# Forum More Stuff At the end of the day  50 and over?  Book your COVID  vaccine here

## joynz

The COVID-19 vaccine  is now available to everyone 50 and over. 
Find a clinic and make an online booking here. You can sort by soonest available slot. 
I had mine a couple of days ago.  
https://covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/booking/?sid=65c27e9ec5966969d89a546a194484cdd1ec2a8c&offe  ring=AZ5070

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## phild01

I'll wait in the hope they get something better for us than the crap AZ vaccine.

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## gpkennedy

> I'll wait in the hope they get something better for us than the crap AZ vaccine.

  Something imported from India perhaps.

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## joynz

> I'll wait in the hope they get something better for us than the crap AZ vaccine.

  I’ve had the vaccine and I encourage others to do so too.  
(Though a news item I just heard indicates that NSW is lagging behind on availability?). 
Don’t let the scaremongers win!

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## Marc

> I'll wait in the hope they get something better for us than the crap AZ vaccine.

  Phil, in Sydney they will be vaccinating with the Pfizer the under 50 in the vaccination hubs. In 3 month they will open to anyone.
The official "reassurance" that they "Now know how to treat the clots" is an insult to intelligence.  
As for the comments above, everyone has the right to choose and decide for themselves. If you prefer to get your information from ABC, SBS, or the guardian it is your choice. 
It is possible that the chances of getting a clot is similar to being hit by a car whilst crossing the road with your eyes closed. Busy road ... bang ... not so busy, you are home free. 
Best of luck. I wait at the lights for green.

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## phild01

> Phil, in Sydney they will be vaccinating with the Pfizer the under 50 in the vaccination hubs. In 3 month they will open to anyone.
> The official "reassurance" that they "Now know how to treat the clots" is an insult to intelligence.  
> As for the comments above, everyone has the right to choose and decide for themselves. If you prefer to get your information from ABC, SBS, or the guardian it is your choice. 
> It is possible that the chances of getting a clot is similar to being hit by a car whilst crossing the road with your eyes closed.

  The low statistical risk of getting a clot is of little interest to me when safer vaccines are available. The clots caused by this vaccine are more deadly than what other medications may give. I am not happy knowing someone will die in the hope of providing protection to everyone else. We should have a choice of what vaccine we want to receive and not what the government dictates. 
And I get my news allover the place, sometimes the ABC if they manage to be apolitical and not slanted towards minority groups :Biggrin:

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## Marc

Mm ... ha ha Phil, I'll rephrase :   
To Phil:_Phil, in Sydney they will be vaccinating with the Pfizer the under 50 in the vaccination hubs. In 3 month they will open to anyone._ _[I  agree that the AZ is crap] The official "reassurance" that they "Now know how to treat the clots" [ from the AZ] is an insult to intelligence. 
To Gp. and Joy _ As for the comments above, everyone has the right to choose and decide for themselves. If you prefer to get your information from ABC, SBS, or the guardian it is your choice. It is possible that the chances of getting a clot is similar to being hit by a car whilst crossing the road with your eyes closed. Busy road ... bang ... not so busy, you are home free. Best of luck. I wait at the lights for green.  _To summarise to avoid any confusions:_ All current vaccines are crap. They go from Moderna and Pfizer somewhere up there in the mediocre variety, down to the AZ and Sputnik in the crap quality, ending with the chinese that is equal to tap water.  :2thumbsup:

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## r3nov8or

> The COVID-19 vaccine  is now available to everyone 50 and over. 
> Find a clinic and make an online booking here. You can sort by soonest available slot. 
> I had mine a couple of days ago.  
> https://covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/booking/?sid=65c27e9ec5966969d89a546a194484cdd1ec2a8c&offe  ring=AZ5070

  This survey, when I say I'm over 50 and from Victoria, should simply send me to the booking page. But no, it asks about 10 more questions, and presto, I'm eligible! Data gathering that's pretty blatant and unnecessary. When I decide, I'll just turn up I think

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## Bros

> As for the comments above, everyone has the right to choose and decide for themselves. If you prefer to get your information from ABC, SBS, or the guardian it is your choice.

