Australia: vaccine to be mandated?

[ChessieCat]

This is very concerning.

 

coronavirus-vaccine-scott-morrison-to-announce-free-covid19-vaccines-for-australians

 

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison says a COVID-19 vaccine will be mandatory for all Australians

News.com.au revealed today that the Morrison Government has confirmed a landmark agreement with drug giant AstraZeneca to manufacture one of the world’s most promising coronavirus vaccines currently being developed by Oxford University researchers.

If it’s proved safe to use, Prime Minister Scott Morrison believes the agreement will ensure Australians will be among the first countries in the world to secure the jab, revealing this morning it could be available to Aussies as soon as early next year.

The UK Government has already ordered 100 million doses.

Asked whether the vaccine would be mandatory, Mr Morrison told 3AW’s Neil Mitchell that it would be, saying that it needed to get to about 95 per cent of the population.

“I would expect it to be as mandatory as you can possibly make it,” the PM said.

“There are always exemptions for any vaccine on medical grounds but that should be the only basis.

“I mean we’re talking about a pandemic that has destroyed you know, the global economy and taken the lives of hundreds of thousands all around the world and over 450 Australians here.

“We need the most extensive and comprehensive response to this to get Australia back to normal.”

 

Mitchell pointed out that there would be campaigns from the anti-vaxxers but the Prime Minister seemed unfazed.

“I’m used to that, I was the minister that established ‘no jab, no play’,” he said. “My view on this is pretty clear and not for turning.”

 

[Dawnd]

Oh my. Very. Especially for those in WD!

[hayduke]

Just saw a headline he’s back pedalled on that

[ChessieCat]

It's been updated on the link I originally provided:

 

Quote

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has backtracked on his comments that a COVID-19 vaccine will be as “mandatory as you can possibly make it” for all Australians once it becomes available.

News.com.au revealed today that the Morrison Government confirmed a landmark agreement with drug giant AstraZeneca to manufacture one of the world’s most promising coronavirus vaccines currently being developed by Oxford University researchers.

If it’s proved safe to use, Prime Minister Scott Morrison believes the agreement will ensure Australians will be among the first countries in the world to secure the jab, revealing this morning it could be available to Aussies as soon as early next year.

The UK Government has already ordered 100 million doses.

Asked whether the vaccine would be mandatory, Mr Morrison told 3AW’s Neil Mitchell on Wednesday morning that it needed to get to about 95 per cent of the population.

“I would expect it to be as mandatory as you can possibly make it,” the PM said.

“There are always exemptions for any vaccine on medical grounds but that should be the only basis.

“I mean we’re talking about a pandemic that has destroyed you know, the global economy and taken the lives of hundreds of thousands all around the world and over 450 Australians here.

“We need the most extensive and comprehensive response to this to get Australia back to normal.”

 

However, he later backtracked on these comments, telling 2GB’s Jim Wilson that the vaccine wouldn’t be compulsory.

“There’s been a bit of an overreaction to any suggestion of this, there will be no compulsory vaccine,” he said.

“What we want to achieve is as much vaccination as we possibly can.”

Earlier, in response to suggestions there would be community resistance to mandating it, Mr Morrison told 3AW the government had not yet made a firm decision and this would be made once the medical issues about the vaccine were known.

Mr Morrison said there “we’ll take that issue when it presents when clinical trials are finished and we have to understand what the medical issues potentially might be and that’s why we’ll take advice on its application but … you know, I certainly open to that suggestion but that is not a position that the government has taken”.

Mitchell pointed out that there would be campaigns from the anti-vaxxers but the Prime Minister seemed unfazed.

“I’m used to that, I was the minister that established ‘no jab, no pay’,” he said referring to a policy that sees government benefits withheld from parents who do not vaccinate their children. “My view on this is pretty clear and not for turning.”

During a later press conference, Australia’s acting chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly said the vaccine would at first, be voluntary.

“Of course, the first will be a voluntary call for people and I’m sure there will be long queues – socially distanced, of course – for this vaccine,” Prof Kelly said.

He said there would be strong campaigns to encourage people “and we’ve had experience before of linking vaccination with other programs and all of those things will be looked at over time”.

While the ‘no jab, no pay’ program is aimed at getting children vaccinated, the Prime Minister was asked what the government would do when they were adults.

