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Two countries pause Moderna rollout for youths over rare side effects

<p>Sweden and Denmark have said they will pause the use of Modern’s COVID-19 vaccine for younger age groups after reports of possible rare side effects, such as myocarditis.</p> <p>The Swedish Health Agency said on Wednesday it would pause using the shot for those born in 1991 and later, as data points to an increase in myocarditis and pericarditis among youths and young adults who have been vaccinated.</p> <p>Those conditions involve inflammation of the heart or its lining.</p> <p>“The connection is especially clear when it comes to Modern’s vaccine Spikevax, especially after the second dose,” the healthy agency said in a statement, adding the risk of being affected was very small.</p> <p>Denmark said that, while it was already using the Pfizer/Biontech vaccine as the main option for those aged 12-17 years, it had decided to pause giving the Moderna vaccine to those under 18 as a “precautionary principle”.</p> <p>“In the preliminary data….there is a suspicion of an increased risk of heart inflammation, when vaccinated with Moderna,” The Danish Health Authority said in a statement.</p> <p>It referred to data from an as yet unpublished Nordic study, which would now be sent to European Medicines Agency (EMA) for further assessment. Final data was expected within a month, it added.</p> <p>Sweden and Denmark said they now recommend the Comirnaty vaccine, from Pfizer/Biontech instead.</p> <p>Norway already recommends the Pfizer vaccine to minors and said on Wednesday that it was reiterating this, underlining that the rare side effects could happen particularly for boys and young men, mainly after receiving a second dose.</p> <p>“Men under 30 should also consider choosing Cominarty when they get vaccinated,” Geir Bukholm, head of infection control at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, said in a statement.</p> <p>A Finnish health official said that Finland expected to publish a decision on Thursday.</p>

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ScoMo announces major Pfizer win

<p><span>Prime Minister Scott Morrison has revealed a major Pfizer win, telling Australians 500,000 doses will arrive within the week.</span><br /><br /><span>He said the extra doses have been secured in a new “swap deal” with Singapore, meaning Australians will receive Pfizer vaccines set to shortly expire.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842792/pfizer-nurse.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1b2fdb682d0741069acc1222f51dd33b" /><br /><br /><span>The vaccines will roll out across the nation and will be shared equally among all states and territories, based on population.</span><br /><br /><span>The agreement also stated the Federal Government will send half a million Pfizer vaccines to Singapore in December, when Australia is expected to have ample leftovers.</span><br /><br /><span>"That comes on top of the some 4.5 million that we already have planned for September and the 1 million Moderna doses and the many other millions of doses available from our AstraZeneca production to ensure we can continue on in September with the strong surge that we had over August," he said.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.6666666666667px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841162/pfizer-vaccine.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c8d5a427721f4fb3aad36614c52e646d" /></p> <p><span>"It's a dose swap deal which simply means we're taking the 500,000 they have now, so we can put that into our distribution this month coming in September and we will provide them with 500,000 in December.</span><br /><br /><span>"That means there are 500,000 doses extra that will happen in September that otherwise would have had to wait for several months from now accelerating our vaccination program at this critical time as we walk towards those 70 per cent and 80 per cent targets."</span></p>

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COVID-19 vaccines finally available for Aussie teens

<p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that Australians aged 16-18 will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccines from the end of August. </p> <p>As part of the national vaccine roll out, eligible teenagers will be able to make bookings for August 30th and beyond. </p> <p>Despite the exciting announcement, Scott Morrison has said those wanting to get the jab will need to wait to secure a spot.</p> <p><span>“I want to stress, do not make a booking yet. We will advise when bookings can be made. It isn’t today,” he said on Thursday.</span></p> <p>The announcement comes as Australia hit a huge milestone in the vaccine rollout, with over 50 percent of people over the age of 16 having had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.</p> <p><span>According to the latest vaccination data, 50.2 percent of eligible people have had at least a first dose, while 28.2 per cent are fully vaccinated.</span> </p> <p>The change in vaccine rules comes as the Pfizer jab will now be eligible for anyone under the age of 40 from August 30th, in an attempt to boost vaccine numbers. </p> <p><span>“We decided to go all the way through the 16-year-olds to 39-year-olds, [there are] some 8.6 million Australians in the group,” Mr Morrison said.</span></p> <p><span>In addition, those a</span><span>ged 16 to 39 living in 12 Sydney virus hot spots were on Thursday given priority access to 530,000 Pfizer doses.</span></p> <p><span>Scott Morrison said he is waiting for more advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) before opening the age bracket to include 12-15 year olds. </span></p> <p><span>“One of the best ways to protect your children is to get vaccinated yourself. That was one of the clear pieces of advice coming out of the Doherty Institute modelling,” Mr Morrison said.</span></p> <p><span>The decisions come amid the continuing rising numbers of the deadly Delta strain showing in younger Australians.</span></p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

