous supply the state hubs were given.