   And where do you suggest we get our information?

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## Bros

> When I decide, I'll just turn up I think

  That’s what I will do but some establishments are holding a gun to peoples head. As an example there is a bloke at our Men’s Shed who has his wife in a nursing home and they wouldn’t let him in unless he had the COVID and flu injection and the laughter is he could go the next day after he had the injection and to add insult to injury the residents or the staff had not been vaccinated.

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## Marc

Not easy. This man made epidemic has been a god sent for those practising the black art of disinformation and suppression. Mistrust in the usual suspects is a good start. I am sure you can figure out how to sort the chaff from the fluff, the bent and the agendas. Not much left I concede. Needs more effort than watching commercial TV or reading the SMH. Try medical journals, some use non technical terms

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## joynz

> This survey, when I say I'm over 50 and from Victoria, should simply send me to the booking page. But no, it asks about 10 more questions, and presto, I'm eligible! Data gathering that's pretty blatant and unnecessary. When I decide, I'll just turn up I think

   The other questions are for people under 50 who will be eligible because they fit in the other categories.  It’s not all about you! 
Sure, there are about 8 questions, but it’s pretty easy...

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## Marc

> This survey, when I say I'm over 50 and from Victoria, should simply send me to the booking page. But no, it asks about 10 more questions, and presto, I'm eligible! Data gathering that's pretty blatant and unnecessary. When I decide, I'll just turn up I think

  The qualifier should be being human and alive. Send a text if a certificate is required. There is always an ulterior motive ... oh and if you point it out, you are a conspiracy theorist. We should have vaccination hubs galore, and walk in walk out if the objective is immunisation. If it is exercise power and collect data, then we keep on doing it our way. 
Or, we can just ask Joy here

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## joynz

I had the vaccine a couple of days ago.  Smooth and efficient experience.  I encourage anyone 50 and over to book now. 
Don’t let the conspiracy theorists or scaremongers stop you.

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## toooldforthis

for me, it's all about risk management - global, national, community and personal risk management. 
? do you think coronavirus is real? regardless of how it started
? do you think a lot of people have died from it
? do you think a lot of people who got it and didn't die might have longer term health issues
? do you think it is better not to catch it
? do you think communities/individuals have been impacted, say economically or socially etc, even if those individuals didn't catch it
? how can you, or others in your community, minimise getting it
? do you think things like social distance, masks, hygiene all contribute to not getting it
? do you think AZ vaccine is better than no vaccine to address the above issue (given it probably won't be to next year that a better vaccine is available in Oz)
? do you think the chance of serious side effects from AZ are higher than getting hit by a bus 
then regardless of incompetent politicians, control conspiracies and conflicted media maybe you should think about getting a AZ shot if you don't qualify for Pfizer since you will be lessening the risks of the above, even if you don't reduce them to zero.

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## Bedford

> for me, it's all about risk management - global, national, community and personal risk management. 
> ? do you think coronavirus is real? regardless of how it started
> ? do you think a lot of people have died from it
> ? do you think a lot of people who got it and didn't die might have longer term health issues
> ? do you think it is better not to catch it
> ? do you think communities/individuals have been impacted, say economically or socially etc, even if those individuals didn't catch it
> ? how can you, or others in your community, minimise getting it
> ? do you think things like social distance, masks, hygiene all contribute to not getting it
> ? do you think AZ vaccine is better than no vaccine to address the above issue (given it probably won't be to next year that a better vaccine is available in Oz)
> ...

  So what did you decide?

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## phild01

If we all had a choice what proportion do you think would want AZ!

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## Bros

> Try medical journals, some use non technical terms

   Ive tried them on other information I have been interested in and I have found them impossible to understand, they are written with much smarter readers in mind than me.
Saying that there is one medical site I use to understand dosage, when to take and mild and moderate side effects.

