The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has begun

[lovetravellingoz]

I am a big believer in people taking responsibility for themselves. Plenty of vaccine around and vaccinations for eligible people (some localities might have issues). Instead of sitting around complaining that their GP doesn’t have any, or they only want the Pfizer (like a big 75 year old baby I saw at the clinic yesterday), if people go and find a place and get vaccinated our rates would be much higher. Its not just a case of “the guvmint orta do something”, we have to do it ourselves.

Yes from what I can gather supply (overall) well exceeds demand at present, even if some some channels like GP Clinics are limited n the number of doses that they can deliver.

With a lot more people becoming eligible to be vaccinated over the next several weeks it will be interesting demands ramps up.

 

[Lynda2475]

Im sure this won’t get published in nonews though so all the masses including those who breathlessly post every sore arm related to AZ on here will miss it and keep on talking the vaccine down. Sigh.

Wrong it is already in the major papers this morning, plus the TGA is required to publish the outcome on their site when investigation officially concludes.

Evidence doesn’t link two NSW blood clot deaths to AstraZeneca shots: TGA

TGA head John Skerritt said the cases were still under investigation but cautioned against coming to conclusions about whether the vaccine was the cause.

www.smh.com.au

Although the headline is misleading, as it implies an outcome has been reached which it has not.

The facts are AZ is not recommended for under 50s in Australia and I for one am extremely happy it is not and that I will eventually be able to get the Pfizer which has quicker time to be fully vaccinated, lower risk of rare blood clots and higher efficacy. Its not worth risking a blood clot when the chances of getting covid let alone dying from it in Australia is virtually no existent (unless you work as part of the HQ program).

 

[Must...Fly!]

but no value in me risking AZ before then

Fair enough, to each their own.

Drive safe and look both ways when crossing the road. Want to make sure nothing happens before you are eligible for Pfizer

 

[Lynda2475]

Drive safe and look both ways when crossing the road. Want to make sure nothing happens before you are eligible for Pfizer

Totally irrelevant comparison.

Some of the actuaries at work were discussing whether if you are under 50 and sign a waiver to get AZ (so go against medical advice) and then end up being one of the rare cases who die from it whether insurers can decline death benefit pay outs because you went against medical advice (i.e. knowingly took an unnecessary risk).

 

[louie-m]

I dont think so, NSW Premier has been very clear why they are following a different timeline wrt to giving access to mass vaccination centre at Olympic Park and the 3 Hospital Pfizer clinic to wider community (other than frontline workers in 1a and 1b) and that is because unlike in other states Feds have asked NSW to take over some of their 1a and 1b responsibilities and rightly those actually at risk are being given first access.

You wont see any acceleration for 2a in NSW for a few weeks, the timeline is different 17th May all over 50s can go to a GP or Respiratory Clinic and 24th May for Olympic Park Centre, Pfizer Hospitals hubs unlikely to open more widely before June.

As soon as Pfizer is available of for 2B I will be first in line, but no value in me risking AZ before then, given our international borders are closed.

Have I missed something? NSW are ignoring the agreed timescale for 2A in respiratory clinics to start on 3 May? If so, that is disgraceful. Where I am you can get an appointment in the local respiratory clinics at a minute's notice (most of the time, 24 hours at most) so there's no reason at all to delay 2A even further.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Totally irrelevant comparison.

Some of the actuaries at work were discussing whether if you are under 50 and sign a waiver to get AZ (so go against medical advice) and then end up being one of the rare cases who die from it whether insurers can decline death benefit pay outs because you went against medical advice (i.e. knowingly took an unnecessary risk).

You previously stated as fact that the AZ is not recommended for under 50s in Australia which is to my knowledge totally incorrect.

Pfizer is preferred in that cohort, that is all.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I dont think so, NSW Premier has been very clear why they are following a different timeline wrt to giving access to mass vaccination centre at Olympic Park and the 3 Hospital Pfizer clinic to wider community (other than frontline workers in 1a and 1b) and that is because unlike in other states Feds have asked NSW to take over some of their 1a and 1b responsibilities and rightly those actually at risk are being given first access.

