New Coronavirus threat

[OPSSG]

Part 1 of 3: Small steps towards improving global access to vaccines & test kits

1. Brunei extended its partial Covid-19 national lockdown measures for two weeks, as the country reported 122 new cases on 21 Aug 2021, bringing the national tally to 1,455. The new cases included 120 local infections and two imported cases, Brunei's Ministry of Health said. 37 local cases were related to five active clusters already identified and four other local cases were related to one new cluster confirmed on 21 Aug 2021.

2. To help fight this threat, Singapore has contributed 100,000 doses of Moderna vaccine to Brunei (population — 441,532) on 19 Aug 2020. The contribution is part of Singapore's bilateral cooperation with Brunei in tackling Covid-19. The vaccines were handed over by the High Commissioner of the Republic of Singapore to Brunei, Heng Aik Yeow, to Brunei's Minister of Health Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar.

3. Singapore will contribute US$5 million to the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Advance Market Commitment (AMC) mechanism, which will help support 92 low- and lower-middle-income countries’ access to COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility.

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https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1428725092205441025

(a) COVAX is co-led by CEPI, Gavi and WHO, alongside key delivery partner UNICEF. COVAX has so far shipped over 209 million COVID-19 vaccines to 138 participants. For example, Indonesia received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines doses through COVAX. The COVID-19 vaccine doses, which were sent from AstraZeneca’s hub in Amsterdam, arrived at Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Jakarta on 8 March 2021.​

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(b) AMC eligible countries include several ASEAN countries as well as small states globally. For example, 407,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Nairobi and 100,800 vaccine doses was also allocated to Timor Leste, with the second batch arriving on 9 Jun 2021. The Facility’s implementing partners are the WHO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.​

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(c) Singapore and Switzerland co-chair the Friends of the COVAX Facility to support the work of this Facility.​

4. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on 22 Aug 2021 congratulated Ismail Sabri Yaakob on becoming Malaysia's 9th prime minister, as he invited his newly sworn-in counterpart to make an official visit to Singapore. But Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s government is effectively an expanded version of the one that just fell apart – Muhyiddin and his allies are supporting him – and he has not been elected by the public. Not sure if Ismail Sabri Yaakob is a racist asshat or a politician that sees an opportunity, with his electoral base that is growing more hardcore — but he is known for playing up identity politics, to compete with PAS on being a religious fundamentalist — he is now the Prime Minister to be — all thanks to a back room deal that could potentially lead to racial riots, if he continues down this path of identity politics.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1429315800087678983

5. Singapore has donated 100,000 Panbio COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Tests to Johor through the Sultan Ibrahim Johor Foundation. Regular testing will help with early diagnoses, and it is hoped that these supplies will contribute to Johor’s fight against COVID-19. In other news:

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(a) Malaysia's Covid-19 infections continue to soar despite multiple Movement Control Orders previously implemented by Ismail Sabri Yaakob when he was still Minister of Defence. He is likely to face constant attacks from the opposition, and risks starting his term with damaged credibility as he was a key figure in overseeing the last administration’s widely criticised pandemic response. “He was a leader … in the COVID mismanagement,” said Bridget Welsh, a Malaysia expert from the University of Nottingham. “The policies were seen to not be very effective.”​

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1428944254861299714

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(b) The MFA has helped more than 250 Singapore residents enter Malaysia due to essential and compassionate reasons. But the majority of appeals were unsuccessful, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said in Parliament on 2 Feb 2021. Sylvia Lim (WP-Aljunied) asked how the Government is working with Malaysian authorities to help Singapore citizens and permanent residents enter Malaysia for reasons such as family bereavement.​

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(c) “I am not in a position to say on what basis he (Malaysia's director-general of immigration) agreed to some of our requests and disagreed with many of the other requests,” Dr. Balakrishnan said. Further, in Feb 2021, Singapore’s MFA helped repatriate more than 350 Singaporeans - mostly the elderly, very young or people with mobility issues - stranded in Malaysia since March 2020. Given that the Malaysian government takes months to respond to requests, cooperation exists but its on the slow lane of Malaysian priorities. To be more effective, Singapore has focused on cooperation with JB (as they want help), instead of KL (who has other concerns).​

 

[OPSSG]

Part 2 of 3: Small steps towards improving global access to vaccines & test kits

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1429357679818903555

6. With Kamala Harris in Singapore, the familiar US-ASEAN talking points will be repeated. But ASEAN is in very rough shape. This is a chance for the Americans to follow up on the visits by Secretary Austin and VP Harris, to step up vaccine diplomacy in this region, and resource their Indo-Pacific strategy.