“We’re going to take this one step at a time,” Mr Morrison told reporters.

“I don’t think offering jelly beans is the way to do that as you do with kids but we’ll take those issues as they present and consider what steps are necessary at that time.”

He said the rollout of the program would also depend on clinical advice that would identify any vulnerabilities in communities.

“The obvious priority is around health workers and people like that,” he said.

The Prime Minister was asked how he would make any vaccine mandatory.

“This is like any vaccine and, as you know, I have a pretty strong view on vaccines, being the Social Services Minister that introduced ‘no jab, no pay’,” he said.

 

Edited August 19, 2020 by ChessieCat

[Altostrata]

If a vaccine is safe and effective, I'm going to get it. As a matter of fact, I'm arranging to get shingles and pneumonia shots now, flu shots in a month or so, with repeat of flu shots in January.

[hayduke]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-20/coronavirus-vaccine-story-behind-australia-and-oxford/12575432

 

There are a lot of question marks here.  I've seen some reports that people tend to lose immunity again after six months.  Then there's the question of a range of strains of the virus and how many of them a vaccine would curtail.  And finally waiting for evidence on the side effects of a vaccine.  We used to be able to trust the govt here on this sort of thing but since Howard became PM they're on the record as wilful liars, and they don't apologise for it.

 

No question the idea of being made to put anything into your body without a say can be traumatising.  But if the vaccine is proven safe and effective I'd definitely be taking it.  When there is more concrete information I'll ask around the medicos I know.

[Altostrata]

Nobody knows anything about a vaccine yet. I'd wait for a whole closet full of shoes to drop.

[ChessieCat]

1 hour ago, Altostrata said:

If a vaccine is safe and effective, I'm going to get it. As a matter of fact, I'm arranging to get shingles and pneumonia shots now, flu shots in a month or so, with repeat of flu shots in January.

 

5 minutes ago, hayduke said:

if the vaccine is proven safe and effective

 

And it will take some time before these are known, especially the safety of a vaccine.

[hayduke]

You can also see how the govt is more interested in PR than letting the domain experts run it.  Where's the sense in deciding on one now before anything is known about the emerging options?

[Altostrata]

Yes, we're worried about the government rushing a vaccine to distribution for political reasons, too. We'll have to watch what the scientists say about it.

[ChessieCat]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-20/coronavirus-vaccine-link-to-government-payments/12577618?fbclid=IwAR18HdjfEafQ6X5hZMlMEFPDWqHDpCTch9WoXdltTXF9Pd2V2KKKRHWKaWM

 

Posted 4 hours ago, updated 2 hours ago

 

 

Quote

 

Australians who reject coronavirus vaccination could lose access to some welfare payments, Health Minister Greg Hunt has said, after the Prime Minister conceded vaccination would not be mandatory.

Key points:

• The Prime Minister says any coronavirus vaccine will not be forced on people
• However, the Government will consider linking payments to vaccination status
• Australia has taken steps towards securing a supply of a leading vaccine candidate, if it is successful

While the prospect of a coronavirus vaccine is not yet certain, the Government has taken steps to secure supply of a leading candidate developed at Oxford University.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said if a vaccine was discovered, the Government would consider applying measures like "no jab, no pay" to ensure a high uptake.

"It won't be mandatory, but it will be widely encouraged," he said.

The government will aim for a 95 per cent vaccination rate, which it said would exclude those who cannot take the shot on medical grounds.

"We are keeping on the table the existing mechanisms we have such as no jab, no pay [and] no jab, no play," he said.

"We are one of the world's great vaccination nations and I expect very widespread uptake."

Mr Hunt said the existing no jab, no pay policy, which was introduced in 2015, had helped lift child immunisation rates for other diseases.

Mr Hunt says the option of withholding payments to vaccine dodgers is on the table.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)

Under the policy, to be eligible for the full Family Tax Benefit A payment and the Child Care Subsidy, children need to be immunised.

Asked whether vaccination status could be linked to welfare payments, school attendance or travel, Mr Hunt said the Government reserved the right to make such moves.

"I'm confident that a very, very large numbers of Australians will take it up," he said.

"We reserve the right, subject to medical advice, to take steps that might assist."

