When They Pushed Too Far

 

I reckon it is instinctive in each of us to be cautious about booster vaccination shots.  Each of us has our own unique circumstances and attitudes about protection waning, our own level of body T cells, authorities mucking up on over or under supplies, what we face in the intensity or complexity of political agendas we face and the varying level of  Delta cases occurring where we normally interact.

It can be complex, but I also take more comfort in our own immunity building ability and use of our own intelligence and common sense - can any human body keep up with being injected so often as we have been asked to?

I believe more in good ventilation outdoors, coughing or sneezing into our elbows and having good physical exercise plus nutrition, instead of getting addicted to vaccines and vaccine cross information from governments and media. 

Eighteen Months On

6 July 2021 - 11am. The USA Government has not reached its planned c19 related vaccination targets set by President Biden. On the 245 th anniversary of its founding, Stateside had undergone a tumultous year of continued racial divisions, a widespread Coronavirus affliction, political drama and reaffirmed some values and approaches in how it interacts with the rest of the world. Australia as a Federation has reached its 120th year.  Most of its population resides in its south-eastern corner.  The continental island can be as wide as mainland USA, but only has 7.8 percent of the American population. Vaccination, rightly or wrongly, has been emphasised by both Governments to manage the never ending spread of c19.  Canberra is however way behind its vaccination targets and continues to offer an ever changing scenario in this space. Sydney still grapples with a resurgence in c19 local transmission infections.  Although relatively small in numbers, this new outbreak starting at Bondi is said to be dealing with a more infectious mutant strain. The public may not have been fully informed about the severity, or lack of severity, of symptoms of those who tested positive with mostly the Delta strain, although a few hospitalisations or ICU admissions have occured amongst the so far accumulated 330 identified cases in Greater Sydney since 16 June. Melbourne and regional Victoria managed to come out from its fourth c19 related lockdown in June, after a leakage from a returned overseas passenger who was infected in an Adelaide quarantine hotel. By the middle of 2021, Australia has had its international borders mainly closed for around 16 months. In the same period, the character of the Commonwealth has been underlined by the lack of available workers for low paid jobs across several fronts, the shutting out of international students, the intensity of disagreements between state governments and Canberra, the best agricultural output yet in as many years and the smashing of conventions about inner city life. As many as perhaps a third of the workers at the Summitcare Aged Care facility in the north western Sydney suburb of Baulkham Hills were reported as not yet been vaccinated. The focus on this matter came about after five aged care residents at this facility were tested positive with Delta after being infected originally by a staff member. Is there vaccination  hesitancy amongst aged care sector workers, due to lack of confidence in the only available two brands -  or is it more of the risks of personal loss of earnings if they suffer post vaccination side effects?   There is also a real fear by employers at aged care facilities in Australia that they may find a drought in staff availability, if they are all required to be vaccinated.  This can be a chicken and egg scenario that illustrates the bungled roll out of c19 vaccines in Australia, despite the Canberra bubble and state governments touting vaccinations as the manna from heaven in this presumed epidemic. Canberra has so far stumbled on implementation, revised opinions and continued their mixed messaging in this vaccination process for the public.   Their other key tasks in this age of c19 has been to manage our international borders,  help the states quarantine the continuing flow of overseas arrivals at capital city airports and have its medical bureaucrats make pronouncements on how to handle c19. Governments of the Australian states and territories, in varying behaviour, have shown how aggressively independent they can be.  This may not be a negative development, especially in their dealings with Canberra.  Observers can note the divisions arising from political party alignments; the different risk tolerance taken in public health management ( reflect on the different appraches, say between Western Australia and NSW); the frequent use of state border closures, with little time notifications given; and the outcomes for states and territories, bearing the brunt and consequences of poor logistics, lack of attention to detail and many broad and generalised announcements from Canberra. NSW has always had the state government being very consistent in one particular restriction, when any c19 cluster hits Sydney - no singing, no dancing.  At times, outsiders can mistakenly  perceive NSW as one mass school of the performing arts.  Policy changes  by the NSW State Government, since March 2020, have otherwise varied on the usefulness of wearing face masks, the inclusion or exclusion of areas outside Sydney proper as " Greater Sydney", the timing of introducing lockdowns and providing various details or omitted information about daily confirmed positives. Where NSW has been perhaps the most liberal in the current Sydney lockdown, compared to other states,  experts have pointed out the absence of a ceiling in km for travel restriction; the variety of retail outlets that can still open during a so called lockdown; the requirement of face masking only indoors; and  the lack of better controls on vulnerable sectors like medical hubs, aged care homes and shopping clusters. And the children!   This demographic has been paid least attention, until the recent focus on pushing more extensive vaccination rates throughout communities.  Will this help achieve the supposed benefits of reaching herd immunity, or is there another unspoken agenda?  Schools in the Bondi area have reported Delta infections in children. The lack of compliance with common sense social distancing can be a distinct feature of human behaviour in Sydney, since the Bondi cluster was reported on 16 June.  The love of the outdoors by fellow Aussies, on the other hand,can be a good habit in reducing the risks of catching c19, as proper ventilation always helps. Ventilation can be reduced in flow and quality inside crowded indoor venues.  Delta case infections have been confirmed from parties in inner city Waterloo and suburban West Hoxton, having  a meal in Paddington  and taking a domestic flight from the Gold Coast to Sydney. The current Delta strain pattern of infection cases can seem to be deja vu for Sydney - overseas arrivals as the source, household contact cases, workers unintentionally affecting hospitals and aged care homes, infection clusters are detected at work places, people getting infected eating at indoor venues and infectees with no symptoms allowed to travel far from home. There can be increasing reluctance to affect the economy after so many months of c19. A lockdown does not only curtail physical movement for individuals, but it also can negatively affect turnover in sales and revenues for business models still using physical stores. The NSW state Government seems to rely on ever changing daily case numbers to make decisions.  These can range from infections picked up from testing,  a listing of exposure spots, active cases remaining, number of cases linked, number of infectees moving about in the community while still being infectious and number of new reported cases who have already been isolating at home, etc. Covid  has been more than a field day for statisticians!  To me, perhaps the most significant to watch for is the growth or reduction in the list of exposure sites. This tells me whether the Delta is still moving ahead of historical contact tracing. #yongkevthoughts

