Australia loosing their minds at being offered the Oxford Vaccine..

[MoirasRoses]

I’ve just been pottering through Twitter & came across a trending thread re-Australia mostly buying the Oxford vaccine. They are losing their minds at being offered the less effective vaccine & accusing the government of wanting to ‘kill them’ & being corrupt & pals with Trump (no idea what he’s got to do with a vaccine from the UK).

Why this major over reaction? Compared to the much more positive & hopeful reaction here? I thought more recently data showed Oxford to be 90% if given 12 weeks apart? And even if only 60%, more than good enough? I was reading an article where a couple doctors were saying almost 100% of people did not need hospital treatment or became seriously ill after one dose. That’s incredible..

We won't know for years (if ever) what the "best" approach is/was. But for now I am feeling confident with the Health advice we are being given and am accepting if not happy about the restrictions.

I think from a health service perspective it’s been a good approach. When borders open, even if travellers are vaccinated and most of the population is, cases will increase. However, Australia’s health services are running as usual, so there won’t be a backlog of non-covid related cases to deal with. And presumably, with a largely vaccinated population there will be fewer very unwell people.

Agree @nolongersurprised. As I understand it, with vaccination none of the people got seriously ill or needed hospital treatment so even when we get cases, it shouldn’t overwhelm the hospital system.
I also think I read that they are doing the Oxford vaccine in cities where it’s easier to store it and the Pfizer in remote communities where they don’t have the storage facilities.
I think Australia will have to accept that they will get cases but that so long as no one is seriously ill, that’s ok.
The current small outbreak in NSW has led to one person in ICU but we don’t know the age or health conditions of that person.

Vague memory of Dr Chant saying that the person in ICU in NSW has been there since July - poor bugger.

I can't find any sources to verify that though.

Being 'controlling and having restrictions' saves lives.
Watching this site through UK summer while people carried on about their right to have a holiday in Europe was like watching the lead in to a car crash.

I’m not sure about that because it was saying for ages 0 in the “people in ICU” on the daily figures and then suddenly it was 1, maybe a week or so ago?
But still, one person in the whole of NSW serious enough to be in ICU is pretty good going.

As some one is CEV I will be incredibly upset if I get the Oxford vaccine. I am
really angry it has been approved at all.

Absolutely OzGirl75.

I think what was said upthread about a less than ideal vaccine roll out combined with opening up in our situation resulting in more deaths than we currently have, as opposed to the UK/US situation where the weight falls more heavily towards quick action is probably correct.

There is no doubting that the border (and other restrictions) grate, but we are not in a medical emergency/crisis situation so we can take the time to breathe and see what is the best plan.

Why some people appear to resent that is beyond me. Our going under with Covid will not improve any other countries' situation.

@Blessex It is 100% efficient at stopping serious disease and hospitalisation. that would be funny if it wasn’t so serious . Where on earth did you dig up that nonsense.

@GhostPepperTears

There is nothing like hearing people criticise their own governments to realise how similar all our concerns are, I think.

It's a shame the pandemic has been so divisive because this is the first global challenge, in a long time, where we've all had a common foe (the virus).

Very true that.

I find all this vaccine nationalism/chauvinism maddening and gross. The truth is they’re just about all multinational efforts. The AZ one perhaps most of all, given AZ is a British/Swedish company, Oxford is obviously here, there have been trials in India, South Africa, the USA, the UK, and Brazil, and there’s been input from the Welcome Trust. Personally I don’t give a flying f**k who/how a vaccine is made, just that it’s safe and effective.

@AldiAisleofCrap reported in Sydney morning herald.

www.smh.com.au/world/europe/oxford-vaccine-chief-says-australia-can-t-afford-to-delay-the-jab-s-rollout-20210114-p56txm.html?btis

[quote spottygymbag]@AldiAisleofCrap reported in Sydney morning herald.

www.smh.com.au/world/europe/oxford-vaccine-chief-says-australia-can-t-afford-to-delay-the-jab-s-rollout-20210114-p56txm.html?btis[/quote]
There were only 2 cases that met the WHO classification of severe in the control arm, so the jury is still a little bit out there, particularly as there very view trial participants over 65 in the AZ trial (the people you’d expect to get C19 severely). I highly recommend reading the full MHRA report on the AZ vaccine, page 33 sets out the overall efficacy and severe cases info:

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/949772/UKPAR_COVID_19_Vaccine_AstraZeneca_05.01.2021.pdf

@AldiAisleofCrap

As some one is CEV I will be incredibly upset if I get the Oxford vaccine. I am really angry it has been approved at all.

I'm in the same situation. The AZ vaccine is of no use to me, or my son at 60%. And given Pfizer is for sale privately in Australia I'm struggling with the ethics of trying to obtain it when I believe it's immoral for the government to even contemplate this as an option. Will be discussing with GP this week.

@Em777 yes I've read that too. I was responding to the pp who asked where that nonsense was dug up. Just trying to show where it was reported to give some context for why and how people are getting (and repeating) that information.