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## r3nov8or

> The other questions are for people under 50 who will be eligible because they fit in the other categories.  It’s not all about you! 
> Sure, there are about 8 questions, but it’s pretty easy...

  My point is that in VIC today they don't need to ask extra questions as I'm over 50. Just book me in. Everything else is data gathering.  
Sheesh. I'm off to Facebook  :Wink:

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## Marc

The new hubs in NSW are talking about being "eligible". 
This "eligibility" is based on some ethereal notion of risk groups, fabricated and dutifully labelled to fit mainly political criteria.  Considering the little we know about the virus and our reaction to it, to say under 50 and over 50 and over 80 and the rest of the classification, when it does not even match the classification other countries use, is a sham. 
Clearly the initial choice of the AZ vaccine was rushed and based on the non-existing information at hand, so they flipped a coin or played spin a bottle to choose.
Now that more and more adverse reaction come to light, they are trying to backpedal and endorse the faulty vaccine to those who have lower hormones and are 'probably' less likely to form clots, and use the Pfizer for the rest ... unless ... you work in a hospital, medical practice nursing home, regardless of age. 
So if AZ is so safe if you are 51 and no good if you are 49, why are health workers getting the Pfizer regardless of age?  
The whole vaccination operation is botched, improvised, constantly changing and all in all rather pathetic. We are lucky we are relatively isolated, and unless you are a happy cruise ship passenger, politician, sport player or terrorist, you are restricted from traveling.
The so called repatriation operation merits a separate comment. 9000 "stranded" in India? Really?
 Reminds me of those Lebanese born and bread that happened to live in OZ for a couple of years to score a passport and return to live permanently in Lebanon who rushed to be "repatriated" (for free) when their compadres started yet another war.
 And when will someone push a sock into Albo's and Malcom's mouth and superglue it in place permanently? Making political milage from this situation is absolutely disgusting.   https://www.health.gov.au/initiative...ur-eligibility

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## Marc

> then regardless of incompetent politicians, control conspiracies and conflicted media maybe you should think about getting a AZ shot if you don't qualify for Pfizer since you will be lessening the risks of the above, even if you don't reduce them to zero.

   What you say above is correct, if you talk about cattle or crops. Since you are talking about people, the above is not a choice a person should face. We have two vaccines, and one is clearly a better choice. No one should be asked to take the lesser of the two based on a botched acquisition decision.

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## cyclic

We are booked in for this thursday but after reading this https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/cor...ng-b881867249z
we are cancelling from today for a month to see what else comes along.
And before you all start telling me we are wooses consider this,
my partner needs to consult with the doctor first ( for what good he is considering he tells everyone the risks are same as winning lotto, have you ever won lotto the smart @@@@ asks) due to allergy to penicillin plus she is on blood pressure meds and I have pre diabetes as well as heart valve, pace maker, blood pressure meds, cholesterol meds, plus other meds, asbestos plaques and industrial asthma.
So when I think they have used enough guinea pigs I will look into having the jab.

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## Bros

> Clearly the initial choice of the AZ vaccine was rushed and based on the non-existing information at hand, so they flipped a coin or played spin a bottle to choose.

   I don't quite agree with you as I believe cost had a big bearing as I have read somewhere the AZ vaccine is much cheaper than the Pfizer by a considerable amount

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## Bros

> Sheesh. I'm off to Facebook

   You'll be full bottle now after visiting Facebook.

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## Bros

> my partner needs to consult with the doctor first ( for what good he is considering he tells everyone the risks are same as winning lotto, have you ever won lotto the smart @@@@ asks)

   Not my doctors recommendation and yes I was in a div 1 lotto win some yrs. ago.

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## toooldforthis

> So what did you decide?

  I've had the 1st AZ shot.
timed it so if there was any minor side effects it wouldn't affect my days too much.
 major side effects? nothing yet  :Smilie:  still here   

> If we all had a choice what proportion do you think would want AZ!

  yeah, but we don't.
and plenty of side effects, unintended consequences, from other medical treatments that are used every day.   

