Bit late to save face, they made me agree with Tracy Grimshaw on a current affair. Unforgivable

I agree to a degree, but to be fair, this change is not coming from the government. Saying that, this does get the feds off the hook a bit given the generally opposition to AZ

Italy recently went to over 60 only as well, so there is international context

I am not entirely sure there was a better method. Running with AZ at the time seemed like the best solution. It could be manufactured onshore rather than getting in the queue for imports.

Clotting stat's were minimal if non existent at the time. Even so, clotting is so rare in my opinion it's far better to run with a tiny risk and vax everyone up ASAP than it is to wait for the other vaccines. Why isn't the contraceptive pill treated in the same way? It's clotting numbers are way higher than AZ.

And then, weeelll, it's not so simple, we can't allocate the right vaccine to your appointment, so we've cancelled it. For you and your wife.

And yes, you now meet our recently revised definition of a prioritised essential services worker--in addition to your newfound age eligibility--but we still can't find a new appointment for you, anywhere within 100km of Melbourne. Please call back.

****

Actually, I expected this. And I'm happy enough with the change in vaccine eligibility that the extra waiting time--whatever it truly proves to be--won't matter so much, as being on the right path.

But hasn't the health bureaucracy in Victoria heard of this concept called a "queue"? (Actually, I know they have, when it comes to elective surgeries for things like "kidney stones"--exquisitely painful, but unfortunately not life-threatening enough to be worth expediting...)

So if they can't yet book me and my better half appointment times for Pfizer shots, can't they put us on a list to call back when they're available? After all, access to the vaccine is pretty much a government monopoly right now, it's not as if we can wantonly obtain doses from somewhere else, and mess up their booking system accordingly...

Did you get your answer to that question yet?

An apology would certainly be in order...

There isn't enough supply of Pfizer which is why AZ was chosen as the vaccine of choice. It can be made locally and we can avoid the world queue for Pfizer

It looks like AZ will be offered to those of all ages who want to be a part of the herd immunity rather than there own teeny weeny self absorbed risk.

With respect--and I have otherwise always respected and appreciated your posts on other topics here on BE--I completely disagree.

Lack of ongoing transparency about data concerning the disease, its variants, its treatments, and its vaccines--as they evolve--that's what destroys public confidence in how authorities are tackling it. Failure to adapt to bad news about previously promising vaccine or treatment approaches, equally so.

Especially, as in this case, when better vaccine options are clearly available.

I was just listening to a piece on the radio about how our government 'negotiated' with Pfizer last year - basically they didn't. Pfizer wanted to smash supply into Australia as an example of how a whole country could be vaccinated quickly. Our government in response demanded access to Pfizer's IP and pushed them on price (which I have no problem with actually). All this did was piss Pfizer off. I like Morrison but his claim last year that Australia was at the front of the queue for vaccines was basically bullshit

Why would I apologise - it was a pretty straight forward question that you took offence to. Yes I agree that you have tried to book Pfizer jabs but as yet you are not vaccinated where you could have had AZ ages ago.

Yes AZ does not have as high an efficacy rate for the delta variant for all infections - but it is one variant, and is still highly effective at preventing a serious infection with all variants.

And yes AZ has a clotting risk - but so does smoking, being overweight, long distance travel, etc and Pfizer has it's own risks highlighted in data out of Israel - and Pfizer is not as readily available.

Hey ho - it is what it is.

And how many billions in excess economic shutdown days / dollars / lost jobs / lost businesses / weeks of kids out of school--(yeah, sure, that's all the states' fault )--did that idiotic/ideological 'hardline' negotiation stance cost us, compared to Pfizer holding the line on what they have ended up charging us per dose anyway...?

Oh no, mate, you went well beyond that--and not in any capacity as a mod either:
:
"Or would it be but, but, but Pfizer can cause anaphylaxis......but, but, but Pfizer can cause enlarged heart ..... but, but, but ......etc"

Those were words which you dismissively portrayed as being from me, when they were your 'whole cloth' invention. You might want to review Site Rule 1.

I am not having any vaccine, not been tested not going to be tested, If you can’t see the biased reporting from mainstream media, big tech part in the narrative, Numbers that don’t add up, it you want to believe all the spin and lies knock yourself out, good for you, take the vaccine.

The fear for a virus that the vast majority need to be tested to see if they have it, let’s ruin the worlds economy, ignore mental health, cancer and all manner of other deaths. Now we hear cases as there are no deaths, MSM keeping the fear going.

Big tech spent a year spinning Fauci cover up that the virus wasn’t man made, labelled posts, cancelled people labelled them conspiracy theorites that expressed it could have come from a bat virus lab in Wuhan Seems the 5000 emails have exposed those lies.

The difference between a conspiracy and the truth seems to be about 6-12 months

Sorry you see it that way.

While the reply was to you initially, it was also aimed at everyone not getting vaccinated when they could.

And even though I am a mod, I can also comment as a member of BE - which this obviously was. There was no personal attack - it is a pretty straight forward question. No, you are currently not but, butting - but I suspect others are. Others that could also be vaccinated but are not, and are also not jumping to try and get a vaccine.

Bookings opened today for under 60s for the Pfizer shot. I'm eligible for it my my wife who is over 60 is not so she's going to wait. Booking line opened at 7am. Dialed in at 7:02. ....Position number 29 in the queue. Will try again later.

all good geeze, we can't all agree on everything. The way I see it is Australia had 2 choices with vaccination roll out. 1, do the Australian thing and hold off a bit and learn from other's mistakes (arguably sensible considering our limited cases) or 2, be at the forefront of world vaccine rollout.
What they've done is put us on a wobbly confused line somewhere between the two which isn't succeeding. I'd have been happy with 1 or 2 but 1.5 sucks donkey balls.