Originally Posted by physiogirl76 (Post 13044563)

Don't think it makes a big difference, the effectiveness of AZ and Pfizer both diminishes over time: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02261-8

However, you are still protected against severe disease/hospitalisation when vaccinated. They reckon, they will need booster shots for the elderly after about 8 months - this is what Germany is planning - but the younger/healthy ones will be fine. As long as Covid is circulating in the community, the immune system of vaccinated people will get natural boosters (as most of them will have no or little symptoms when infected). Then, there is the option of "mix and match" vaccines to increase effectiveness (some countries are recommending this already). And one day, the 2nd generation of vaccines will likely be more effective against the Delta variant as well.

I know 2 people here who recently caught Covid (Delta variant) despite being vaccinated - one person had Pfizer (in January), the other one AZ (2nd jab in May/June). The AZ guy had underlying issues (COPD, lung cancer) so Covid could have been a death sentence for him. Instead, he spent a week at home in bed, feeling crook but didn't need to be admitted to hospital. Exactly what the vaccines are supposed to do.

Originally Posted by Beoz (Post 13044582)

AZ doesn't wane as fast. If 2 people had both shots at the same time AZ is more effective after 5 months.

Yes bring on the second generation. Any ideas when next gen recipes are coming?

Originally Posted by physiogirl76 (Post 13044604)

No official studies published yet but this is what I found: https://investors.biontech.de/news-r...m-light-delta/
Pfizer/Biontech will submit more data regarding the efficacy of booster shots shortly.
Regarding an updated version:
"While Pfizer and BioNTech believe a third dose of BNT162b2 has the potential to preserve the highest levels of protective efficacy against all currently tested variants including Delta, the companies are remaining vigilant and are developing an updated version of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that targets the full spike protein of the Delta variant. The first batch of the mRNA for the trial has already been manufactured at BioNTech’s facility in Mainz, Germany. The Companies anticipate the clinical studies to begin in August, subject to regulatory approvals."

But even if efficacy is waning, it still appears that the shots largely protect against severe illness, which is the primary goal of vaccination.
Breakthrough infections appear to be increasing, but even in the face of Delta, the existing vaccines are still extremely protective.

Full vaccination is still effective at preventing hospitalisation and death despite the virus having slightly changed its structure, but it seems that so far it has not been enough to trick the vaccine-elicited immune response.

Also, Delta won't be the last variant we'll encounter. If there was an updated vaccine every time we deal with a new variant, it eventually would get too confusing and foster vaccine hesitancy.

The best protection against new variants is high vaccination rates across the globe as variants will always develop when the virus is allowed to run free. That's why it makes more sense to push for a quick global vaccine-roll out and distribution rather than offer 3rd booster shots in rich countries.

In essence...Covid will become part of our life. It will be interesting to watch once WA and QLD wake up to this new world as they're definitely not prepared. No matter how high your vaccine coverage is amongst your population, there won' t be zero cases.

Originally Posted by ozzieeagle (Post 13044704)

From my observations, Queensland looks determined to make sure everyone has a Covid test before they arrive and if they arrive 'currently' from what they determine to be a hotspot, they are going to place them in quarantine.

How long they can keep that up for is going to be quite a spectacle. Especially if NSW lets overseas people in with a clear Covid test and no Quarantine. That's even going to be a challenge for far more moderate Victoria to come to grips with. Public opinion in the rest of Australia seems hell-bent on zero Covid.... I'm fairly concerned about getting the living with Covid message through to Victorians at present. Different mindset in Victoria, the public there have basically been in a full-scale personal battle with Covid, trying to do their bit to beat it. and doing quite well in that battle. Living with Covid for a lot of them will mean that fight was in vain and hard for a lot to admit defeat.

Originally Posted by Pollyana (Post 13044731)

For the next two weeks at least not even Queensland residents can arrive from a hotspot. Anyone landing in this wonderful state will either be forced to book and pay for s seat straight back to where they flew in from, or will be stuck in a hotel until they can book a seat. So people are having to fly back to Vic or NSW, with nowhere to live no jobs etc. The directive was brought in with 2 hours notice. No one will be leaving Queensland in the near future cos they could find themselves locked out of their homes for the duration.

Originally Posted by physiogirl76 (Post 13044604)

The best protection against new variants is high vaccination rates across the globe as variants will always develop when the virus is allowed to run free. That's why it makes more sense to push for a quick global vaccine-roll out and distribution rather than offer 3rd booster shots in rich countries.