> Ive tried them on other information I have been interested in and I have found them impossible to understand, they are written with much smarter readers in mind than me.
> Saying that there is one medical site I use to understand dosage, when to take and mild and moderate side effects.

  pharmaboy used to be on here?
think it is the same one over on whingepool - s/he and a few others were good at going through the medical sites and 'translating' the info.
I went through those posts quite a bit at one stage to get a handle on things but only occasionally glance now as there is so much dross to wade through.    

> What you say above is correct, if you talk about cattle or crops. Since you are talking about people, the above is not a choice a person should face. We have two vaccines, and one is clearly a better choice. No one should be asked to take the lesser of the two based on a botched acquisition decision.

  we don't have 2 vaccines available for everyone (ignoring how we got into this situation).
give Pfizer to those who are more exposed/vulnerable.   

> We are booked in for this thursday but after reading this https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/cor...ng-b881867249z
> we are cancelling from today for a month to see what else comes along.
> And before you all start telling me we are wooses consider this,
> my partner needs to consult with the doctor first ( for what good he is considering he tells everyone the risks are same as winning lotto, have you ever won lotto the smart @@@@ asks) due to allergy to penicillin plus she is on blood pressure meds and I have pre diabetes as well as heart valve, pace maker, blood pressure meds, cholesterol meds, plus other meds, asbestos plaques and industrial asthma.
> So when I think they have used enough guinea pigs I will look into having the jab.

  I can understand people being hesitant if they have underlying health issues.
If you are not in employment or living in an area where you are more exposed to risk then you can consider waiting.
Bear in mind that the 2nd AZ shot is 12 weeks later tho and we are entering into winter (where social distancing is not as easily done).
I don't have any underlying issues (that I know of) and I suspect the virus has a good chance of being more prevalent in Oz this year due to looser borders and (less than an ideal) quarantine so count me as one of your guinea pigs - you're welcome. 
I have a mate who qualified (job related) for the Pfizer shot months ago and didn't get it.
No particular reason he says - just an amalgamation of all the issues that get mentioned - it's the vibe.
He has a partner who has underlying health issues. He doesn't see that he is putting her at risk (cause he is more exposed to risk with his job) - can't see past his own fears/paranoia. 
For most of us it isn't a clear cut black and white decision to get a jab or not, like a lot of life decisions.
You weigh up the risks.
And minimise them.   

> I don't quite agree with you as I believe cost had a big bearing as I have read somewhere the AZ vaccine is much cheaper than the Pfizer by a considerable amount

  yes, AZ is being provided at cost where Pfizer is making a substantial profit.
I think there maybe an issue too with Pfizer not releasing the IP so companies like CSL can't make it here - last I read that was being debated.

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## phild01

Maybe late this year or next year AZ might offer worthwhile protection.  "4 MARCH 2021-CORRECTION 25 MARCH 2021-UPDATE 25 MARCH 2021  ....In a subsequent statement, AstraZeneca said that its 79% efficacy figure had been based on an interim analysis of early data up to 17 February, and that it has yet to issue the trial’s final results. Those results, the company added, would be “consistent with the interim analysis”. (On 25 March, AstraZeneca press released updated trial results reporting an overall efficacy of 76%).  Topol says he expects that the trial’s final percentage efficacy will measure in the high 60s or low 70s. This would be in line with previous trials conducted in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa, involving more than 20,000 participants, which reported efficacies ranging from 60% to 70%.... 
Although impossible to compare directly, the overall figure is close to the 66% efficacy of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, but lower than the figures for the vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, both of which have efficacies higher than 90%.... 
Soon, AstraZeneca will start trials on next-generation vaccines that will work against all current SARS-CoV-2 variants, said Mene Pangalos, the company’s executive vice-president of biopharmaceuticals research and development, at a virtual press briefing on 23 March. He added that he hopes they will become available for use in late 2021." What scientists do and don’t know about the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID vaccine (nature.com)

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## MeasureTwice

Had my first dose of AZ (aged 35).  Weighed up the risks and didn't see the issue.