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(a) "The way that the withdrawal from Afghanistan happened was very damaging to US credibility", says Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. "But in the long term, it depends what they do next. If they follow up on the Austin and Harris visits, stepping up vaccine diplomacy in this region, if they fully resource their Indo-Pacific strategy, this could be a more focused foreign policy for the Biden administration, away from the Middle East and the wars that cannot be won."​

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https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1429581055464443911

(b) The recent donation of 23 million doses of Covid vaccines has given the US image in South East Asia an unexpected lift, the perceived quality of its mRNA technology contrasting favourably with the less effective Chinese-made vaccines which have been deployed in large quantities. Ms Harris will capitalise on that by proposing deeper healthcare and medical partnerships, and opening a first regional branch of the US Center for Disease Control in Hanoi.​

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(c) As Kamala Harris makes her way within ASEAN, Indonesia (where the pandemic is so bad it is being compared to the surge in India), Myanmar (plus over 1,000 now killed since the Feb 2021 coup, healthcare system on the brink), Malaysia (with the last PM ousted in part over awful handling of Covid-19 and the party back in power, UMNO, is synonymous with racism and corruption), the Philippines (with an economy that contracted 9.5% and the inability to handle Covid-19), and Vietnam (where less than 2% of its 98 million people have been fully vaccinated), most have been absolutely battered by Covid-19 and facing simmering unrest; therefore, ASEAN will be looking for US economic commitment perhaps more than security-related deliverables.​

7. Singapore stands with people in Myanmar in this difficult time; and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan re-affirmed Singapore’s commitment to provide US$100,000 to support the AHA Centre at a Pledging Conference to Support ASEAN's Humanitarian Assistance to Myanmar. Singapore’s participation in global health diplomacy in the current pandemic can be noted on four broad fronts:

(a) bilateral assistance for ASEAN member states and beyond;​

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1423293873858564097

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(b) participation in multilateral mechanisms through the ASEAN Plus platforms;​

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(c) participation in international efforts (G20, Belt and Road Initiative) on COVID-19; and​

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(d) contributions to the World Health Organization's (WHO) Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, and UN mechanisms and processes for COVID-19 response.​

8. In Singapore, 82% of our population have been given vaccines, but despite this, 49 (or 0.1%) have passed away from complications due to Covid-19, including 12 fatalities in Aug 2021 so far. In addition, 65,528 (98.6%) of those infected have been discharged, with 903 active cases (1.4%) under medical care — including 7 in ICU.

(a) Singapore has been an active participant in multilateral efforts—such as the US-led Global Health Security Agenda—to bolster the pandemic preparedness and response of low- and middle-income countries. It has contributed to international programmes to provide technical and medical assistance, and helped promote global health security as a national and global priority. Last year, the Singapore Government also donated US$O.5 million to WHO to aid in the fight against the coronavirus.​

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(b) Fortitude Kit 2.0 was the first complete diagnostic kit to be approved and produced at scale in Singapore, and is also the most common test kit donated by Singapore’s Temasek Foundation. Developed by A*STAR, Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Diagnostics Development Hub, Fortitude Kit 2.0’s technology can be transferred through a non-exclusive license for manufacturing to meet local and regional demands. Such bilateral technology transfers engender goodwill for Singapore, at a time of uncertainty — demonstrating that Singapore is ready to share its homegrown technological know-how for a good global cause.​

 

[ngatimozart]

In NZ approximately 20% of the population been fully vaccinated. At 4pm today NZST the government will announce how long the current Level 4 lockdown will be extended for. Because cases are still increasing in Auckland and Wellington, any lowering to Level 3 is some way off. Because no cases have been reported in the South Island so far, there have been suggestions in the media that the South Island may be lowered to Level 3 restrictions either towards the end of this week or early next week. Of course that depends upon the South Island staying Delta free.

 

[tonnyc]

Meanwhile in Indonesia the vaccination program is proceeding. Availability of vaccines continue to be the main problem, and this in turn is caused mostly by uncertain supply from vaccine producers. The Astrazeneca vaccine we ordered does not arrive in the amount and at the speed we planned for when we ordered it. Novavax is still not showing much progress*. We had to order an additional 25 million (other reports say 50 million) doses of ready-to-use vaccines from Sinovac in order to mitigate the shortage. Pfizer's vaccine arrived on schedule, but the initial amount is small compared to the amount we need.

