Coronavirus vaccine news

[bellenuit]

Interesting data from Israel. They started vaccinating the 60+ age group before the rest of the general population. Looks pretty convincing for the efficacy of the vaccine.

 

[moXJO]

Interesting data from Israel. They started vaccinating the 60+ age group before the rest of the general population. Looks pretty convincing for the efficacy of the vaccine.

View attachment 119952

Looking forward to being able to travel again. Hopefully it all works.

 

[satanoperca]

China looks a better option than Victoria

 

[DB008]

Headline should really read, "Vaccine developed by BioNtech, distributed by Pfizer".

Israeli study finds 94% drop in symptomatic COVID-19 cases with Pfizer vaccine​

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel’s largest healthcare provider on Sunday reported a 94% drop in symptomatic COVID-19 infections among 600,000 people who received two doses of the Pfizer’s vaccine in the country’s biggest study to date.​

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Health maintenance organization (HMO) Clalit, which covers more than half of all Israelis, said the same group was also 92% less likely to develop severe illness from the virus.​

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The comparison was against a group of the same size, with matching medical histories, who had not received the vaccine.​

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“It shows unequivocally that Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine is extremely effective in the real world a week after the second dose, just as it was found to be in the clinical study,” said Ran Balicer, Clalit’s chief innovation officer.​

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He added that the data indicates the Pfizer vaccine, which was developed in partnership with Germany’s BioNTech, is even more effective two weeks or more after the second shot.​

Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science, who have been tabulating national data, said on Sunday that a sharp decline in hospitalisation and serious illness identified earlier among the first age group to be vaccinated - aged 60 or older - was seen for the first time in those aged 55 and older.​

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Hospitalisations and serious illness were still rising in younger groups who began vaccinations weeks later.​

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Israel has been conducting a rapid vaccine rollout and its database offers insights into vaccine effectiveness and at what point countries might attain herd immunity.​

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...l-vaccine-idUSKBN2AE0Q2?utm_source=reddit.com



.​

 

[Telamelo]

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will today be among the first Australians to be vaccinated with the Pfizer jab, not the AstraZeneca vaccine that most Australians will receive.

The efficacy of the AstraZeneca efficacy with a standard, two-dose schedule is only 62 per cent.

In comparison, the efficacy of Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine is 95 per cent, while interim results suggest the Novavax vaccine has an efficacy of 89 per cent.


https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewal...l-new-study-reportedly-shows/?sh=5f81e2a14913

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/should-australia-be-reconsidering-its-rollout-of-the-astrazeneca-vaccine

 

[The Triangle]

Seven deaths in UK among AstraZeneca vaccine recipients after blood clots

The UK medical regulator said Saturday that out of 30 people who suffered blood clots after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, seven have died.

www.france24.com

We dont have covid issues in australia so why is the government rushing us to get jabbed with an inferior vaccine that is killing people when we could wait and get pfizer that is better and doesn't kill (yet)

Blood clot already happened in qld.

 

[cynic]

I heard a funny thing about Pfizer on my way to the forum:

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-pfizer-health-concerns-idUSKBN28K2R6

These days it is hard to sort the facts from the fictions, leading me to wonder why there are no fact checked, fact checks, particularly considering how many of the published fact checks invariably favour fashionable narratives.
However, the aforelinked "fact check", did make some surprising (to myself at least) admissions, hence my reason for being willing to post it here.

 

[grah33]

It looks like those dependent upon welfare, won't have any say in the matter:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-20/coronavirus-vaccine-link-to-government-payments/12577618

Given the marked increase in the welfare dependency of the Australian populace, courtesy of covid19 lockdowns, this would be tantamount to a defacto mandation of the vaccine for the vast majority of Australians.

i hope not. I don't trust those vaccines . but i kind of predicted this might happen

Musk seems to have a fair view: if you're not immunocompromised, u shouldn't have to take it.

 

[grah33]

No Cookies | The Courier Mail

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www.noosanews.com.au

 

[sptrawler]

Seven deaths in UK among AstraZeneca vaccine recipients after blood clots

The UK medical regulator said Saturday that out of 30 people who suffered blood clots after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, seven have died.

www.france24.com

We dont have covid issues in australia so why is the government rushing us to get jabbed with an inferior vaccine that is killing people when we could wait and get pfizer that is better and doesn't kill (yet)

Blood clot already happened in qld.

Because the media is making a huge issue of the speed of the roll out, then when it becomes a cluster fluck, the media will make a huge issue of that.
It just is the way life is today, 90% of people believe what the media says and the media relies on that 90 % to keep believing them, or they go out of business.
By the way, I received an email from a distant relative in the U.K on the weekend, he said and I quote:
" We had our first jab about two months ago and should get our second vaccinations soon, but have not yet got a date. Over 30 million people in UK have had at least one jab".
He and his wife are in their early to mid 70's.