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“I take responsibility”: ScoMo takes the heat on vaccine rollout failure

<p><span>Prime Minister Scott Morrison has taken responsibility for the slow COVID-19 vaccine rollout.</span><br /><br /><span>"I take responsibility for the problems that we have had, but I am also taking responsibility for the solutions we're putting in place and the vaccination rates that we are now achieving," he said while in quarantine from the Prime Minister's residence, The Lodge.</span><br /><br /><span>The Australian leader says one million Aussies have received a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the past seven days.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842593/scott-morrison.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/cf053ec9445a4f0b8128c8537f7c8b7c" /><br /><br /><span>In Mr Morrison’s words, the country is on track to be vaccinated by the end of 2021.</span><br /><br /><span>He said the program was about two months behind the planned schedule at the start of the year.</span><br /><br /><span>"We've had our challenges with this program, we've had significant challenges with this program, as many countries have," Mr Morrison said.</span><br /><br /><span>"What matters is how you fix the things that need to be fixed … today, with the most recent seven day's data, we finally hit that mark of a million doses in arms in a week."</span><br /><br /><span>So far, 10.5 million people have received a vaccination, and 14 per cent of Aussies over 16 years of age are fully vaccinated.</span><br /><br /><span>The Prime Minister said he has been in contact with the government's vaccine advisory group to discuss whether the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is preferred for people over 60.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842590/scott-morrison-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/af27e7c574514b4dad8ac2b119a73433" /><br /><br /><span>"It's a constant appeal, it's a constant appeal, I can assure you," he said.</span><br /><br /><span>"They said they made that decision on the balance of risk, well it's now on them to constantly reconsider that risk."</span><br /><br /><span>The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has stated that young people may be at a rare risk of developing blood clots from the AstraZeneca vaccine.</span><br /><br /><span>It revised that age up to 60 last month.</span><br /><br /><span>People under 50 are advised to wait for the Pfizer vaccine.</span></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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"Hugely disappointing": Malcolm Turnbull slams COVID-19 vaccine rollout

<p>Former Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull slammed the Morrison government's vaccine rollout as a "black-and-white failure".</p> <p>He said that only vaccinating just 8 per cent of the population was inexcusable.</p> <p>“This is just a failure to do the one single most important job the Commonwealth government had which was to get the country vaccinated. It is hugely disappointing,” Turnbull told the ABC.</p> <p>“I can’t think of a bigger black-and-white failure of public administration than this.”</p> <p>He said that Morrison made a mistake by not being clear around vaccines.</p> <p>“I don’t know whether that was just a thought bubble, I don’t know if Scott had workshopped that before, I have no idea,” Mr Turnbull said.</p> <p>“But the fact that you’ve got so many other premiers and chief medical officers disagreeing with it, and very vocally, obviously undermines confidence in the vaccine.”</p> <p>Turnbull was referring to Morrison saying that younger people are able to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine on Monday, causing huge protests from state premiers and the expert immunisation panel.</p> <p>He also said that the current lockdowns, which see 12 million people inside their houses, are a "massive fail".</p> <p>“These lockdowns are a consequence of the failure to get the vaccination done and it is a massive fail,” he said.</p>

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Bunnings' big offer to help speed up vaccine rollout

<p>Bunnings is offering its warehouses as giant vaccination hubs, meaning Australians can nab a sausage sizzle while getting their COVID-19 jab.</p> <p>The major warehouse initially offered their car parks as testing clinics and are now offering to help speed up the vaccine rollout across the nation.</p> <p>Bunnings' Chief Operating Officer, Deb Poole said the company could work out any logistical issues if a formal request was made by the government to pitch in.</p> <p>"We're always open to discussing further support directly with the government," Ms Poole told <em>Nine News.</em></p> <p>The National Cabinet did say they would attempt to fast-track vaccinations after there were major delays that were caused by supply issue and safety concerns.</p> <p>The Health Minister Office said they were considering "readiness of more state and territory-operated vaccination sites including mass vaccination sites, as vaccine supplies increase".</p>