We thank the countries that have sent us assistance. Off the top of my head, Australia, Singapore, the US, UK, Netherlands, China, India, France, United Arab Emirates, and others. If I missed a country, my apologies, but there's a lot and I may have missed a few.

There are criticism over the policy of concentrating vaccinations in Java and Bali. This is fair. I understand other provinces feel sidelined. On the other hand given that over half of Indonesia's population is in Java, not concentrating the vaccination effort in Java is likely to result in a worse situation. This is a situation where there is no good option, so one has to choose which one is the lesser evil.

One thing I notice is that the global preference for Western vaccines make getting them really hard and getting Chinese vaccines easier. At the beginning of the Delta variant outbreak (June) we tried to order more Western vaccines. There's no officials I can quote here, but snippets I hear says that none of them can deliver in meaningful numbers prior to 2022. Astrazeneca has their production issues in Thailand and even the ones we already ordered will be have their delivery schedule delayed. Pfizer will fulfill their existing contract but all their production capacity is fully booked until 2022. Same with Moderna, except that they said this even before the Delta outbreak (part of the reason why Indonesia doesn't have a Moderna order is because they can't guarantee delivery before 2022, and that was in May). Novavax is worse. In May, Novavax claims the vaccine will be ready in June/July. In June it's July. In July they say September. Now they say October. I am really skeptical on the usability of Novavax at this moment. No point in having a vaccine that looks good in clinical trials but aren't actually available for delivery. J&J's vaccine hasn't been approved over here and the process of getting it approved will take too long so we didn't try ordering that, but I expect a similar backlog. In contrast, in August Sinovac has delivered 15 million doses and we expect another 10 million by the end of August. We don't use Sinopharm much but they're also fulfilling their contract on time AFAICT. I'm guessing that since demand for Chinese vaccines are not as big as Western ones, they have an easier time fulfilling their orders. In my opinion, this means the West can't assume that China's vaccine diplomacy has stumbled irrevocably. It doesn't matter if Sinovac's vaccine is less efficacious than Moderna's if the people in developing countries notice that they can't get Moderna's but can get Sinovac's easily.

I am surprised to read that Singapore sent vaccines to Brunei. With about 460,000 people, and a lot of money, I thought Brunei would have secured vaccines easily and that their problem would be more on how to administer the vaccines.

 

[Ananda]

2 shots of Chinese inactivated vaccines effective in curbing Delta: Report co-authored by epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan - Global Times

www.globaltimes.cn

There's always some in International media, especially in the West, that will question the validity of China vaccine result. However looking on Chile result, and for me looking on (so far) Jakarta condition, I have to say, the result of Chinese Vaccine is preety good.

China own data so far also related with what Chile already release. The efficacy of Chinese Inactivated Virus vaccine is not as high as MRNA. However still effective to significantly provide protection. Jakarta by data already reach close to 50% of population with two jabs and more than 90% of first jab. With Indonesia always have problem with testing and tracing coverage, thus I always looking more on Hospital BOR (Bed Occupancy Ratio) and more importantly Covid related mortality ratio. Both has drop drastically in Jakarta, and even the mortality rate has reduce much relative to infection rate.

I saw how Western media talk about China vaccine diplomacy already failing in South East Asia, and Developing World. I have to say, no they don't. Yes, many nations if has choices shown preference toward Western MRNA vaccines over Chinese Inactivated Virus vaccines. However with the actual world result so far, the Chinese vaccines attractiveness still high for many developing nations.

 

[StingrayOZ]

Not going good in NSW.. We are over 800 new cases a day. While Sydney is the main problem, there are growing problems around NSW. We are starting to get multiple lock down protests, something that really wasn't a huge issue before.

However, the vaccination program in NSW is hitting tremendous speeds, outstripping US or UK vaccination rates. Its clear now that for NSW they will reach that 80% vaccination rate before they get any sort of control of the virus. There is talk about Sydney basically being vaccinated by November, perhaps the whole state.

Other states are behind, but not by too much. There is plenty of AZ around, but its not wanted. People will wait for Pfizer. The AZ is likely to be phased out, but this will likely increase vaccine exports out of Australia. Australia is getting over a million a week of Pfizer and Moderna now.