 

[rederob]

Because the media is making a huge issue of the speed of the roll out, then when it becomes a cluster fluck, the media will make a huge issue of that.
It just is the way life is today, 90% of people believe what the media says and the media relies on that 90 % to keep believing them, or they go out of business.
By the way, I received an email from a distant relative in the U.K on the weekend, he said and I quote:
" We had our first jab about two months ago and should get our second vaccinations soon, but have not yet got a date. Over 30 million people in UK have had at least one jab".
He and his wife are in their early to mid 70's.

The media just picks up on what is now obvious in that it IS a flustercluck. Morrison could not organise a chook raffle .
We hardly have to worry about what the media say given the government's own data shows they have botched it.

Just up the road the backward nation of Nepal, with a few million more people than OZ, has already inoculated 1.7 million citizens. If our pathetic media knew this they would make Morrison look even more incompetent.

The saddest feature of what is occurring is that apart from the fraught AstraZeneca vaccine, the IP owners of vaccines currently available are unwilling to release it under the WHO waiver program. If you read the link you will appreciate their argument is beyond pathetic. Operation Warp Speed as an example put massive government funding into vaccine development, as did many other governments. The simple reality is that if a similar pandemic were ever to recur then no single company or nation could ever be relied to produce an effective vaccine, let alone in the quantity and timeliness necessary to beat it.

In terms of where the world today stands the so called "developed world" has seen around 85% of available vaccines used for its citizens, while the so called "undeveloped world" has been able to access less than ONE percent.

The biggest concern: As we have learned, variants of covid are now having a devastating effect on some nations, and if the undeveloped world cannot get to herd immunity much quicker, then it's possible a future variant will not respond to present vaccines. That would make the past year's vaccine efforts redundant, all because the west thinks that a profit motive can defeat a pandemic.

 

[rederob]

An international snapshot of vaccine rollouts:

 

[IFocus]

Media have nothing to do with current short fall of vacations or problems, Morrison has said we were at the front of the que with lots of options apparently that's some where behind more than a hundred other countries.

Big media presentations in front of lots of Australian flags spinning big expectations saying we are going great when we are not sum-up a no policy government.

The slow roll out will cost us economically and possibly death rates heaven forbid a variant gets loose and that's not the variants currently circulating far worse are possible.

Note the US and UK are scrambling to get the 1st round out so booster shots can be then made available to fight variants which are now appearing.

We wont be any where near that time line late 2022 or early 2023 is looking like open borders for Australia... maybe.

 

[sptrawler]

There isn't many Countries with as little cases as Australia, I know most of the people I know and have talked to in Perth/Mandurah area aren't worried, because there isn't any cases and they would rather the vaccine is sorted before they get it.
I know i'm not rushing in at the moment, or trying to push to the front of the queue.
If i get a call up, I will pass my go, to one of you concerned people. ?

 

[sptrawler]

An international snapshot of vaccine rollouts:

View attachment 122673

Maybe it could be put in context, as to the percentage, of their respective populations? Looks like the U.K have done wellover 50% of their population, which is good, they had a pretty nasty outbreak there.

 

[rederob]

There isn't many Countries with as little cases as Australia, I know most of the people I know and have talked to in Perth/Mandurah area aren't worried, because there isn't any cases and they would rather the vaccine is sorted before they get it.
I know i'm not rushing in at the moment, or trying to push to the front of the queue.
If i get a call up, I will pass my go, to one of you concerned people. ?

That somewhat misses the point.
For example international education previously contributed around $40B to the Australian economy and was responsible for well over 100k jobs. And international tourism injected around $45B into our economy. These sectors remain decimated.
Meanwhile piddling local covid outbreaks in Australia cause border closures that create havoc with the domestic travel industry and cost non essential businesses dearly due to lockdowns and venue restrictions.

This article in The Australian sums up Morrison's incompetence on the vaccine issue. What is most telling is that despite CSL approaching the federal government in February last year they did nothing to facilitate vaccine manufacture until AstraZeneca approached CSL about production. Morrison's assurances to us that we would be amongst the first in the world to receive vaccinations drifted into having a "front row seat" (no doubt watching those nations ahead of us), to currently being squirrelled away in the vehicle's trailer.

If anything sums up how poor Morrison's team has been, it has to be the recent rollout stoush with Gladys Berejiklian.
Biden knew Trump stuffed up rollout arrangements by not properly involving states in the process. But, to our collective misfortune, Morrison apparently knows better.

 

[sptrawler]

The good news is one we don't need a rushed roll out, and two, by the time a second corona virus comes out of China we might have a modern state of the art manufacturing plant to handle our own vaccine manufacturing, rather than relying on the ability of overseas manufacturers to design and supply it.
As it is if Morrison had jumped at the AstraZeneca offer, you would be jumping all over him for that, in light of the questions surrounding it, so there is no win with Morrison from rusted on laborites like yourself, complaints are just something he will have to deal with from people always looking for something to go on about.
Fortunately for us our economy has bounced back well from the effects of the virus and people holidaying at home, they have been a boom to the outback, tourism operators supplying overseas holidays have struggled but the retail sector, DIY and home furnishing sectors have had a beano, so there are silver linings in even the most terrible of times.
You can always be a cup half empty guy @rederob rob, it will just depress you.

