Australia abandons AstraZeneca for the under 50s

[StevieWonders]

I’d have to say I’m somewhat surprised others didn’t report this before me. The Australian medical authorities changed their recommendations yesterday around the use of AstraZeneca - it’s now limited to the over 50s. As Australia’s only domestic vaccine manufacturing is AstraZeneca this means Australia’s vaccination programme has been derailed and our Australia-based members will likely be locked behind their border for longer (the “New Zealand bubble” aside).

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-08/australia-new-coronavirus-vaccine-rollout-plan-what-we-know/100057354

[StevieWonders]

And they’re not alone. The Netherlands and Portugal yesterday also limited AstraZeneca - in both cases to the over-60s.

[Andaman!]

I’d have to say I’m somewhat surprised others didn’t report this before me. The Australian medical authorities changed their recommendations yesterday around the use of AstraZeneca - it’s now limited to the over 50s. As Australia’s only domestic vaccine manufacturing is AstraZeneca this means Australia’s vaccination programme has been derailed and our Australia-based members will likely be locked behind their border for longer (the “New Zealand bubble” aside).

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-08/australia-new-coronavirus-vaccine-rollout-plan-what-we-know/100057354

Strange decisions being made. Here in UK over 20m doses of the Oxford AZ jab given with 19 reported deaths due to blood clots. That’s less than one in a million. Kuhn Wonders is correct that this is likely to defer the opening of Australia’s borders and will also damage the Australian economy and a time other countries are recovering.

[StevieWonders]

The spin from the Australian prime minister today (known to satirists as “Scotty from Marketing”) is that Australia has sourced a further 20 million doses of Pfizer so (in the immortal phrase of Ian Fletcher, former Head of Deliverance for London 2012 and Head of Values at the BBC) “that’s all right then”.

More interestingly he announced a “taskforce” to examine quarantine-free international travel for residents who have been vaccinated.

[cdnmatt]

If it makes you feel any better, at least British Columbia in Canada, not sure about other provinces, just today opened up the AZ shot to anyone 40+. Prior to that was only 55 - 65, but as of today 40 - 65.

Everyone 65+ gets Phizer or Modurna. Thankfully this new 40+ thing for AZ goes off how old you'll be on Dec 31st, 2021 meaning I just squeak into this round, so registered and waiting. :)

[cdnmatt]

And so much for that glimmer of hope. AZ is out, and no more coming until India has its population vaccinated.

Alrighty then, let's hang tight and hope for a Pfizer I guess. Modurna is cutting next shipment in half, and delaying one after that by a few months, J&J still hasn't come and not approved, and AZ not coming.

So it's Pfizer or Pfizer.