The AZ vaccine is showing a bit better long term protection than the Pfizer. https://www.news.com.au/world/coron...y/news-story/3050640a0795278d3e7f9c51810816d3

Its likely the AZ will still be part of a global strategy going forward. IMO they should partner it with a mixed dose rollout. Australia has around 6 million AZ vaccines that they could start to reduce stocks of. Then they could follow this up with CSL manufacturing over a million a week.

At this stage no vaccine offers sterilizing protecting against COVID. Almost all the vaccines are showing significant reduction in hospitalizations, so any vaccine is better than no vaccine.

 

[John Fedup]

Ontario now has 74.8% of the population (above 12 years of age) doubled jabbed, 82% single jabbed. Nevertheless Ontario is up to 700 cases per day and the positivity rate is 3.4%. Of the 744 new cases yesterday, over 500 were not vaccinated. Masking rules indoors have been in place since last year and still are. There is growing anger wrt the unvaccinated screwing up hospital operations for non-COVID procedures. The surgical backlog is massive. IMO unvaccinated patients should now face a massive surcharge for medical care costs, especially for hospitalization. Furthermore, a financial penalty should be applied on future OHIP premiums until they are vaccinated.

 

[t68]

The surgical backlog is massive. IMO unvaccinated patients should now face a massive surcharge for medical care costs, especially for hospitalization. Furthermore, a financial penalty should be applied on future OHIP premiums until they are vaccinated.

Sorry do not agree with that and do not know how the medical is handled in CA, it is a persons right to have or have not the vaccine. just like the flu shot is not mandatory.

I have never had the flu shot, I am currently not vaccinated for either the flu or covid

 

[John Fedup]

Sorry do not agree with that and do not know how the medical is handled in CA, it is a persons right to have or have not the vaccine. just like the flu shot is not mandatory.

I have never had the flu shot, I am currently not vaccinated for either the flu or covid

That’s your decision but when you need a ventilator and another patient needing ICU care and a ventilator arrives at the hospital, priority is simple and it definitely isn’t you.

 

[John Fedup]

Some dissent within the Ontario medical advisory team according to this article. Should know soon who is right.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/david-fisman-resignation-covid-science-table-ontario-1.6149961

 

[Todjaeger]

Sorry do not agree with that and do not know how the medical is handled in CA, it is a persons right to have or have not the vaccine. just like the flu shot is not mandatory.

I have never had the flu shot, I am currently not vaccinated for either the flu or covid

Issues surrounding the vaccine, more specifically the "rights" people have, present some interesting and difficult ethical and moral questions and dilemmas. On one hand, yes, people should have a degree of choice and freedom in their healthcare, OTOH though there are issues which tie into an individual's role and duty to society as a whole.

Consider for instance, polio and smallpox. When was the last time someone from a modern/developed nation ever caught either disease? Chance are that no one born is the last ~40 years in a first world nation has had either disease, or encountered it unless they were overseas. Eradication efforts were made to try and wipe the diseases out. While I do not think they were 100% successful, there has absolutely been major successes. Let us look at smallpox. Around 1967, when the WHO started a concerned effort worldwide to eradicate smallpox, the disease would infect between 10 and 15 mil. people each year, with a CFR of ~25%, or roughly one in four infected would die from the disease. As grim as those numbers might look, since they included ~2.5 mil. dead due to smallpox annually, the numbers from a little over a decade earlier and before there was such a push for vaccination were much worse. In the early 1950's, worldwide there were roughly 50 mil. cases of smallpox annually, with a CFR of closer to 30%, or close to 15 mil. dead annually from smallpox. Where we are now is that IIRC the last known case of 'wild' smallpox occurred in Somalia, back in 1977.

Had people insisted on "their rights" regarding vaccination vs. smallpox, the disease might not have been eradicated and the world might still be looking at millions dead annually due a disease.

Further, with respect to "rights" this can quickly run into a question of which rights, or whose rights, are more important? Does the right of an unvaccinated person to remain unvaccinated trump the rights of another person to be safe from the disease and exposure to it? What about the rights of medical personnel who have to interact with patients?

If it was a simple matter for a person to remain unvaccinated AND also ensure that even if they do get infected, they will not present a potential health threat to others, then the issue of vaccination vs. COVID-19 would be easy. Unfortunately however, some of the latest findings on the Delta variant suggest that not only is it more transmissible than other variants, but also that those who get it and are unvaccinated are much more able or likely to spread it to others due to what the viral loads will be within the infected person's body. In short, if a person is unvaccinated not only they are more likely to become infected if exposed to the virus, but they are also going putting out more virual which could then infect others.

