The Therapeutic Goods Administration’s concluded, following a probe last month, that there was no casual link between the vaccine and the deaths of about 30 very frail elderly people — many of whom had only weeks or months to live — in Norway.“The case reports were discussed at a recent meeting of the European Medicines Agency Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee, which concluded there was not a specific safety concern, and no causal link between vaccination and deaths could be established,” the TGA said in a statement.“In addition, wider discussions with regulators in North America, the UK and Europe reached a similar conclusion.“The TGA therefore has concluded that there is no specific risk of vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in elderly patients.”
However, the TGA did note that doctors should proceed with caution before vaccinating the very frail.“The data for use in the frail elderly (>85 years) is limited … the potential benefits of vaccination versus the potential risk and clinical impact of even relatively mild systemic adverse events in the frail elderly should be carefully assessed on a case-by-case basis”, it advises.The Pfizer vaccine is set to arrive in Australia this month, with vaccinations expected to commence in late February.The World Health Organisation also recently said it saw no evidence that Pfizer’s vaccine contributed to the deaths of elderly people“The current reports do not suggest any unexpected or untoward increase in fatalities in frail, elderly individuals or any unusual characteristics of adverse events following administration of BNT162b2,” WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety said last month“Reports are in line with the expected, all-cause mortality rates and causes of death in the sub-population of frail, elderly individuals, and the available information does not confirm a contributory role for the vaccine in the reported fatal events.“The committee considers the benefit-risk balance … remains favourable in the elderly, and does not suggest any revision … to recommendations around the safety of this vaccine.”
NED-2281 Pfizer Vaccine
VIRGIN SUSPENDS FLIGHTS AMID BORDER CHAOSVirgin Australia will suspend all flights to New Zealand, Bali and Fiji until at least June due to ongoing uncertainty about when international travel can resume.The major airline announced on Tuesday all short-haul international services would be cancelled until June 19.This covers flights to New Zealand, Indonesia and the Pacific Islands of Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu.Virgin’s decision comes after the federal government decided to halt the travel bubble with New Zealand after the detection of a locally acquired case of COVID-19.PM REJECTS CALLS FOR RAPID TESTPrime Minister Scott Morrison has rejected calls to introduce rapid coronavirus testing that could reduce time in quarantine from 14 days to five.Qantas CEO Alan Joyce previously labelled the testing as a “gamechanger” that could help herald a return for international travel.But Mr Morrison said there were still safety concerns, and the government would not roll it out yet.“We put those questions forward, until we can get a clear medical view that is safe, it would be irresponsible to do it,” Mr Morrison said.
In an interview with A Current Affair, Mr Morrison said it was unlikely Australians would see “immediate change” after the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine was distributed.“What we know is that from the end of February at this point we’ll be able to start vaccinating those in the most sensitive area, those most vulnerable those front-line health workers in particular,” he said. “And then over the course of the year we expect to get through the course of the population by October.“Once you get the vaccine, it doesn’t mean you can immediately go and fly overseas or things like that, that may well prove to be the case over time, but initially it’s a matter of protecting our most valuable and those working with our most vulnerable.”He said if a vaccine prevented transmissibility of the coronavirus, that would help restart international travel. But it is not yet clear whether the jabs stop transmissibility, or whether they only stop someone from developing the COVID-19 disease.“The vaccines that we have that is still to be confirmed … at this point the medical advice is that we can’t assert that at this point, but that may well change,” he said.
NED-2712 Aus Vaccine Hopes REBUILD
‘OVERWHELMING’ NUMBER OF AUSSIES WANT JABAn overwhelming majority of Australians plan to get vaccinated against COVID-19 within weeks of its roll out.
According to a Newspoll conducted by The Australian, 75 per cent of Australian voters said they would either definitely or probably get the jab as soon as they are able to.The Newspoll also showed that Australians back making vaccinations immediately mandatory for teachers, health, aged-care workers and international travellers.The support, however, was less enthusiastic for forcing employees to get the inoculation as a condition of work or making it a requirement for children attending daycare.
And the fact one in four said they would refuse vaccination or were undecided about it indicated there was still a significant level of scepticism in the community.And as Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a $1.9bn logistic rollout of the vaccine, he urged people to stay off Facebook where conspiracy theories about the dangers of vaccines have been circulating.“We’ve been very clear to point out where you get your information from,” Mr Morrison said. “You don’t get it from Facebook. You get it from official government websites. And that’s what I encourage everybody to do. And that’s what we’re doing. And that’s what we’re investing in. Don’t go to Facebook to find out about the vaccine; go to official government websites.”
The positive responses came amid increasing confidence in the ability of the public health system to cope with outbreaks, with 69 per cent of voters believing it was strong enough compared with 59 per cent polled in July last year as the second wave outbreak emerged in Victoria.Still, a strong anti-vax sentiment persists among minor party and One Nation voters, with almost half firmly opposed to getting vaccinated and believing no-one should be required to get it.Support for vaccination was strongest among the elderly with 85 per cent of voters aged over 65 saying they would probably or definitely get vaccinated. The least likely were those aged between 35 and 49 years old.
When will I be able to get the vaccine?
WA RECORDS NO NEW CASESMeanwhile, Western Australia has recorded no new cases of COVID-19 in the community or in hotel quarantine. The news comes after the state entered an emergency five-day lockdown on Sunday after a hotel quarantine worker tested positive for the virus. In the 24 hours since the lockdown was announced, almost 70 close contacts for the worker have been traced and tested.