You wont see any acceleration for 2a in NSW for a few weeks, the timeline is different 17th May all over 50s can go to a GP or Respiratory Clinic and 24th May for Olympic Park Centre, Pfizer Hospitals hubs unlikely to open more widely before June.

As soon as Pfizer is available of for 2B I will be first in line, but no value in me risking AZ before then, given our international borders are closed.

Have I missed something? NSW are ignoring the agreed timescale for 2A in respiratory clinics to start on 3 May? If so, that is disgraceful. Where I am you can get an appointment in the local respiratory clinics at a minute's notice (most of the time, 24 hours at most) so there's no reason at all to delay 2A even further.

Just out of interest I picked a random respiratory clinic in Sydney (Olympic Park) and it states that people under 70 (I.e. 2A) can make appointments to be vaccinated from 3 May.

The respiratory clinics figures come under GP clinics, but they are allowed to start earlier and that is happening in NSW as well.

EDIT I also don’t think NSW is alone in taking on more responsibility for 1b - the ACT Government Clinic I went to yesterday was packed out with 1b people (and even 2A like Mr FM and I)

 

[Lynda2475]

Pfizer is preferred in that cohort, that is all.

Well no it isnt. Since the health advice changes, if you are under 50 you have to sign a waiver to get AZ.

And if you care to scroll back a page or too you can see where someone registered of their jab and the Department of health cleary said *Recommended* not Preferred.

 

[Must...Fly!]

ATAGI say the following

"Comirnaty (Pfizer) is preferred over AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in people under the age of 50 years. The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine can still be given to adults under 50 years if Comirnaty is not available, if the benefit of vaccination is likely to outweigh risk, and where informed consent has been obtained."

Not recommending a medicine is a rather different statement to a preferred alternative subject to various conditions and circumstances.

 

[Lynda2475]

Mass vaccination clinic to open, but over-50s urged to see GP for shot

The Sydney Olympic Park clinic will initially be used to complete the vaccinations for frontline healthcare and quarantine workers and their families.

www.smh.com.au

NSW’s long-awaited mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic will open on May 10, although most newly eligible over-50s will need to wait another fortnight to receive their shots at the site.

From May 24, other NSW residents who do not have a GP will be able to use an online system to book a vaccine at the clinic, which will have capacity to administer 30,000 doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines within a week.

The NSW decision means the only sites available to people aged 50-69 in NSW without a health condition or other vulnerability, and who do not have a regular GP, to receive the vaccine from Monday until May 16 will be the few Commonwealth respiratory clinics in Sydney and regional NSW.


Also note that there will only be one state run mass vaccination clinic in Greater Sydney offering both AZ and Pfizer and that is Olympic Park. There are no immediate plans to open the other 3 Pfizer Clinincs (RPA, Liverpool Hospital and Westhead Hospital) to non front line workers.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Mass vaccination clinic to open, but over-50s urged to see GP for shot

The Sydney Olympic Park clinic will initially be used to complete the vaccinations for frontline healthcare and quarantine workers and their families.

www.smh.com.au

NSW’s long-awaited mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic will open on May 10, although most newly eligible over-50s will need to wait another fortnight to receive their shots at the site.

From May 24, other NSW residents who do not have a GP will be able to use an online system to book a vaccine at the clinic, which will have capacity to administer 30,000 doses of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines within a week.

The NSW decision means the only sites available to people aged 50-69 in NSW without a health condition or other vulnerability, and who do not have a regular GP, to receive the vaccine from Monday until May 16 will be the few Commonwealth respiratory clinics in Sydney and regional NSW.

If the respiratory clinics in NSW are anything like the ones here they will have heaps of appointments......they might be few but they get a thousand doses a week (some even more)

 

[Lynda2475]

where informed consent has been obtained

that's a signed waiver which references discussion with GP (if you have one). It is definitely much stronger than just a preferences and elsewhere on that page the language from Health is "recommended" including on the title, and the tile on the home page directing you to the below page).