 

[t68]

That’s your decision but when you need a ventilator and another patient needing ICU care and a ventilator arrives at the hospital, priority is simple and it definitely isn’t you.

I think if two different people were to arrive in ICU for covid or any other diseases, being vaccinated is or not is irrelevant dont you think as there are reports of people being fully vaccinated still dying from covid

 

[Todjaeger]

I think if two different people were to arrive in ICU for covid or any other diseases, being vaccinated is or not is irrelevant dont you think as there are reports of people being fully vaccinated still dying from covid

You seem to be missing critical pieces of data. From data currently available in areas hard hit by the Delta variant of the virus, an unvaccinated person who became infected with the Delta variant is more likely to become significantly ill, more likely to require hospitalization, more likely to die, and going to be putting out a higher viral load during the course of the infection.

That last bit is very important, because that strongly suggests that a non-vaccinated infected person is more likely to cause the disease to spread to someone else than a vaccinated person with a breakthrough infection.

There are a few reasons why certain areas of the US are currently reporting significant increases in case counts and hospitalizations, and at the same time having the numbers so heavily skewed towards the segment of the population who remain unvaccinated.

 

[OPSSG]

You seem to be missing critical pieces of data. From data currently available in areas hard hit by the Delta variant of the virus, an unvaccinated person who became infected with the Delta variant is more likely to become significantly ill, more likely to require hospitalization, more likely to die, and going to be putting out a higher viral load during the course of the infection.

That last bit is very important…

…certain areas of the US are currently reporting significant increases in case counts and hospitalizations, and at the same time having the numbers so heavily skewed towards the segment of the population who remain unvaccinated.

1. The unvaccinated that visit restaurants are putting their servers at greater risk than necessary. The unvaccinated also present a risk to their co-workers and its their duty to pay for mitigation and risk management costs. Vaccination is not compulsory in Singapore but:

(i) the unvaccinated cannot sit in a restaurant with others unless they show a proof that they are not infected with a Covid-19 test (taken in the last 24 hours); and​

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(ii) employers may ask staff who choose not to be vaccinated to pay for regular Covid-19 testing; workers from F&B, unvaccinated workers in other higher-risk sectors in Singapore must take Covid-19 rapid tests twice weekly.​

2. We need to protect those who are autoimmune-compromised and children 11 and below (who are not vaccinated). Once more test data is in, Singapore is likely to roll-out vaccines for children.

3. 5 experts were asked about Delta in kids:

• Dr. John La Count, pediatrician, St. Elizabeth Physicians, Florence: "Delta is much more contagious and seems to have a significant amount of additional morbidity in children. With delta, the response of unvaccinated children is reminiscent of the response adults had to the first variety."
• Dr. Robert Frenck, pediatrician, director, Vaccine Research Center, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center: "The delta variant appears to be more easily spread than other varieties of COVID-19. Currently, delta is the cause of more than 80% of new cases of COVID-19 in the U.S."
• Dr. Robyn Gorman, pediatrician, TriHealth’s Queen City Physicians – Madeira Pediatrics: "These children are unfortunately very susceptible since they are unvaccinated. As pediatricians, we are concerned that this wave of COVID-19 infections is particularly worrisome for those who are unvaccinated, including children under age 12."
• Dr. Jennifer Forrester, associate professor of medicine and associate chief medical officer, UC Health: "… definitely seeing children of all ages being affected disproportionately to their proportion of the general population. This is likely due, at least in some part, to the fact that some of them are not yet eligible for vaccination."
• Dr. Camille Graham, chair, pediatric council, regional medical director, Mercy Health Physicians: "Children under the age of 12 are very susceptible as their immune systems have likely not encountered this virus before, even if they had COVID-19 alpha variant."

4. Delta spreads much more easily in the unvaccinated. In Singapore, where masking is enforced, the data on the infected shows that:

• 79% are unvaccinated versus
• 21% are vaccinated

 

[ASSAIL]

Sorry do not agree with that and do not know how the medical is handled in CA, it is a persons right to have or have not the vaccine. just like the flu shot is not mandatory.