“In total to date we have identified 66 close contacts, all of which have been tested, or will be today, will in quarantine,” Premier Mark McGowan said during a press conference on Monday.Mr McGowan also said he was “disappointed” that the state was gripped by scenes of panic buying on Sunday afternoon. “There’s just no need for it,” Mr McGowan said, adding, “the most important thing is for everyone to remain calm and refrain from panic buying. It is completely unnecessary.“We have been here before, we know what is required under are getting it done.” Mr McGowan also announced state police will launch an investigation into the state’s latest new case and how it entered the community. “WA police will allocate strong resources into this investigation. They have the forensic expertise, the forensic expertise to do the work that is required. This will run in parallel with the review led by the former chief health officer. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure we find out exactly what happened to prevent it from happening again.”
NED-1859 State of our borders
NSWThere are no restrictions around travelling to or from regional or rural NSW, or other areas of NSW.However, NSW Health currently recommends practising COVID safe behaviours such as physical distancing and hand hygiene when travelling within NSW, especially between Greater Sydney and regional and rural areas.All arrivals from Western Australia will be required complete an interstate traveller declaration confirming whether they attended any venues of concern. If so, they will be required to isolate for 14 days.
Travellers who have been in the WA’s Peel region, Perth and the South West region since January 25 will be required to get tested within 48 hours of arriving in NSW.
They will also have to follow the same lockdown rules as WA residents, including staying home for five days – until 5pm Friday. “If they do not get tested, they are required to remain at home for a total of 14 days,” the department said.
SOUTH AUSTRALIASydneysiders are allowed to travel into South Australia.But visitors will need to be tested on day one, five and 12 of their stay and must isolate until they receive a negative result from their first swab.Travellers from outside of the Greater Sydney area will have no restrictions and do not need to be tested. Travellers from Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT can enter without restriction but must complete a Cross Border Travel Registration.But from 10.15pm on Sunday, January 31, South Australia closed it’s border to travellers from WA.If you are classified as an essential traveller, local resident, relocating to SA or fleeing from domestic violence, you are able to enter the state but will have to complete 14-days quarantine on arrival.Anyone who visited WA from January 26 also needs to quarantine.VICTORIAPeople from anywhere in Australia entering Victoria must apply for a permit to enter the state.Victoria has also reopened its border to the majority of NSW.However, those from the Cumberland LGA will need to apply for an “orange zone” permit, meaning travellers from the area will need to take a COVID-19 test within 72 hours after arriving in Victoria and isolate both before and after the test.Victoria has also slammed its border shut to the majority of Western Australia.Anyone who tries to cross the border from a ‘red zone’ will face a $5000 fine.Travellers who have visited Perth metropolitan area, the Peel region and the South West region of Western Australia since January 25 will not be allowed to enter Victoria.Those caught flouting the ban will be taken straight to hotel quarantine.
NORTHERN TERRITORYAll arrivals to the Northern Territory (NT) must fill in a Border Entry Form and complete 14 days of mandatory supervised quarantine at their own expense, if they have recently been in an active declared COVID-19 hot spot. This includes children returning from a hotspot.Perth and surrounds have been declared a COVID-19 hotspot by health officials in the Top End.All travellers entering the Northern Territory from 7.30pm Sunday, January, 31 are required to go into mandatory quarantine in either Alice Springs or Darwin at a cost of $2500 per person.
QUEENSLANDFrom Monday, February 1, anyone who has been in any part of New South Wales will be able to enter Queensland, by any means of travel, without having to quarantine or having to complete a border passPeople from most other parts of Australia can travel to Queensland freely.However, anyone who has been in Western Australia’s LGAs of concern and arrive in Queensland after 6pm on Sunday, January 31, will be forced into 14 days of hotel quarantine.Queensland Health said anyone who is already in Queensland and has been to Perth, the Peel or South West regions since January 25 should come forward for testing and isolate until they receive a negative result.
WESTERN AUSTRALIAParts of Western Australia will entered a five-day lockdown at 6pm WST on Sunday, January 31.The West Australian LGAs impacted by the lockdown include:Peel region: Boddington, Mandurah, Murray, Serpentine-Jarrahdale, WaroonaPerth Metro region: Armadale, Bassendean, Bayswater, Belmont, Cambridge, Canning, Claremont, Cockburn, Cottesloe, East Fremantle, Fremantle, Gosnells, Joondalup, Kalamundra, Kwinana, Melville, Mosman Park, Mundaring, Nedlands, Peppermint Grove, Perth, Rockingham, South Perth, Stirling, Subiaco, Swan, Victoria Park, Vincent, WannerooSouthwest region: Augusta-Margaret River, Boyup Brook, Bridgetown-Greenbushes, Bunbury, Busselton, Capel, Collie, Dardanup, Donnybrook-Balingup, Harvey, Manjimu, Nannup.TASMANIATasmania has fully reopened its border with NSW.
The state has deemed Perth and the Peel and South West regions of WA as high-risk and travel is not permitted. Anyone seeking an exemption must use the state’s G2G Pass system. All other areas of Australia are low risk, with no quarantine requirements, but travellers must register with Tas e-Travel.Those from other areas of Australia can travel to Tasmania without restriction.AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORYACT Health has urged anyone who has been in the parts of Western Australia currently in lockdown since January 25, to quarantine.Deputy chief health officer Vanessa Johnston said the quarantine period would be the same as the five-days enforced in WA.However, people from WA as well as other parts of Australia can still travel to the ACT.
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