ATAGI reinforce recommendations on use of COVID-19 vaccines following review of vaccine safety data and benefits

A statement from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) on use of COVID-19 vaccines following review of vaccine safety data and benefits.

www.health.gov.au

 

[Lynda2475]

If the respiratory clinics in NSW are anything like the ones here they will have heaps of appointments......they might be few but they get a thousand doses a week (some even more)

Yes they have had heaps of availability for weeks because they only have AZ and lots of eligible people do not want to take AZ.

Anyone over 70 could have easily been vaccinated by now if willing to get AZ and book at the commonwealth respiratory clinics who are swimming in supply - I've pointed this out many times. They can only take bookings for younger people (50-69) rom next week.

But there is another article about how many health workers in NSW are refusing AZ, so we need to get Pfizer more readily available faster.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Yes they have had heaps of availability for weeks because they only have AZ and lots of eligible people do not want to take AZ.

Anyone over 70 could have easily been vaccinated by now if willing to get AZ and book at the commonwealth respiratory clinics who are swimming in supply - I've pointed this out many times. They can take bookign for younger people.

But there is another article about how many health workers in NSW are refusing AZ, so we need to get Pfizer more readily available faster.

Yes and having seen the tantrum the guy threw at the clinic yesterday because he wanted the Pfizer and walked out without being vaccinated, I have first hand experience of it.

EDIT I am so cross about the tantrum the guy threw yesterday, I have just sent some flowers to the nurses at the AZ clinic to thank them for the work they are doing!

I think it is fine for people under 50 to wait for the Pfizer - that’s the recommendation. Although my 29 year old daughter and 31 year old son in law have had AZ and no issues. I think people over 50 who are refusing AZ are a bit pathetic IMHO.

 

[Pushka]

SA just opened their first hub for Pfizer only for people in 1a and 1b under 50.

 

[Flying mermaid]

SA just opened their first hub for Pfizer only for people in 1a and 1b under 50.

From Monday ACT will be running two clinics. Garran will be Pfizer only and Calvary will be AZ only. We were vaccinated with AZ at Garran yesterday, but our second jab has been booked for Calvary. Suits us as Calvary is virtually across the road from us.

 

[Princess Fiona]

I dont think so, NSW Premier has been very clear why they are following a different timeline wrt to giving access to mass vaccination centre at Olympic Park and the 3 Hospital Pfizer clinic to wider community (other than frontline workers in 1a and 1b) and that is because unlike in other states Feds have asked NSW to take over some of their 1a and 1b responsibilities and rightly those actually at risk are being given first access.

You wont see any acceleration for 2a in NSW for a few weeks, the timeline is different 17th May all over 50s can go to a GP or Respiratory Clinic and 24th May for Olympic Park Centre, Pfizer Hospitals hubs unlikely to open more widely before June.

As soon as Pfizer is available of for 2B I will be first in line, but no value in me risking AZ before then, given our international borders are closed.

There are more than 3 Pfizer hubs in NSW

 

[mviy]

Reports are that National Cabinet has decided to bring forward all of 2A, not just the over 50s

Edit: Hmmm looks like the article may have been poorly written and gave the wrong impression.

 

[Lynda2475]

Reports are that National Cabinet has decided to bring forward all of 2A, not just the over 50s

So that adds 387k of indigenous over 18. In every phase indigenous people have been a category ahead of everyone else so not surprising given poor health outcomes in the indigenous community. Would have to find Pfizer for them though.

 

[Lynda2475]

There are more than 3 Pfizer hubs in NSW

Yes I meant NSW health run in Sydney Metro, where only the 4 have been announced as moving to wider public access once 1a and 1b are done - Olympic Park then RPA, Liverpool Hospital and Westmead hospital.

There may also be Commonwealth run Pfizer hubs but haven't seen these advertised - the respiratory clinics only offering AZ so no use for us under 50s.

Only RPA or Olympic park are doable for me commute wise, so they will be what Im watching.