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Original poster

Australia says no to AZ and J&J vaccines--vax rollout likely to be delayed by months

539 replies

Kokeshi123 · 13/04/2021 03:23

www.theguardian.com/society/2021/apr/13/australia-wont-buy-johnson-johnsons-one-dose-covid-vaccine-due-to-astrazeneca-similarities

I know quite a lot of Ozzies who are completely stranded outside their country due to the fact that they cannot keep small children within a hotel room for two weeks and pay a fortune for the priviledge. As it is, it's looking like Oz will not be removing its quarantine requirements until well into 2022 at the earliest.

I mean, I do think that a basic strategy of "(1) Hold borders tight with Zero Covid until the vax>(2) Unroll vax> (3) Open borders" is a sound one, but it does depend on the second and third bits of the plan actually happening...

OP posts:
MoppaSprings · 20/04/2021 09:35

I hope so Ozgirl, it will be wonderful if I’m wrong and that a plan falls into place for opening up.

Ozgirl75 · 20/04/2021 09:40

As soon as we get vaccines I believe we are in a great position to start rolling them out. We have space, we can cram loads of people in to a vacc centre as we have no community transmission, we have a great network of GP and pharmacies who are used to vaccinating large numbers every year and a pretty compliant population in a few population centres.
If we had supply we could probably do the whole country in a couple of months!

MarshaBradyo · 20/04/2021 09:41

Yes it’s been less traumatic there and right strategy

Just not necessarily possible to do here. Not that many in Aus are saying this but pp.

Ozgirl75 · 20/04/2021 09:41

Think about voting days - we get practically the whole population out and into voting centres in one day!
Vaccine centres just need a sausage sizzle and they’d be overrun.

MarshaBradyo · 20/04/2021 09:43

Plus we owe it a bit to those who suffered so much to enable vaccines and treatments

I’d prefer that narrative to the oft said shitshow version

spottygymbag · 20/04/2021 09:45

The sausage sizzle would definitely be a key selling point. Bunnings without the sausage sizzles was a dark phase of this pandemic!

Ozgirl75 · 20/04/2021 09:47

Agree. It’s Un Australian!

MoppaSprings · 20/04/2021 09:58

The image of a sausage sizzle outside vaccine centres has given me a good laugh and a much needed positive stance on it thank you!

You are right once we get the supply it will be fine.
I read today that they are starting to vaccine the over 50s in some areas

eaglejulesk · 20/04/2021 10:05

I get the feeling we're often viewed as poor little colonials in the outback who probably can't understand our civil liberties have been taken away!

Yes, and we are so stupid that we don't understand that some day the borders will eventually have to re-open and we will have to live with a certain level of covid!

coogee · 20/04/2021 10:19

I read today that they are starting to vaccine the over 50s in some areas

A fiend of my husband had the AZ at the start of the month. Melbourne.

coogee · 20/04/2021 10:20

Friend, not fiend!

Mypathtriedtokillme · 20/04/2021 10:21

@spottygymbag

The sausage sizzle would definitely be a key selling point. Bunnings without the sausage sizzles was a dark phase of this pandemic!
That is what my 4 year old remembers the most about the whole pandemic. That Hammer barn didn’t sell sausages (which is her favourite thing about Bunnings along with nicking the colour cards)
Mypathtriedtokillme · 20/04/2021 10:29

I’m looking forward to going to NZ to see family but I’m not in a hurry and they aren’t in a hurry to come the other way.

Honestly I’ve found NSW’s response of “she’ll be right mate” quite stressful to live with.

We need to open the boarders at some stage but we need to do it sensibly.
Side from the cost in human lives and losses from the community, avoiding the on-going costs to our already underfunded health services from covid related chronic conditions is worth it.

spottygymbag · 20/04/2021 10:39

@coogee

I read today that they are starting to vaccine the over 50s in some areas

A fiend of my husband had the AZ at the start of the month. Melbourne.