I have never had the flu shot, I am currently not vaccinated for either the flu or covid

How ignorant of you and stuff your “individual freedom”.
I’m a Rotarian and through Rotary’s fund raising and the generosity of the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, Polio is eliminated in every country except Afghanistan and Pakistan where population wide inoculation is very difficult.
If there were many like you that wouldn’t be possible.
Do yourself a favour and check the vaccination record of people who are either in ICU or who have died and virtually none have succumbed to COVID apart from those with serious comorbidity.
Think about others you mix with, it’s not all about you.
Show some civic responsibility and get vaccinated.
(Rant off)

 

[ngatimozart]

Sorry do not agree with that and do not know how the medical is handled in CA, it is a persons right to have or have not the vaccine. just like the flu shot is not mandatory.

I have never had the flu shot, I am currently not vaccinated for either the flu or covid

My dad had polio as a kid. Wouldn't wish it on my worse enemy. If not for my grandfather he would never have walked after let alone climb the rigging of a sailing ship in his teens. What they never told him was that the polio comes back later in life and the last 2 - 3 years before he died he suffered excruciating pain from the polio. When I was in primary school we all got the polio vaccine and it had to be taken orally. Didn't taste very nice and the nuns were standing there with their wooden yard rules at the ready. Sisters of Mercy they were - showed mercy they didn't.

Yes we all have freedom of choice; a civic right granted to us under law. However with those rights come responsibilities and just as we have expectations on others to act in a responsible manner, it's beholden upon us to do the same, especially when the community is threatened by a natural disaster such as a cyclone, bushfire or pandemic.

 

[tonnyc]

Your right to not get vaccinated does not mean you have the right to be a walking disease carrier.

I am fine with many governments' decision to prohibit unvaccinated people from visiting events, malls, shopping centers, and severely restricting their travel. If schools, workplaces, sports centers, community halls, etc., starts requiring vaccination in order to attend them, that's great. They should start doing so ASAP. One's right to maximize one's comfort stops when they start endangering others. Feel free to stay unvaccinated in the comfort of your house. I promise I will not disturb the sanctity of your house.

Allowances will be made for the autoimmune-compromised and similar classes of health issues.

 

[Redlands18]

I work for Qld Health at the local Hospital and everyone working in Qld Hospitals have to do a Fit Test, where you are tested for a Mask that completely seals. If an outbreak occurs in the Hospital where you work then you have to wear one of these special Masks and they don't work for anyone with a Beard.
@t68 hope you don't ever want to get on a plane again or travel Overseas to all the Countries that will ban anyone not vaccinated.

 

[t68]

How ignorant of you and stuff your “individual freedom”.
I’m a Rotarian and through Rotary’s fund raising and the generosity of the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, Polio is eliminated in every country except Afghanistan and Pakistan where population wide inoculation is very difficult.
If there were many like you that wouldn’t be possible.
Do yourself a favour and check the vaccination record of people who are either in ICU or who have died and virtually none have succumbed to COVID apart from those with serious comorbidity.
Think about others you mix with, it’s not all about you.
Show some civic responsibility and get vaccinated.
(Rant off)

You are entitled to your view as I am, and I still support that it’s the individual right to vax or not, do I comply with health orders yes.

Until such a time that it is compulsory I will still defer to the individual own rights and believe in individuals rights and will support and defend those rights

Just like I support those who want to demonstrate it is there right too, we do not live in a totalitarian society but it’s increasingly getting that way

This is what I am defending
Is it true? Are COVID-19 vaccines mandatory in Australia? | Australian Government Department of Health

 

[Todjaeger]

You are entitled to your view as I am, and I still support that it’s the individual right to vax or not, do I comply with health orders yes.

Until such a time that it is compulsory I will still defer to the individual own rights and believe in individuals rights and will support and defend those rights

Just like I support those who want to demonstrate it is there right too, we do not live in a totalitarian society but it’s increasingly getting that way

A major issue that many people who are opposed to vaccination and other mitigation efforts like mask wearing, social distancing, etc. seem to fail to understand is that those who are not following mitigation efforts are not just putting themselves at risk. Instead, the anti-mitigation people are risking themselves, everyone they come into contact with, and then the people who come into contact with the people exposed to/by the anti-mitigation people are also at risk.

What many who seem intent on demanding "their rights" keep failing to realize or perhaps it is a failure to acknowledge, is that their behavior does not just impact them.

So, by all means one can opt to not be vaccinated, but also understand that because other people wish to be protected, there can be restrictions placed on where one can go, and what one can do if they have decided to not get vaccinated.

Also, TBH the value of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hrs is IMO not much. It can take as long as 5 days from the time of exposure before there is sufficient quantity of virus to show in a test. So one could easily have been exposed and infected and show a negative, or have been tested negative, then get exposed and become infected in the intervening 72 hours.