In essence...Covid will become part of our life. It will be interesting to watch once WA and QLD wake up to this new world as they're definitely not prepared. No matter how high your vaccine coverage is amongst your population, there won' t be zero cases.

Originally Posted by Beoz (Post 13044797)

Words cannot describe how mad this is. We are in Australia. Not China. There are hundreds if not thousands of empty hotels in Queensland right now. At $3000 per stay surely giving them some income is the right thing to do. Delta will come in. It's just a matter of time. I feel for the travel industry. It's going to take a long time for the rest of Australia to trust a holiday to Queensland again.

Originally Posted by Pollyana (Post 13044861)

I don't usually question policy decisions like this when at work, not my place and I like a quiet life! But I did engage with some of the senior cops this week, just before this move became public, and asked WHY?! Why when we have so many hotels begging for business, surely its time to sign some more up (especially as a couple have dropped out of the programme). The answer was a firm No Way. Easier to just turn people away.
SImilarly, we have been putting people on buses to Cairns from Townsville, sometimes 50 a day, or putting them on a plane to Brisbane, because there are noi quarantine hotels in Townsville. People stared at me in disbelief when I said Why don't we sign up a Townsville hotel and save thousands in transport fees. And all those people have to be returned to Townsville at the end of their quarantine. Spending money like water, and no logic to it.

I agree with your last statement. Many people just won't come to Queensland again in case of more sudden decisions. Death knell for many tourist operators.

Originally Posted by Pollyana (Post 13044861)

I don't usually question policy decisions like this when at work, not my place and I like a quiet life! But I did engage with some of the senior cops this week, just before this move became public, and asked WHY?! Why when we have so many hotels begging for business, surely its time to sign some more up (especially as a couple have dropped out of the programme). The answer was a firm No Way. Easier to just turn people away.

Originally Posted by abner (Post 13045226)

Easier for the cops, sure, but also much better public health policy.

Across Australia, in the 14 months between April 2020, and June 2, 2021, there have been 21 hotel quarantine breaches, some of which have led to disastrous health consequences, and corresponding lockdowns (notably, but not limited to, Victoria's first big Alpha-strain outbreak of a year ago).

That's a long-sustained record of failure for hotel quarantine in general, across Australia. Hotels are not designed to limit room-to-room airflow through their HVAC systems, nor to provide an environment conducive to limiting (quarantined) guest interaction, especially with minimally motivated/compensated rent-a-guards in charge.

A sensible state government would respond by building bespoke quarantine facilities with (belated but useful) federal help, and by limiting further reliance on "hotel quarantine" to the extent possible, given that approach's well-documented record of public-health failure and risk.

Originally Posted by Pollyana (Post 13045910)

Take a short cut on the road to freedom by becoming part of the NRL. As if it wasn't bad enough when she let the first lot in, now theres a whole planeload of hangers-on allowed in from Sydney when no-one else can get across the border until at least Sept 8th.
https://www.couriermail.com.au/coron...4445270f371e83

She denied that sporting players were being treated as more important than ordinary citizens.

Does she honestly expect us to believe that garbage?

Originally Posted by Pollyana (Post 13045910)

Take a short cut on the road to freedom by becoming part of the NRL. As if it wasn't bad enough when she let the first lot in, now theres a whole planeload of hangers-on allowed in from Sydney when no-one else can get across the border until at least Sept 8th.
https://www.couriermail.com.au/coron...4445270f371e83

She denied that sporting players were being treated as more important than ordinary citizens.

Does she honestly expect us to believe that garbage?

Originally Posted by Retirednow (Post 13046098)

Your posts became more deranged by the day. To suggest NRL players that are living in a tightly controlled bubble are the same as the general public is disingenuous at best.

Originally Posted by abner (Post 13046221)

I'm with Pollyanna on this one (first time in awhile :p )

The NRL bubble exists so a pampered bunch of 1 percenter entertainers (sorry, er, athletes) can continue to ply some semblance of their trade, to the benefit of themselves, and the TV rights holders who make money off them. Good for them, in some ways, and I also cynically get the "bread and circuses" angle for the pollies that have supported it.

But to suggest that the NRL bubble is "tightly controlled" is ludicrous, given the number of brazen breaches that have made the headlines over the past weeks and months. (Note that this latest extension of the 'bubble' is defended by QLD pollies as "self-funded" -- but it is also apparently "self-policed". Guess how tight *that's* going to be...)

And to suggest that wantonly extending the bubble, to NRL family, agents, camp-followers, or whoever, is reasonable at a time when members of the "general public", even those with far more profound family and/or business interests in QLD, are denied access, is just appalling.