Sixteen Months On

 

I remember for many weeks after Covid arrived on our shores in 2020, Aussies were advised it was not necessary to wear face masks by the leading medical bureaucrats and elected political leaders in Canberra.

The same people were stating it was okay to receive Astra Zeneca anti-Covid vaccines as recently as the first week of April 2021.  Now they have changed their minds.

For many months, both State and Federal leaders in Australia have regularly sought refuge in their repeated statements "according to our best medical advice" .

The public by now cannot be that patient with possible wool pulled over our eyes.  Changing positions on significant Covid related matters by our medical and political "leaders" can undermine our long suffering patience, trust and belief in their varying pronouncements.

There was wavering uncertainty on how the Coronavirus spreads from human to human - aerosal spray projectiles or they remaining on surfaces?

As Covid 19 raged through our Earth, it is evident that authorities in various nations are not sure of several perspectives in controlling this pandemic, or of how the Coronavirus will do next, or of how far the selected vaccines can mitigate this problem.

It will be refreshing if authorities tell us they do not  really know or not sure - and we will respect them for this.

Currently available anti-Covid vaccines promise minimising the risks  of having symptoms of Covid, but do not mean those vaccinated cannot still catch the infection. 

If the push for mass vaccination is to build up effective herd immunity for society, such vaccination roll outs must occur within a short frame of time and the percentage of completed jabs must reach a majority of the population.  Any reasons for a much delayed process in completing target vaccinations reduce the chances of achieving such herd immunity.
Herd immunity to me is just the Coronavirus no longer finding sufficient human hosts to replicate, a necessary step in our battle with Covid 19.

The public will appreciate that economy, business and financial activity is paramount, along efforts to minimise the spread of Covid 19.
However, vaccinations are not manna to resolve the matter - they are only one of a set of mindful measures still required to be practised by vaccinated people, like social distancing and face mask wearing in crowds, plus the simple practice of washing hands when coming home.

Even when I receive my annual common flu jab, I accept that I can still catch this kind of cold, only with lowered risks, but I am aware that I can still spread the flu to others who are in close contact with me. So I am mindful to sneeze in the small of my left elbow.

In our so called tolerant society, we also respect individuals who, for various reasons, choose not to be vaccinated.  There can be a disturbing trend when governments impose restrictions in movements for those not vaccinated, like not being able to fly, join in certain community activities or enter selected venues.  People who are vaccinated or not vaccinated can all still be infected with Covid 19 and be infectious.

Most of the anti-Covid vaccinations available today require two doses.  This points to an urgent need in Australia (as opposed to the UK) to improve the process of mass vaccinating people as encouraged by the government.

Yet we cannot deny that the science and technology of most of these vaccines are new.  These vaccines have been introduced under emergency health conditions - and not being subject to longer due diligence periods.

Covid 19 will continue to mutate its strains - just like for the common flu, I require an upgraded vaccine every year to counter this development.

Governments must emphasise improving the mass jabbing procedures for Covid 19 on a timely basis if it is required to be carried out every year.

Maybe future anti-Covid vaccinations can be intranasal or oral instead of getting the conventional shot in the arm.

Finally I have a lingering unanswered question - how did the so called Spanish Flu virus die out, even with no applicable vaccines?

#yongkevthoughts