I was getting my flu shot last week and there was a slightly older couple (mid 60s?) both getting their covid shot in the next bay. No idea which one but exciting all the same, north Sydney area.
spottygymbag · 20/04/2021 10:50

@Mypathtriedtokillme Yes I think that once the acute part of the pandemic is finally over the long term health costs will become a real issue for some countries

newstart1234 · 20/04/2021 11:30

Does Australia have a lot of testing capacity? It seems like the key is to test test test. I’m not sure I understand how a border can be opened sensibly. If one case gets in then it will spread. Quarantine can only limit the cases, not eliminate them. The social restrictions slow it spreading once it’s in so does sensible border opening include social distancing within the general community?

I assume the people getting a their vaccine now are the most vulnerable to infection or disease. Will these people be given a booster within the next 9 months? If it takes a year to come to a place where the border can open a bit more, these people will be the most in need of immunity at that point, but it will have been a year since their vaccine.

Mypathtriedtokillme · 20/04/2021 11:37

Most states have huge amounts of testing capacity. Daily testing numbers are available to the public.
When a community transmission case is picked up it’s traced, places they have been are announced and close contacts and potential exposures are told to self isolate then are tested etc.
everyone uses QR code’s when in stores/restaurants/clubs which are linked with state health so tracing is quicker/easier.

Mypathtriedtokillme · 20/04/2021 11:44

New restrictions are put in place with changes in community transmission, masks come back on in shopping centres/public transport, new drive in/walk in testing centres pop up, testing with results within 48hrs (normally shorter), isolated lockdowns so tracing can catch up.

I’m in NSW who have concentrated vaccination for border staff and their families to eliminate one transmission risk.

Mypathtriedtokillme · 20/04/2021 11:51

There is also continuous waste water testing for COVID-19 in NSW as a way detection alert.

Mypathtriedtokillme · 20/04/2021 11:55

(Sorry putting my Dd to bed and posted before I proof read)

There is also continuous waste water testing for COVID-19 in NSW as a way of early detection and to help alert the community areas of detection.
They are in the news and state health communications and result in an increased rate of community testing.

newstart1234 · 20/04/2021 12:10

The level of preparedness is very good then. It’s not realistic to think the situation could ever get as bad as in the UK this time last year. To me , the level of control doesn’t fit the level of threat any longer, needless to say others will disagree of course. There’re vaccines, treatments, ppe, systematic testing and of course a lot more know about the virus itself like how it spreads and who is most vulnerable and why. My perspective is that it’s more a political decision rather than one based on the disease itself. That’s not to say I think it should be allowed to spread uncontrolled but there is a middle ground to be found.

PostcardofaBeautifulBeach · 20/04/2021 13:18

It is difficult to see the endgame in Australia and NZ. Also for the likes of HK which has an even more stringent Quarantine programme than either country- 3 weeks strict hotel quarantine.

There will have to be a change of political and community mindset. In HK people religiously track the daily figures - which are typically less than 10 (and usually include imported cases found in hotel quarantine- even though such travellers would have had a negative test before getting on the flight).

Vaccination in HK is widely available now but limited take up from local population - who like a lot of Australians have little requirement to travel overseas... Definitely a 'wait and see' culture.

I have no idea what will happen but the current 'batten down the hatches' mentality will have to change at some point.

eaglejulesk · 20/04/2021 20:48

I have no idea what will happen but the current 'batten down the hatches' mentality will have to change at some point.

Much like the UK posters on MN who haven't left the house in over a year and are still sanitising everything that moves will have to change their mentality.

As I said in an earlier post, we are not thick. We - and presumably our governments - do realise this!!!!!!!

MarshaBradyo · 20/04/2021 21:10

I don’t know many doing that here, but I can’t work out if you meant to aim it all all U.K. posters or just a few.

spottygymbag · 20/04/2021 22:04

@PostcardofaBeautifulBeach how is it difficult to see the end game?
We are vaccinating in phases.
We started later due to our regulatory process so still doing healthcare but now also over 50s.
Like many other countries we are dealing with shortages and delays which means the borders will be kept in place while a strategy is in put in place.
As has been explained by many pp's, and is in the news if anyone bothered to look, the border rules will be eased slowly and in stages.