2019 Novel Coronavirus Covid-19 Discussion

Forums › Health and fitness › 2019 Novel Coronavirus Covid-19 Discussion

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#2706981 13-May-2021 13:40

Geektastic: I rang my GP’s surgery to ask when those with underlying health conditions would be getting vaccinated.

“We have absolutely no idea. We don’t even know if it will be us administering the vaccination. The DHB has told us nothing. You could try calling them.”

Was this from the receptionist? If that's near enough to verbatim report of the response you got, I'd complain to your GP.

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wellygary

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#2707016 13-May-2021 14:04

Fred99:

Geektastic: I rang my GP’s surgery to ask when those with underlying health conditions would be getting vaccinated.

“We have absolutely no idea. We don’t even know if it will be us administering the vaccination. The DHB has told us nothing. You could try calling them.”

Was this from the receptionist? If that's near enough to verbatim report of the response you got, I'd complain to your GP.

Dr Bloomfield, just said that those keen on a vaccination should not call their GP, but wait and watch regular media....

(just after the 14 min mark ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skMwYHfVkhs

Scott3

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#2707026 13-May-2021 14:15

Fred99:

Geektastic: I rang my GP’s surgery to ask when those with underlying health conditions would be getting vaccinated.

“We have absolutely no idea. We don’t even know if it will be us administering the vaccination. The DHB has told us nothing. You could try calling them.”

Was this from the receptionist? If that's near enough to verbatim report of the response you got, I'd complain to your GP.

The response Geektastic receved is pretty consistent with media reports regarding lack of communications with GP's.

4 weeks old, but anyway:

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2021/04/covid-19-ministry-of-health-tells-auckland-gp-we-don-t-need-you-in-covid-19-vaccine-rollout.html

My take is that the government want's to use the current supply (50 - 70k per week + 350k stockpile) to feed large mass vaccination centers, Ironing the kink's out of that means of delivery. Given the mass clinics are new, there is a lot more to go wrong that with pharmacies & GP clinics that are highly experienced with a variety of vaccinations, especially the annual flu vaccination.

Once our really large shipments from our 2nd order start landing in a couple of months time I assume the DHB's will start shipping doses to any GP's and pharmacies that are willing and big enough to not be left with waste doses... This will allow the process to scale up quickly and with minimal management from DHB's...

Inevitably it will be the GP's and Pharmacies that do the really heavy lifting in the vaccination campaign later in the year. Not involving them now means they can focus on the current flu vaccination campaign which is good.

But I get the sense that GP's are annoyed at the lack of communication (a massive vaccine roll out is something they will want to plan for, for example they may ask staff not to take leave when it is projected to be most busy... If they were told when that will be).

And of course it sucks for people for whom their GP is their source of trusted medical advise, and possibly have other medication or conditions that need to be checked for possible interaction with the covid-19 vaccination.

Should note that very recently some selected medical centers have been now been included in the roll out. News from 2 days ago:

https://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/article/waiheke-island-takes-centre-stage-aucklands-first-gp-clinic-starts-covid-19-vaccinations

Fred99

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#2707027 13-May-2021 14:16

wellygary:

Dr Bloomfield, just said that those keen on a vaccination should not call their GP, but wait and watch regular media....

(just after the 14 min mark ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skMwYHfVkhs

Yep. that seems perfectly reasonable, but someone at a GP clinic responding to any patient the way they're alleged to have done isn't.

Geektastic

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#2707029 13-May-2021 14:19

From the DHB

“The DHB is working hard to vaccinate all people who fall into the Tier 2 category, across many front-line and vulnerable groups in our community.
Until this is achieved, we have no confirmed date for the start of Tier 3. Rest assured, as soon as our capacity become clear, the information will be communicated to the public.
I am sorry you have experienced frustration in obtaining information. Information on the tier structure can be found on the Ministry of Health website.”

Website says May for Group 3, which I’m in.

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#2707032 13-May-2021 14:26

Geektastic: From the DHB

“The DHB is working hard to vaccinate all people who fall into the Tier 2 category, across many front-line and vulnerable groups in our community.
Until this is achieved, we have no confirmed date for the start of Tier 3. Rest assured, as soon as our capacity become clear, the information will be communicated to the public.
I am sorry you have experienced frustration in obtaining information. Information on the tier structure can be found on the Ministry of Health website.”

Website says May for Group 3, which I’m in.

when were you told to contact your GP about the vaccination?

DS248

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#2707033 13-May-2021 14:28

1,060,000 doses required to vaccinate all Groups 1 & 2

3,400,000 doses required to vaccinate all Group 3

= 4,460.000 doses

vs 1,161,952 doses planned to be administered by 4 July (mean daily rate ramping up from ~11,000 to ~18,000 per day between now and 4 July)

Fred99:

...

If I've recalled correctly, this afternoon on National Radio, Chris Hipkins indicated ...

