The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has begun

[jonboixxx]

Here in Australia large numbers of CV facing frontline medical staff still not received 1st dose.

Agree, it astounded me that the last Qld/Byron Bay breakout was from COVID facing clinical staff that had not been vaccinated. All along the way, there has been real issues with Federal and State misalignments.

 

[Pushka]

I checked the respiratory clinic near me. It only gives AZ shots and I could have got an appointment today - they had heaps of free ones. So a bit frustrating as a nearly 69 year old that I am not “allowed” to get a shot while others aren’t bothering to take theirs for whatever reason.

It seems such a simple answer doesn’t it! Same for the respiratory clinics here in SA. Older brother at 68 could just walk over today and have it done. His wife as hospital worker has completed the Pfizer course.

 

[tgh]

The US seems to be having a vaccination frenzy ; last week Dil rocked up to a site, told them her son was dependent on her health for his well being and was injected forthwith (J&J).
This was true enough , Grandson has continiung allergy issues and the parents need to be watchful and act fast if something slips through their well organised screening processes.
#1 son , not to be upstaged has haunted various sites for left overs/spares and scored a shot yesterday ( Moderna).
A whole mob of them are off to Mexico in a few days…(shakes head… )

 

[mviy]

It can take a few weeks for the benefits of a vaccine dose to really kick in. I'm keen to travel, but travelling a few days after getting a COVID-19 vaccine dose seem to lack common sense to me.

 

[jonboixxx]

A whole mob of them are off to Mexico in a few days…(shakes head… )

Off-topic, there is a discussion thread on a Cancun travel forum about tipping to receive a negative test to enable return to USA.

 

[drron]

The problem is it is the Commonwealth who sets the guidelines for the various groups but it is the State Health departments who decides who is in those groups-ie who is a frontline health care worker so is in 1a and who isn't so in 1b.
I certainly know of a physician in Tasmania and an anaethetist in QLD who were quite involved in treating covid patients who were assigned to 1b.I am presuming the same occurs in other States.
Then for 1a again the States determine the priority within the that group.I think it is near universal that administrators got priority over at least doctors who were involved in treating Covid patients.

On Easter Monday we had a long lunch with a nurse vaccinator.Some of her stories are appalling and mostly because of Health Department stuff ups.She has been working in Aged Care facilities in both NSW and QLD.She is unsure who sets the priorities as regard to when individual facilities are done but towards the end of the week the nurses are sent a list of places to be done the next week so she has always been able to choose where she would work.In the week leading up to Easter she had chosen to work in QLD only to be told that QLD Health said they couldn't quarantee delivery of the vaccine so she ended up in Newcastle.
But one day she was rung up and asked if she could get to QLD as the vaccine supply had arrived at the Aged Care facility catching them unawares.Obviously no one could be found and the vaccine went back.

But also problems in NSW.At one facility they were giving the second dose of Pfizer.Obviously the doses required were known but they received 20 less than needed.
'Another day they had over 30 doses more than were needed.The doctor in charge said the extra doses would have to be sent back but another nurse rang the health department and so they were allowed to vaccinate the staff.The doctor and his girlfriend though got their shots.

 

[DC3]

The US seems to be having a vaccination frenzy ; last week Dil rocked up to a site, told them her son was dependent on her health for his well being and was injected forthwith (J&J) ...

And now hitting 4M jabs on some days, nationwide.

 

[jakeseven7]

Time for the Defence force logistics people to take over.

Yes their experience at running population wide vaccination programs would be wonderful to leverage....

 

[Gremlin]

The problem is it is the Commonwealth who sets the guidelines for the various groups but it is the State Health departments who decides who is in those groups-ie who is a frontline health care worker so is in 1a and who isn't so in 1b.
I certainly know of a physician in Tasmania and an anaethetist in QLD who were quite involved in treating covid patients who were assigned to 1b.I am presuming the same occurs in other States.
Then for 1a again the States determine the priority within the that group.I think it is near universal that administrators got priority over at least doctors who were involved in treating Covid patients.

On Easter Monday we had a long lunch with a nurse vaccinator.Some of her stories are appalling and mostly because of Health Department stuff ups.She has been working in Aged Care facilities in both NSW and QLD.She is unsure who sets the priorities as regard to when individual facilities are done but towards the end of the week the nurses are sent a list of places to be done the next week so she has always been able to choose where she would work.In the week leading up to Easter she had chosen to work in QLD only to be told that QLD Health said they couldn't quarantee delivery of the vaccine so she ended up in Newcastle.
But one day she was rung up and asked if she could get to QLD as the vaccine supply had arrived at the Aged Care facility catching them unawares.Obviously no one could be found and the vaccine went back.

But also problems in NSW.At one facility they were giving the second dose of Pfizer.Obviously the doses required were known but they received 20 less than needed.
'Another day they had over 30 doses more than were needed.The doctor in charge said the extra doses would have to be sent back but another nurse rang the health department and so they were allowed to vaccinate the staff.The doctor and his girlfriend though got their shots.