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Leigh Sales slams slow vaccine roll out: “Amateur hour”

<p><span>Australia’s vaccine rollout has been slow and on Tuesday, Leigh Sales grilled Professor Brendan Murphy while the government struggles to keep up with distribution.</span><br /><br /><span>Mr Murphy said he “rejected” the idea Australia was failing in its COVID-19 vaccination program.</span><br /><br /><span>His comments followed just hours after Scott Morrison failed to disclose how many vaccines doses were produced and being delivered each week.</span><br /><br /><span>The federal government has ordered more than 53 million doses of the jab.</span><br /><br /><span>50 million of the vaccines are currently being manufactured onshore.</span><br /><br /><span>It was predicted that four million Aussies would be vaccinated by the end of March.</span><br /><br /><span>Drug manufacturer CSL said it expected to “hit a run rate of well over” a million doses per week by the end of the month.</span><br /><br /><span>However around 830 local doses were delivered in the first week of the program.</span><br /><br /><span>Since then, it has not been made clear how many have been released.</span><br /><br /><span>Just 854,983 Australians have been vaccinated against coronavirus — 280,943 through GP and GP respiratory clinics and the other federal agencies.</span><br /><br /><span>People vaccinated through age and disability facilities sits 112,830.</span><br /><br /><span>Dr Murphy said “the vast majority of GPs are incredibly happy with the rollout,” when grilled on why only two per cent of Australians have been vaccinated.</span><br /><br /><span>He went on to “completely” reject Sales’ accusation that the nation sees the rollout as “anything other than amateur hour”.</span><br /><br /><span>He said Australia didn’t need to use emergency protocols “unlike other countries” to get access to vaccines earlier.</span><br /><br /><span>“We are still on track to hit our target of every adult getting their first dose by the end of October,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>Dr Murphy said that the increased domestic vaccine supply was a “strategy” to help push the process along, but failed to predict when at least 75 per cent of the nation would be vaccinated.</span><br /><br /><span>“Like other countries we have been constrained by international supply, which is why the wonderful starting up of the local production of CSL is what is now accelerating our program,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>On Tuesday afternoon, the Prime Minister said there was “no holdup” on Australia’s coronavirus vaccine rollout.</span><br /><br /><span>He went on to say Australia was doing better than other countries including Germany, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan, during this stage of the rollout.</span><br /><br /><span>The Prime Minister did not reveal how many domestically produced COVID-19 doses are being produced and delivered every week.</span><br /><br /><span>“Well, it varies from week to week,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>“We are still in the early phases so it would be misleading, I think, to give you an average at this point.</span><br /><br /><span>“We know what we are hoping to achieve. But at this point, we are hoping to achieve the figures that have already been realised to some extent and that is around the 800,000 mark.</span><br /><br /><span>“That is achievable and we want to be able to try and keep achieving that, and if we can do better than that, then we will.”</span><br /><br /><span>Dr Murphy told ABC’s <em>7.30</em> that production had “quadrupled” over the last few weeks and “is ramping up significantly at the moment”.</span><br /><br /><span>“We have not been in a position where we’ve had to do things in a hurry,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>Mr Morrison went on to say on Tuesday that experts were taking their time to make sure the domestically produced vaccine support were safe.</span><br /><br /><span>“There is no holdup. The release of vaccines has always been based on them completing those processes, so the fact that they actually have to get approved by the relevant authorities and do the batch testing is not a holdup,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>“It is a necessary part of the process to guarantee Australian safety, so to describe it as a holdup would be incorrect.”</span></p>

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Sudden blow for Australian vaccine rollout