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## phild01

> Had my first dose of AZ (aged 35).  Weighed up the risks and didn't see the issue.

  That you can still get covid and be unprotected against newer strains! Why didn't you get the pfizer?

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## MeasureTwice

> That you can still get covid and be unprotected against newer strains! Why didn't you get the pfizer?

  i have an imminent trip overseas and wanted to ensure I had at least "some" protection for this trip - based on the reasons and destination of travel.

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## phild01

The pfizer jab would have given you better assurance for that.

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## MeasureTwice

> The pfizer jab would have given you better assurance for that.

  Without going into details I wouldn't have technically been eligible for either jab prior to leaving so took what I could get.  
And I am sure that, Australia with their super risk averse approach, will allow those who have previously received a lower efficacy jab to get a higher efficacy jab

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## UseByDate

Interesting. I don't know if the figures have been updated or if the interpretation of the data has changed but according to Dr Campbell (European study) the chances of getting a CVT (brain clot) after AZ is 5 per million and after the mRNA vaccine is 4.1 per million. Not much difference at all. The chances of getting a PVT (blood clot in vein between gut and liver) is 1.6 per million for AZ and 44 per million for the mRNA vaccine. I far as I can tell the death rate is 20% for both CVT and PVT.
 Hard to tell which is safer.  https://youtu.be/_jFYrpAkQwA?t=1093

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## Marc

> ... we don't have 2 vaccines available for everyone (ignoring how we got into this situation). give Pfizer to those who are more exposed/vulnerable.

  You made two mistake above. One, you can not pick one factor in a situation, to consider another. It's called bias.
Second, the choice of Pfizer for the more exposed is based on what? Gives greater immunity? No one knows how effective any of the vaccines is in the long ran. Not enough time to know. So the discrimination is based on ... what exactly? I suspect that AZ is cheaper, and a few clots here and there for the elderly can be easily disguised as preexistent.

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## MeasureTwice

> You made two mistake above. One, you can not pick one factor in a situation, to consider another. It's called bias.
> Second, the choice of Pfizer for the more exposed is based on what? Gives greater immunity? No one knows how effective any of the vaccines is in the long ran. Not enough time to know. So the discrimination is based on ... what exactly? I suspect that AZ is cheaper, and a few clots here and there for the elderly can be easily disguised as preexistent.

  Discrimination (how you describe it) is based clearly based on providing the highest efficacy/better vaccine to those who are more in need, which are those who have a higher risk of dying from covid as well as those who provide a service to those who contract covid. 
The government have been quite open (at least after explicitly asked by journo's) that everyone can have the pfizer vaccine if they so wish, but will have to wait longer.

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## Bros

> The government have been quite open (at least after explicitly asked by journo's) that everyone can have the pfizer vaccine if they so wish, but will have to wait longer.

   Interesting as that wasn’t their attitude in the past.

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## MeasureTwice

> Interesting as that wasn’t their attitude in the past.

  In one of the more recent press conferences (within the past month), i think it was Greg Hunt who was asked explicitly, "if someone doesnt want to have the AZ vaccine because of the known risks but they fall within a group phase that is currently being offered only AZ, can they wait for the pfizer?" to which Greg Hunt said, "yes they can, but they will be waiting longer."   
So I took from that, for those who wish to wait until all groups have been offered their vaccinating (plus an undefined length of time) you will be able to choose the vaccine.

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## UseByDate

The UK is already preparing for a booster dose in the autumn (September) using Pfizer to take care of the known variants. They have ordered an extra 60 million doses even though they don't know if it is safe to mix vaccines yet. I have had my first dose of AZ and I am waiting for my second dose. I will also take a booster of Pfizer when it is offered in Australia.    
 “An extra 60 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were ordered last month as the government prepares for a vaccination booster programme in the autumn.”   https://www.bbc.com/news/health-55274833

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## r3nov8or

For heaven's sake, just put them all in the same bottle!