Similarly, state governments in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and West Australia have no jab, no play laws, which require children to be fully vaccinated to be enrolled in childcare or kindergarten — unless they have a medical exemption.

The Federal Government yesterday announced that it had signed a letter of intent with drug company AstraZeneca, which is working with Oxford University on one of the world's most promising vaccines.

The agreement puts Australia on track to locally manufacture doses of the vaccine, if trials in the UK are successful.

A formal agreement with AstraZeneca is expected within days, once a local manufacturer had been finalised.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday suggested a COVID-19 vaccine would be made as mandatory as the Government could make it, before walking back the remarks.

"There are no mechanisms for compulsory … I mean, we can't hold someone down and make them take it," he said yesterday.

 

 

Edited August 20, 2020 by ChessieCat

[hayduke]

"Mandatory for some" is even worse.  These types who fancy themselves 'born to rule' really need to be on the receiving end of their policies for a few years.  How about giving these pollies their pay in 'cashless welfare cards' and setting up a robot debt collector on their expense accounts.

[ChessieCat]

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/scott-morrisons-backtracking-over-mandatory-vaccine-highlights-next-battle-in-coronavirus-response/news-story/86ede791a42bdb78cf8f427e274fc11d

 

Quote

 

Scott Morrison’s back-pedalling over a “mandatory” coronavirus vaccine has highlighted the next nightmare in the pandemic response.

 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s back-pedalling over a “mandatory” coronavirus vaccine has highlighted the next battle in the pandemic: convincing everyone to get the jab.

Australia and most of the world have been put in a holding pattern until a vaccine becomes available, with hopes this will be the silver bullet to return life to normal.

But Mr Morrison’s difficulties this week over his comments that a vaccine would be “as mandatory as you can possibly make it” highlights that success in developing a vaccine does not mean everyone will take it.

On Wednesday, Mr Morrison pulled back his comments on a potential mandatory vaccine saying it was not going to be compulsory.

“There are no compulsory vaccines in Australia,” the PM told 2GB.

“No one is going to force anybody to do anything as a compulsory measure, but we certainly will encourage people to take this up,” he said.

“Everybody needs to understand what we are trying to achieve here.”

It came after Industry, Science and Technology Minister Karen Andrews told 2GB’s Deborah Knight that the PM had made it clear “we are looking at it being a mandatory vaccine”.

“Basically, there will be medical exemptions that will be considered, but the Prime Minister’s made it clear that we are looking at it being a mandatory vaccine,” Ms Andrews said.

 

She said issues such as penalties for refusing the vaccine will be considered “in due course”.

The PM said during a press conference that about 95 per cent of Australians would need to be vaccinated.

“I‘m advised that we’ll need about a 95 per cent vaccination rate across the country,” Mr Morrison said.

“That is the normal target range for when you’re having a vaccination program and we’ll be seeking to ensure that that is widely implemented with our partners around the country.”

One Nation senator Pauline Hanson quickly opposed the idea saying “you have no right to say that I have to have this vaccination” and many on social media were also against the vaccine being mandatory.

“You know where you can stick that vaccine ScoMo!” one reader wrote on Facebook. “Give it to your squad but don’t you dare come near me or my family with that poison!”

The comments point to the issue of “vaccine hesitancy”, which the World Health Organisation recognised as one of the top 10 threats to public health around the world, even before the pandemic hit.

WHO suggested vaccine hesitancy may have played a part in the 30 per cent increase in measles globally.

 

 

 

[bubbles]

I've just seen some information on an Australian trial that is recruiting people to be followed for two years. That sounds like the kind of trial that will give adequate safety data.

[hayduke]

"Scotty from Marketting" has really come through with this hasn't he.    Gone from mandatory, to most of the people who want it are still waiting!  Giving bogus advice on TV trying to offload the massive AZ stocks that kind of turned out to be a dud onto under 40s despite a real health risk, and its second rate immunity...and being contradicted by the medicos on TV the same day going if you're under 40 please don't touch it.

 

He didn't make a single call to Pfizer.

 

Data shows we've had the worst rollout in the OECD.

 

Can Jacinda Ardern please take over here!

 

 

[hayduke]

Calling it how it is (from the POV of most people who do want vaccination but still on point)