Something doesn’t add up in your anecdote. Why was Qld Health talking to her about vaccinations in Aged Care facilities? All of Aged Care vaccinations are managed by the Commonwealth.

There are a number of nurses subcontracted from the states to the Commonwealth to support the rollout to Aged Care, but scheduling and staffing for these staff is solely a Federal responsibility.

 

[drron]

Something doesn’t add up in your anecdote. Why was Qld Health talking to her about vaccinations in Aged Care facilities? All of Aged Care vaccinations are managed by the Commonwealth.

There are a number of nurses subcontracted from the states to the Commonwealth to support the rollout to Aged Care, but scheduling and staffing for these staff is solely a Federal responsibility.

It was her employer who rang. She is employed by Sonic who have a contract with the federal government to vaccinate aged care facilities.

 

[Gremlin]

It was her employer who rang. She is employed by Sonic who have a contract with the federal government to vaccinate aged care facilities.

Okay. That makes sense. Sounds like all the stuff ups she's experienced are the responsibility of the Feds. Nothing to do with Qld or NSW Health Departments at all.

 

[drron]

No the feds supply the vaccines to the states who then supply it to the aged care facility for the fed provider to use.

 

[jonboixxx]

Wider storage and transportation conditions for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine now approved

TGA has recently approved wider storage and transportation conditions for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Australia

www.tga.gov.au

Great news from TGA, updating Pfizer storage requirements.

 

[Lynda2475]

Great news from TGA, updating Pfizer storage requirements.

Yes and no.

In metro and regional area Id prefer the Pfizer vaccine remain at hospitals and state run vaccination hubs where they can store at lower temperatures (therefore longer if needed), to reduce potential for wastage.

Id only consider GPs and the relaxed storage for very remote areas where RFDS or others need to fly in to vaccinate those communities.

The new guidelines still have very short window once opened, so better to be used at facilities where there is constant stream of demand and unlikely to be left overs that have to be discarded. Especially since Pfizer is such short supply.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Wider storage and transportation conditions for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine now approved

TGA has recently approved wider storage and transportation conditions for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Australia

www.tga.gov.au

Great news from TGA, updating Pfizer storage requirements.

Indeed.

In particular.

the domestic freezer temperatures (-25°C to -15°C) is now permitted for up to 2 weeks

and In addition, unopened vials can now be stored for up to 5 days at domestic refrigerator temperatures (2°C to 8°C). Within this 5 day period, up to 12 hours may be used for transportation, ​

​

will both allow the Pfizer Vaccine to be distributed more widely beyond the main distribution hubs. This will be particularly helpful to locations such as smaller regional locations.​

ie Freezer trucks can take to a small country town to vaccinate people rather than making all the eligible residents have to drive to a main hub.


It will also allow sub-hubs to be utilised supplied from the main hubs which have the more elaborate freezers.

 

[jonboixxx]

In metro and regional area Id prefer the Pfizer vaccine remain at hospitals and state run vaccination hubs where they can store at lower temperatures (therefore longer if needed), to reduce potential for wastage.

Irrespective of your desire for hubs, it reduces the potential for wastage in the cold chain as it is distributed around our large country.

Yes and no.

To me it's all positive.

 

[jase05]

Freezer trucks can take to a small country town to vaccinate people rather than making all the eligible residents have to drive to a main hub.

Not required. The temperature monitored cold chain boxes can hold their contents at -20 for 120 hours. Common sense has prevailed and the supply chain companies will now utilise the size and scope of the APG fleet.

 

[Lynda2475]

There really isnt any excuse for anyone in 1a to still be waiting (for their first shot if AZ was given or their second shot if Pfizer was given), we have more than enough doses to cover these individuals.

Im glad my folks in 1B have had their first shot, but really feel 1B should not have started until 1A was 99% complete.

Given our limitations on supply of mRNA vaccines, time to withhold Pfizer from anyone in 1A or 1B over 50 unless they are working face to face with International Covid arrivals, and move them onto AZ, so we can leverage the Pfizer for the most at risk under 50s.

 

[Lynda2475]

From Feds https://www.health.gov.au/sites/def...19-vaccine-rollout-update-12-april-2021_0.pdf:

 

[drron]

There really isnt any excuse for anyone in 1a to still be waiting (for their first shot if AZ was given or their second shot if Pfizer was given), we have more than enough doses to cover these individuals.

Im glad my folks in 1B have had their first shot, but really feel 1B should not have started until 1A was 99% complete.

Given our limitations on supply of mRNA vaccines, time to withhold Pfizer from anyone in 1A or 1B over 50 unless they are working face to face with International Covid arrivals, and move them onto AZ, so we can leverage the Pfizer for the most at risk under 50s.

The most at risk under 50's are in 1a or 1b.