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## METRIX

I think the gov't should offer the AZ vaccine for free, and also offer the Pfizer as an option for those who don't want the AZ for whatever reason.
I believe the Pfizer has a cost of $20 a dose, I would be happy paying the $20 or would it be $40 for two doses, the AZ and Johnson vaccines are both displaying random blood clot issues, because they are based on the same older technology. 
I believe if they did it this way, yo uwould see the uptake of the vaccine here go a lot faster. 
Interestingly the Sputnik version which is also based on the older technology has not exhibited the blood clotting issues, or so Russia say,  who would believe Russia anyway, if you got a clot they probably just throw you in a hole and cover it up. 
Saying that, below is a list of countries purchasing the Sputnik vaccine, so far no bad reports, was reported in the news that Russia did some other things to the vaccine that AZ and Johnson haven't done that has not resulted in blood clotting issues as they knew it was going to be an issue, who knows who's telling the truth.  https://www.statista.com/statistics/...ia-by-country/ 
Here is an interesting article of who paid what for the vaccines. https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n281 
You might remember a long long time ago in the Covid conspiracy thread, I suggested the gov't needs to build dedicated quarantine quarters away from the city to keep returned travellers who are highly likely to be infected with the virus.
I understand the reason for using hotels, it was a two fold "win win" (supposedly) result, it propped up the failing hotel industry due to nobody requiring to stay in them, and it was an easy solution where to house many thousands of returned travellers. 
I am surprised how well the system has worked, as hotels were never equipped to handle this sort of work, think of all the soft furnishings in your average hotel room, windows that don't open, un isolated air conditioning systems, I'm surprised it worked at all.
So far over 211,000 people have quarantined, but with random outbreaks some disastrous like Melbourne, some not so. 
Finally they are ramping up NT Howard Springs, to specifically take returned travellers from India, they should have just done this in the first place, it would have stopped a lot of bickering between the state premiers, constantly closing borders and all the other rubbish associated that came with it. 
This virus is not going away any time soon, no matter how many people have the vaccine, we will still be dealing with it in some form or another for the next few years I believe.
What happens next year, does the vaccine run out ? what is the lifespan for protection, will everyone need a booster shot every year like the flue shot ?  
If this is the case I'm not interested in taking it, I haven't had a flu shot for over ten years, and don't see a need to take it, if you look after yourself, eat the right food and exercise, I see no need to take it as a safety precaution.
This has worked for me and I'm not interested in having the Flu shot unless something drastically changes in my lifestyle. 
The polio shot is recommended to be taken every 10 years, how many people do you know have taken it in their lifetime ?

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## joynz

> My point is that in VIC today they don't need to ask extra questions as I'm over 50. Just book me in. Everything else is data gathering.  
> Sheesh. I'm off to Facebook

  *It clearly isn’t data gathering* since at no time do they ask for any details about your name, actual address, email or even gender! 
It’s not all about you (you delicate petal).  It’s just an efficient, multi-use checker.  If a person under 50, who is a Heath care worker, used it, it would let them know they were eligible. 
Are you suggesting that we should have 20 eligibility checkers?  E.g. An age checker, health worker checker, vulnerable person checker, medical condition checker, disability checker etc? 
These are all reasons that people may be eligible - and many people may fit more than one category. So they would need to do several - which would be just silly. 
Having one, multi-use checker (that takes under 30 seconds to fill out) is the sensible approach.

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## joynz

> I think the gov't should offer the AZ vaccine for free ... 
> The polio shot is recommended to be taken every 10 years, how many people do you know have taken it in their lifetime ?

  The AZ vaccine is free (or rather,  the patient doesn’t have to pay.  I got mine at a medical clinic from a nurse not a GP.  https://immunisationhandbook.health..../poliomyelitis
‘The polio shot is only recommended as a booster for adults at higher risk of exposure to polio, such as healthcare workers and laboratory workers who may have contact with polio cases or poliovirus, and travellers to areas or countries where polio is epidemic or endemic’ 
We are polio free in Australia.