[quote spottygymbag]@Em777 yes I've read that too. I was responding to the pp who asked where that nonsense was dug up. Just trying to show where it was reported to give some context for why and how people are getting (and repeating) that information.[/quote]
Ah sorry. Yeah, there’s a lot of disinformation about! There’s a lot of unknowns remaining with all of these vaccines (particularly re: transmission and durability of immunity) but the AZ vaccine seems be the worst for dodgy numbers being reported by the press. 🙂

Odd, my sister in the US wants the Oxford one because there have been strong reactions to the Pfizer vaccine from people with autoimmune disorders. (This what she is reading/hearing anyway.)

It’s hard to get information. There are a lot of rumours. I’m really not clear about which vaccine is safer and more effective.

Thanks @Em777 I will give that a read . I just feel that yes the Oxford vaccine will eventually achieve herd immunity as @Wakeupalready said 60% is no good for us and her ds. We can’t feel safe with those odds and I strongly believe all CEV and over 70’s should be given the Pfizer vaccine.

@TooManyKidsSendHelp

I'm in North Queensland

I'm envious!!

@AldiAisleofCrap

Thanks *@Em777 I will give that a read . I just feel that yes the Oxford vaccine will eventually achieve herd immunity as @Wakeupalready* said 60% is no good for us and her ds. We can’t feel safe with those odds and I strongly believe all CEV and over 70’s should be given the Pfizer vaccine.

I well understand that. My mum, who is back in Australia, has late stage COPD and congestive heart failure. As it stands, I’d much prefer that when the time comes she get the Pfizer vaccine over the Oxford vaccine, given the lack of data on its efficacy for people that are CEV and over 65s.

I think both the British and Australian governments should be prioritising the Pfizer vaccine in those groups for the moment. There will be more data on the Oxford vaccine in due course (still a big trial going on in the USA that is supposed to have a lot more vulnerable and older patients enrolled).

[quote trulydelicious]@TooManyKidsSendHelp

I'm in North Queensland

I'm envious!! [/quote]
Eh, don't be. It's cyclone season lol.

I'm Australian. So much misinformation!!

Mostly we're just going about our business & waiting for a vaccine, whichever one. There's been some scaremongering from a few sectors about effectiveness & a vocal few are causing problems. Because there's not many virus cases we're a bit less desperate, I suppose.

There IS a vaccine being developed by a QLD uni. Its been delayed due to an unexpected issue not related to safety. I think it's been restarted now.

The delay in vaccination is purely the stringent approvals process. It's taking a while but PM said should be vaccinating by mid Feb as already manufacturing. I've no idea which one. Don't care. I just want my life back.

Mostly we're just going about our business & waiting for a vaccine, whichever one.

I’m Australian and I disagree. I don’t believe people are happy with ‘whichever one’ precisely because in the main we ARE just going about our business. It’s because of that many people would like the one that gives us the chance of complete normality as opposed to just not getting seriously ill and dying because that’s not what’s currently happening. The offer on the table is essentially to address something that’s not currently a problem. We are not getting what we do need. Many people are not happy and would rather trade off the continuation of life as we live it now (albeit a bit differently than before) for a while longer and end up with the option that will place us in a better position long term. We have the luxury of doing this so why not?

Very, very different position to many other countries including the UK. If we were in the position these countries are in then of course we would be saying we will take anything and be grateful but we’re not.

I work in public health and understand the different vaccines and the registration process very well and I think some of the information above is a bit mixed. There is no delay in vaxing. If anything we will be ahead of any predicted schedule. We won’t get it in Feb because it’s already being manufactured. First supplies are anticipated to come in Feb due to a predicted Jan TGA approval but that’s the Pfizer jab which will be available only to a defined at risk group and others such as relevant HCP’s/defined essential workers. That is coming from overseas, it can’t be made here so local manufacturing timelines have nothing to do with it. It’s anticipated that the initial Oxford supplies will also be brought in from overseas but the locally manufactured Oxford stuff will then follow on from that.

@AllAussieAdventures

I think the poster is trying to say that everything in Australia is less good than in England

Despite all evidence showing the opposite

Because English son (who is a guest in Australia) says so

And English son is more of an expert on Australia, than the articulate and well-informed Australians on this thread

I think they call this a colonial mentality

@mumnowformerrockstar

So far australia has done well with keeping covid away . I don't think that will last forever though. Unless they keep their borders shut forever, which is unlikely. They have a huge tourism/ immigration system there. Must be costing them millions to have it shut down for so long. We have considered immigrating. The immigration person within the sector we spoke to basically said we could start the process anytime and pay up But they are not doing any processing until the covid crisis is over.

Actually, our tourism industry is booming. Many Australians go to Asia for holidays, and obviously we can't do that atm! We're all travelling locally. Hotels etc ate all booked out.

@HoppingPavlova where have you read that pfizer will stop transmission? No one knows if any of them stop this yet ?

The Hunter is loving it. When international tourists visit they buy a bottle.

When Sydneysiders show up, we whack a couple of cases in the boot.

We have spent a bomb in NSW over the last year. Money that would have gone interstate. We are also deliberately spending more than we normally would because we can afford to and figure it will help.