...

There's not yet enough vaccine to complete group 3 before end of June.

...

Guess that would be ever so slight an understatement?

Fred99

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#2707036 13-May-2021 14:40

DS248:

Guess that would be ever so slight an understatement?

No - probably just my mistake recalling exactly what was said, hence I did say "if I recall correctly.
Fortunately RNZ news have an article on their website:

"We simply won't have the supply to give them to everybody all at once. We could've had a more granular system, but that would've been more complicated."

Group 3 is larger than the number of vaccines available through to the end of June, he said.

"So not everyone is going to get one straight away.

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#2707042 13-May-2021 14:52

BBC News - Helen Clark: WHO needs support to fight pandemics

today

A lack of power and funding has limited the World Health Organization’s (WHO) capacity to deal with pandemics, the co-chair of a panel looking at the response to the coronavirus pandemic has said.

Helen Clark, from the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, told BBC World News that the WHO was caught in the middle of a political maelstrom which was why the panel recommended measures that would increase its independence.

The panel, established by the WHO, conducted an independent review into the organisation and global governments response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

BBC News - Covid: Serious failures in WHO and global response, report finds

today

Covid-19: Make it the Last Pandemic, was compiled by the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.

Its aim was to find answers as to how the virus had killed more than 3.3 million people and infected more than 159 million.

To prevent another catastrophic pandemic, the report suggests key reforms:

A new global threats council should be created with the power to hold countries accountable

There should be a disease surveillance system to publish information without the approval of countries concerned

Vaccines must be classed as public goods and there should be a pandemic financing facility

There was an immediate request for the wealthy G7 nations to commit US $1.9bn to the WHO's Covax programme providing vaccine support to low income countries

Panel co-chair and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said it was "critical to have an empowered WHO".

"If travel restrictions had been imposed more quickly, more widely, again that would have been a serious inhibition on the rapid transmission of the disease and that remains the same today," she added.

The Panel is optimistic 🙂

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Geektastic

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#2707043 13-May-2021 14:58

Jase2985:
Geektastic: From the DHB

“The DHB is working hard to vaccinate all people who fall into the Tier 2 category, across many front-line and vulnerable groups in our community.
Until this is achieved, we have no confirmed date for the start of Tier 3. Rest assured, as soon as our capacity become clear, the information will be communicated to the public.
I am sorry you have experienced frustration in obtaining information. Information on the tier structure can be found on the Ministry of Health website.”

Website says May for Group 3, which I’m in.

when were you told to contact your GP about the vaccination?

Never. I contacted them because Group 3 are indicated for May, it’s now half way through May just about and I’d heard nothing from anyone.

Rikkitic

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#2707046 13-May-2021 15:04

My understanding is Hipkins clarified 'from the end of May' and we were asked not to contact our GPs, but wait until we were contacted.

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cshwone

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#2707051 13-May-2021 15:12

My wife, and I have mentioned this a couple of times, has never been contacted despite being Group 2. She called Wairarapa DHB this morning and the response was "Oh, how about next Wednesday at ....................."

Scott3

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#2707057 13-May-2021 15:21

Regarding the WHO report and associated speeches.

I don't like the "Make it the last Pandemic" messaging.

In my eyes further pandemics are inevitable. And if anything based on the number of near misses in the last 15 years or so, the return period of them seems to be decreasing...

And that is without considering the risk posed by modern Synthetic Biochemistry, and potential bio terrorism.

Should consider that in comparison to historic pandemic's covid-19 as a pathogen isn't even that nasty. It's just a little sneaky. Next pandemic could potentially for be from a pathogen with a Measles like R0 (say 12), and a Case fatality ratio of say 20%...

Some of the suggestions seem to be good, like the Surveillance program, and better vaccine management for future pandemics.

However putting the boot into places like NZ for backing too many vaccine makers with orders seems a little weird. Unlike the USA we havn't taken delivery and stockpiled vaccines we don't intend to use (they have cira 30m doses of AZ link). We have obviously not taken delivery of the AZ and J&J vaccines that we ordered, and Novovax isn't yet ready. So no net impact on supply for other countries...

I would also be wary about allowing the WHO to hold countries to account. Remember that NZ had to breach WHO guidance in order to close our borders and protect our population. Also they were involved in spreading false information early on in the pandemic, including the below infamous tweet.

https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1217043229427761152

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#2707065 13-May-2021 15:51

Regarding the WHO... If only we didn't have a petulant US government undermining the whole thing all the time.

And if any other movie ever shows the CDC as an organisation that comes in and fixes everything during an epidemic or pandemic...

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Geektastic

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#2707067 13-May-2021 15:54

Rikkitic:
My understanding is Hipkins clarified 'from the end of May' and we were asked not to contact our GPs, but wait until we were contacted.

He may have done. I wouldn’t know him from Adam since I gave up watching the news. However the MoH website says “May” only.

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