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## r3nov8or

> It clearly isnt data gathering since at no time do they ask for any details about your name, actual address, email or even gender! 
> Its not all about you (you poor delicate petal).

  I didn't say it was a privacy concern. But it is data gathering. They would be reticent in their duty not to gather it.

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## Marc

> What happens next year, does the vaccine run out ? what is the lifespan for protection, will everyone need a booster shot every year like the flue shot ?

  Based on current information ... that is heavily edited and camouflaged ... 6 month is the best you can expect. Mind you, immunity does not mean you will not contract the virus. You will, you just will not die from it or need to go to hospital. Milder version is what you can expect from this untested rushed and improvised vaccines, for how long? 6 month they say ... for who? For me or for you? No one really knows. everyone poking in the dark. 
But I do love the politicians how they pretend to know everything, pontificating ad hoc. (And not only politicians it seems )
Like Plutarch use to say ... Barba non facit philosophum, neque vile gerere pallium  :Smilie:

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## joynz

> I didn't say it was a privacy concern. But it is data gathering. They would be reticent in their duty not to gather it.

   Exactly what *useful* data can be gathered from that form?  (apart from site usage analytics, I mean). 
To have any use, data has to have some meaning...a few people - who can’t be identified in any way using this sort of checker - would never be considered useful. 
Data might be gathered later, though, when you have the shot.

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## r3nov8or

> Exactly what *useful* data can be gathered from that form?  (apart from site usage analytics, I mean). 
> To have any use, data has to have some meaning...a few people - who can’t be identified in any way using this sort of checker - would never be considered useful. 
> Data might be gathered later, though, when you have the shot.

  Keep clarifying...  :Smilie:

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## METRIX

> The AZ vaccine is free (or rather,  the patient doesn’t have to pay.  I got mine at a medical clinic from a nurse not a GP.  https://immunisationhandbook.health..../poliomyelitis
> ‘The polio shot is only recommended as a booster for adults at higher risk of exposure to polio, such as healthcare workers and laboratory workers who may have contact with polio cases or poliovirus, and travellers to areas or countries where polio is epidemic or endemic’ 
> We are polio free in Australia.

  Yep I understand the AZ is free (it's not really free as our taxes are subsidising it), but I feel the Pfizer should be offered as a cost option if the consumer feels it's the right one for them.
I know the blood clot figures are very low, and Australia's numbers of 11 are within the manufacturers guidelines for how many vaccines have been administered. 
Luckily there has only been one death, but one death is one too many in these days of technological advancements, they have manged to send spacecraft to Mars, but cannot get vaccines that don't have fatalities

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## joynz

> Keep clarifying...

  And you still haven’t answered my question.  So that’s an answer in itself.

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## Moondog55

My right shoulder is still a little sore after 3 weeks so this jab is a little different to some others I have had. but I remember my smallpox inoculation was painful for weeks afterwards.
There is a slight risk with this vaccine but all medical treatments have risks attached and as I see it the risks with this are similar to or lower to the many I have had over the decades.
We knew this was coming and as a nation we should have been better prepared but we were not; so lets just deal with it as best we can.
It's not the "Black Death" with mortality rates of 30 to 70%; the numbers just seem large because there are so damned many of us.

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## r3nov8or

> My right shoulder is still a little sore after 3 weeks so this jab is a little different to some others I have had. ...

  My wife's arm blew up after the flu shot last week, which is unusual for her. Mine didn't. Different strokes...

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## r3nov8or

> And you still haven’t answered my question.  So that’s an answer in itself.