Morrison government commits $1 billion over 12 years for new vaccine manufacturing supply

The federal government has concluded a $1 billion agreement for a new high-tech manufacturing facility in Melbourne which would produce pandemic influenza vaccines as well as antivenoms.

theconversation.com

Online sales drive JB Hi-Fi to bumper first half result

JB Hi-Fi's sales growth appears to have slowed in the second quarter but the company has still pulled off a good result.

www.smh.com.au

Home sprucing wave drives Harvey Norman to record result

Retailer Harvey Norman has achieved record financial results, more than doubling its first-half net profit, with chairman Gerry Harvey partly crediting the franchise’s success during the pandemic to spaciousness in stores and easy parking.

www.news.com.au

Nick Scali profit almost doubles during first half

January 2021 was the largest month of written sales orders Nick Scali has ever seen.

insideretail.com.au

Bunnings owner Wesfarmers warns retail frenzy to ease

Bunnings and Kmart were the earnings machines behind Wesfarmers’ surge in half year net profit, while initial results from converted Target stores beat the parent company’s expectations, but the shopping frenzy appears to have peaked.

www.news.com.au

No Cookies | The Courier Mail

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www.qt.com.au

Forget overseas holidays, these people are saddling up to explore their backyard

Equine tourism operators in Western Australia's south-west say they have had to buy more horses to keep up with the booming demand.

www.abc.net.au

Riding high from tourism influx, the outback's poised for a bumper summer

Cashed-up city-dwellers have been flocking to the outback, and it's only expected to get busier when Queensland's border opens to Greater Sydney and Victoria on Tuesday.

www.brisbanetimes.com.au

Economic rebound to become a grind as normality returns

The Australian economy has roared back from the depths of the coronavirus recession, but new forecasts suggest it will now become a grind back to normality.

www.smh.com.au

From the last article:
After suffering the largest quarterly fall in GDP since the 1930s in the March quarter last year, the Australian economy has posted the strongest back-to-back quarters of growth on record. Last week, the International Monetary Fund upgraded its forecasts for the Australian economy, saying it expected it to grow by 4.5 per cent through 2021.

 

[sptrawler]

There isn't many Countries with as little cases as Australia, I know most of the people I know and have talked to in Perth/Mandurah area aren't worried, because there isn't any cases and they would rather the vaccine is sorted before they get it.
I know i'm not rushing in at the moment, or trying to push to the front of the queue.
If i get a call up, I will pass my go, to one of you concerned people. ?

I'm not against vaccines per say, but rushing out one shows two things, one the amount of panic behind covid 19 and two the chances of a problem with the vaccine obviously is higher.

Should I still turn up for my AstraZeneca appointment? Your questions answered

Should I proceed with my scheduled AstraZeneca vaccine? Should I have the second jab if I’ve already had the first? We answer some of the latest COVID-19 questions.

www.theage.com.au

 

[sptrawler]

Thankfully Morrison didn't roll out the vaccine quickly, it would appear now even the doctors are getting nervous about it.

AstraZeneca jabs remain on hold in Victoria as Merlino calls for compulsory training for health workers

The Victorian government could pause administering the AstraZeneca vaccine to people aged under 50 for more than two weeks.

www.theage.com.au

From the article:
The Andrews government cancelled appointments for under 50s on Friday following Commonwealth advice that the risks associated with AstraZeneca jabs may outweigh the benefits.

Victoria also wants compulsory training for health staff to teach them about the AstraZeneca risks, and wants indemnity for GPs, before restarting vaccinations.

 

[rederob]

The good news is one we don't need a rushed roll out, and two, by the time a second corona virus comes out of China we might have a modern state of the art manufacturing plant to handle our own vaccine manufacturing, rather than relying on the ability of overseas manufacturers to design and supply it.

Every week's delay in getting to herd immunity costs our economy around $5B, so the notion that it's ok to go slow is not well founded.
That's also ignoring our abysmal efforts on vaccine production and worse on coordinating the actual rollout.

WRT to vaccine production, India are global leaders, not China.
Elsewhere I posted on the gross failure at an international level to agree to a vaccine IP waiver that would enable countries with vaccine production capabilities to get cracking on vaccines doses to meet global needs. The WHO are pushing for this to happen, but the west are preferring to refocus on an origins blame game.

@sptrawler - we have filled the cup with incompetents. Australia should have done much better. And internationally capitalism has failed much of the world by placing profits ahead of people.
Sometimes we deserve the governments we get, but this pandemic has shown us what the real cost can be when leaders are more interested in saving their own bacon than their citizens.