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>Italy has blocked 250,000 AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines from being shipped to Australia under a new ruling by the European Commission.</p> <p>In January, the European Commission introduced rules that required vaccine manufacturers in European Union countries to get authorisation from the nation where the vaccine is produced before being able to ship out doses to other countries.</p> <p>“In the future, all companies producing vaccines against COVID-19 in the EU will have to provide early notification whenever they want to export vaccines to third countries,” Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said at the time.</p> <p><em>The Financial Times</em><span> </span>reported that the Italian government notified Brussels of its decision to prevent the doses from being exported to Australia, with the European Commission being able to object to that decision. It did not.</p> <p>This is the first time that the EU's export control system has been invoked, as the EU wants to keep as many doses inside the union.</p> <p>Currently, the EU has vaccinated less than 10 per cent of its population.</p> <p>A new Italian government, led by Prime Minister Mario Draghi, immediately took a harder line on dealing with vaccine shortages after coming into power last month.</p> <p>Draghi has called for companies that have failed to fulfil their contractual obligations to the EU to be sanctioned.</p> <p>English journalist Kevin MacKenzie has erupted at the news of the ban.</p> <p>“The EU is a disgrace. Read this. Under new protectionst laws they have banned Italy shipping 250,000 AZ jabs to Australia.</p> <p>“Europe is short of vaccine due to its own stupidity. France and Germany don’t even believe in AZ but won’t let anybody else have it. Shockers.”</p> <p>Most Australians are set to receive the AstraZeneca jab but 60,000 of the Pfizer vaccine have already been administered in Australia.</p> <p>Neither AstraZenca or the European Commission have commented on the news at the time of writing.</p> </div> </div> </div>

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Surprise early start to COVID-19 vaccines

<p>The Australian rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine began early as a World War II survivor and Prime Minister Scott Morrison were among the first people to get the vaccine.</p> <p>The pair are among a small number of people to receive the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at a medical clinic in Castle Hill, NSW.</p> <p>Jane Malysiak, 84, sat alongside Morrison and was one of two aged care residents to receive the vaccine.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLiUVsHruQO/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLiUVsHruQO/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Scott Morrison (@scottmorrisonmp)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p> </p> <p>The large-scale rollout of the vaccine nationwide will begin tomorrow.</p> <p>Morrison told the media that he had elected to go first in receiving the Pfizer vaccine in order to boost confidence in the shot.</p> <p>"I have, by my own example today, joined by the Chief Nurse of Midwifery and the Chief Medical Officer of our country, together with those Australians who are in the top priority of this vaccination program, to say to you, Australians, it's safe, it's important," Mr Morrison said to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-vaccine-rollout-pfizer-shots-land-in-sydney-melbourne-queensland-adelaide/5ecc12e7-a470-4541-a045-983f8b3528b5" target="_blank"><em>7NEWS</em></a>.</p> <p>He also said he was proud that the nation had "made its Australian way" through the pandemic and hopes it'll continue to do so as the vaccination program is rolled out.</p> <p>"Greg (Hunt) talked about putting shoulders to the job," he said.</p> <p>"Today I put my shoulder to the job and that is what I am asking Australians to do, in joining me and all of their fellow Australians as we continue on the successful path we have been on."</p> <p>Phase 1A of the vaccination program is to begin tomorrow, with up to 1.4 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to be given to quarantine workers, frontline healthcare workers and age care staff and residents in the following weeks.</p> <p>Greg Hunt, Minister for Health, has said he hopes to see 60,000 vaccinations across Australia in the next week.</p> <p>This would incorporate people from 240 aged care centres and 90 towns and suburbs nationwide from "Alice Springs to Albany to Altona and so many others", he said.</p>

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Australian government reveals COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan

<p>Australia is set to start manufacturing a COVID-19 vaccine this month as the government reveals its vaccine rollout plan.</p> <p>Speaking to The Herald Sun, Health Minister Greg Hunt said the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine was likely to begin being manufactured by vaccine manufacturer CSL in November.</p> <p>Hunt revealed the government is also planning to purchase two additional COVID-19 vaccines, which means Australians will have access to four different types.</p> <p>The health minister also revealed healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses and aged care workers and those who are considered to be vulnerable could begin receiving the jab from March.</p> <p>Next in line are “essential workers” but could also include transport workers and teachers.</p> <p>All other Australians could receive the jab in the months after, to the end of 2021 - around the same time the government hopes to re-open international borders.</p> <p>“The expectation is that everybody who sought vaccination would be vaccinated well within 2021,” Hunt told the newspaper.</p> <p>“Our goal is to have the borders open, subject to vaccination and health advice, by the end of 2021.”</p> <p>Hunt said the government is aiming for herd immunity - or about two-thirds of the population to be vaccinated.</p> <p>He added anti-vaxxers were not a concern.</p> <p>“Australians have been great vaccinators and whilst there is noise from the anti-vaxxers I think they’re making more noise but having less impact,” he said.</p> <p>“The indications are already that there’s very, very high public interest in being vaccinated.”</p> <p>Vaccinations will be free but not mandatory, and it’s highly likely that two doses will be required.</p> <p>The two doses are set to be received 30 days apart.</p>

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