  In Big Data, Everything is useful, for someone, one day, in ways no one ever imagined  https://www.splunk.com/

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## UseByDate

> This survey, when I say I'm over 50 and from Victoria, should simply send me to the booking page. But no, it asks about 10 more questions, and presto, I'm eligible! Data gathering that's pretty blatant and unnecessary. When I decide, I'll just turn up I think

  I agree with you that the software is primitive at best. I was also annoyed that even though I qualified for the vaccination after answering the first question I had to answer the rest of the unnecessary questions before being directed to the vaccine service providers.
 I also think that it is better to get the vaccine at your GP if possible. They have access to your medical records and may determine that you should not be vaccinated for medical reasons. If your medical records are recorded electronically at a central location and you give permission for access then it would be ok to be vaccinated at a super hub.

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## UseByDate

> If we all had a choice what proportion do you think would want AZ!

  If I had the choice I would have chosen the Pfizer instead of the AZ. The reason is that it only takes five weeks to become fully immunised with the Pfizer (three weeks between doses plus two weeks) and it takes fourteen weeks for the AZ (twelve weeks between doses plus two weeks). Both Pfizer and AZ are claiming a minimum immunisation period of six months after the second dose but they don't have enough data to know accurately how long they do provide protection. Other countries are working with the best data they have and are already planning for booster doses after six months. Even if the protection lasts for more than six months we will still need boosters to cater for the variants. It is claimed that the AZ vaccine is not effective against the South Africa variant. South Africa sold its AZ to the African Union. The Pfizer vaccine is said to provide robust protection against the South African variant but not the same level of protection as the other covid variants.

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## Moondog55

Ski season starts in 5 weeks I can't wait the full 12

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## UseByDate

> Ski season starts in 5 weeks I can't wait the full 12

  Go Moondog go!  :Wink:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EueKAKth8DQ

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## Moondog55

Ouch!

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## MeasureTwice

With news this morning regarding Moderna contract.  Greg Hunt and Brendan Murphy reconfirmed that there is already enough doses of Pfizer for everyone if they choose to wait, and even more so nor Moderna is on the table. 
Brendan Murphy confirmed that they do not currently now whether you can mix and match, but there is currently no known medical reason why this could not be the case.  He also confirmed there are currently trials of this being carried out in UK. 
Greg hunt eluded to the case that some vaccines had lower efficacy, but made the point that ALL vaccines seriously reduce the probability of serious health implications as a result of catching.     
For those interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VAgFh-llM8

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## toooldforthis

> With news this morning regarding...

  this govt is pretty good with the press releases, the follow up (in)action is usually something else.
personally I think a bird in the hand ...

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## Moondog55

I don't see why there should be any disadvantage to getting shots from two different vaccines, after we got two totally different polio vaccines back in the 50s and 60s

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## MeasureTwice

> I don't see why there should be any disadvantage to getting shots from two different vaccines, after we got two totally different polio vaccines back in the 50s and 60s

  were the two different polio vaccines completely different technologies? 
that is what I believe to be in question here.  mNRA vs. other. 
As you said, one would presume you could mix and match between AZ and Johnson and Johnson or moderna and Pfizer etc. as they are the same technology

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## Moondog55

Salk and Sabine are different from each other but definitely not a modern technique.
One is an inactivated virus by injection and the other is  attenuated live virus taken orally.
I know I had both types in Primary school

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## r3nov8or

> *It clearly isn’t data gathering* since at no time do they ask for any details about your name, actual address, email or even gender! 
> It’s not all about you (you delicate petal).  It’s just an efficient, multi-use checker.  If a person under 50, who is a Heath care worker, used it, it would let them know they were eligible. 
> Are you suggesting that we should have 20 eligibility checkers?  E.g. An age checker, health worker checker, vulnerable person checker, medical condition checker, disability checker etc? 
> These are all reasons that people may be eligible - and many people may fit more than one category. So they would need to do several - which would be just silly. 
> Having one, multi-use checker (that takes under 30 seconds to fill out) is the sensible approach.

  Oh. You did keep on clarifying! If you knew the vast possibilities in coding good websites, you wouldn't have added anything after "petal", petal.

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