The Reality of Living in Australia and Covid

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

I see the blackshirts and their goons still have the DPD requirement for inbound Australians and others. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/covid...er-declaration
I just wasted two hours filling it in.
Dopey buggers don't even seem to realise that one can have more than one stop over en route to 'straya.
What really gave me the irrits is that they already have access to all that information. I shouldn't have to type in date of every vax and what vaxx it was. All I should have to give them is my pasaporte number and my flight details.
Struth when I leave the country the Border Blackshirts are quick enough to let Centrelink know I have left the building so they can stop all my benefits.
I'm now a bit worried that they may actually read my feedback.

Had me play a Dead Kennedys song in solidarity.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

Had me play a Dead Kennedys song in solidarity.

'Kill the Poor', 'Holiday in Cambodia' or maybe 'Government Flu'?

Its not just me...
https://www.traveller.com.au/travell...country-h24b8x

Compare with Ecuador
https://declaracionsalud-viajero.msp.gob.ec
5 minutes to complete on line and print out or just show pdf.
On arrival this- together with either an international vax cert **or** a test in last 72 hours - are sighted at first desk then straight on to immigration.

They do have a bit of a jobsworth issue though. End of April it ceased being a requirement to have a vax cert when entering shopping malls. The very next day the vaxxcert checkers were still at the doors but now with metal detectors, checking all including children for weapons .

[El Pinguino]

Seems they - the blackshirts - were listening to what I had to say. As of Wednesday the 6th that exercise in bureaucratic excess - the Digital Passenger Declaration - is consigned to the dustbin of history.
Introduced in February it only cost $AU60 million to set up.
Along with it goes any requirement to be vaccinated if flying to Australia.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/f...03-p5ayoj.html

Meanwhile it would appear that those currently dying of or with covid in Victoria are 85 year old unvaccinated Greeks in aged care.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/w...30-p5ay3m.html

[El Pinguino]

More on the DPD
https://www.crikey.com.au/2022/07/01...veryone-hates/

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

More on the DPD
https://www.crikey.com.au/2022/07/01...veryone-hates/

A few minor problems which are easily remedied. Anyone who complains about that app obviously has not tried to log into the Mygov site.

We should stay quiet about it, if our new government gets wind of it they'll immediately blame the previous government, cancel the whole program and hire another 10,000 bureaucrats to man the phones and take it all down manually. It's the Australian way.

[Montanan]

FYI

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/med...4aa256d8a017ed

Moderna: New booster protects better against variants

The new Moderna booster vaccine called Spikevax has shown a significantly higher antibody response against OMICRON BA.4 /5 sub-variants compared to the booster of the current vaccine.

The newly adapted vaccine called mRNA-1273.214 showed much more protection against infection with all variants tested compared to the vaccines currently available – including sub-variants of Omicron BA.1 and BA.4/5, and the original alpha variant that was followed by beta, delta and gamma variants.

Moderna, established over a decade ago and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has completed regulatory submissions for the vaccine in the European Union, the UK and Australia and expects to complete most of the remaining submissions this week.

Moderna is simultaneously developing an additional twin-strain mRNA-1273.222 adapted to Omicron and based on BA.4 5, in accordance with the latest guidelines of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the company said.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Montanan

FYI



https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/med...4aa256d8a017ed



Moderna: New booster protects better against variants



The new Moderna booster vaccine called Spikevax has shown a significantly higher antibody response against OMICRON BA.4 /5 sub-variants compared to the booster of the current vaccine.



The newly adapted vaccine called mRNA-1273.214 showed much more protection against infection with all variants tested compared to the vaccines currently available – including sub-variants of Omicron BA.1 and BA.4/5, and the original alpha variant that was followed by beta, delta and gamma variants.



Moderna, established over a decade ago and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has completed regulatory submissions for the vaccine in the European Union, the UK and Australia and expects to complete most of the remaining submissions this week.



Moderna is simultaneously developing an additional twin-strain mRNA-1273.222 adapted to Omicron and based on BA.4 5, in accordance with the latest guidelines of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the company said.

Interesting… I’m trying to figure out what to choose for my second booster, or fourth jab. This may suggest a path.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by GILow

Interesting… I’m trying to figure out what to choose for my second booster, or fourth jab. This may suggest a path.

Had my fourth about 3 weeks ago.
Offered Moderna or Phizer.

Done while standing next to my car in the carpark behind the clinic.

Such is life in the bush.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Had my fourth about 3 weeks ago.

Offered Moderna or Phizer.



Done while standing next to my car in the carpark behind the clinic.



Such is life in the bush.

I’ve had Phizer for my first three, I am trying to figure out if I’d be better off getting something different for the fourth, to spread the defences as it were.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by GILow

I’ve had Phizer for my first three, I am trying to figure out if I’d be better off getting something different for the fourth, to spread the defences as it were.

Yes, but any of the ones tailored around the Omicron variants will help some.

Ann

[Montanan]

FYI. The American perspective as to boosters.

"Vulnerable adults should not wait until the fall for omicron-specific Covid-19 shots and should instead get boosted as soon as possible, Centers for Disease Control Director Rochelle Walensky said Tuesday, as the highly transmissible omicron substrain BA.5 fuels a spike in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/mark...992cb65ea0d602

Key Facts

Waiting until October or November—when pharmaceutical companies hope to be able to offer a coronavirus shot specifically targeting omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5—is “not a good plan,” Walensky said during a press conference.

Many Americans are “under-vaccinated,” Walensky said, adding hospitalization rates from Covid have doubled since April because of the highly contagious BA.4 and BA.5 substrains, while White House coronavirus advisor Anthony Fauci cautioned that the “threat to you is now.”

The CDC recommends booster shots for everyone ages 5 years and up in order to be considered “up to date” with their shots, and most people should wait at least five months after their primary vaccination series to get the booster.

Walensky’s comments come after reports the White House is considering expanding eligibility for second booster shots to all adults to battle rising cases of Covid.

The agency currently recommends all adults ages 50 years and older, as well as those ages 12 years and older with compromised immune systems, get a second booster shot.

Crucial Quote:

“There are many people who are at high risk right now,” Walensky said. “We really do want to say now get your boost. We have every anticipation that the data will suggest that you will be eligible for [another] boost in the fall.”

[GILow]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Yes, but any of the ones tailored around the Omicron variants will help some.



Ann

I’m not sure we have those in Oz yet? I can find references to the TGA approval process but nothing on whether any of the current stuff is tailored for it.

Early on there were some studies supporting mixing AZ and Pfizer, but I can’t see anything on mixing the mRNA vaccines.

It doesn’t help the Norman Swan has taken well earned leave.

[Wotname]

FWIW
According to my medico, we do not have any boosters tailored to BA.4 or BA.5 in Oz (yet). His personal view was 2 AZ first and then one each of Moderna and Pfizer (in either order).

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Wotname

FWIW

According to my medico, we do not have any boosters tailored to BA.4 or BA.5 in Oz (yet). His personal view was 2 AZ first and then one each of Moderna and Pfizer (in either order).

Well, I think I’ll skip the AZ, what with one thing and another. [emoji23]

Yeah, I’m inclined to go for Moderna next, feels like there might be some benefit from the spread and it seems your GP sees it the same way.

[Simi 60]

Come on guys, covids done and dusted
Haven't you seen the super spreader events at last night's state of origin and at Sydney airport?

And no, I don't think it's done not by a long shot but the average nong clearly things differently