Health
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Wilcannia and Covid, a disastrous, discriminatory, failure by Australian and NSW Governments.
The small town of Wilcannia, on the Darling River in outer western New South Wales, has a predominantly Indigenous population of 549, more than 60 of whom now have Covid. At 11%, this is the highest rate of Covid transmission per capita in the state, three times higher than the Sydney hotspot LGAs. Wilcannia has one of the Continue reading »
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Covid-19 Infections, Vaccinations, Lockdowns, and the Economy
The Morrison Government is desperate to end lockdowns, not least because of what they see as the damage the lockdowns are doing to the economy. Continue reading »
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Stakeholder voices in health policy
Formulation of COVID policy, as with other aspects of health policy, has involved stakeholders voicing their opinions about what’s in Australia’s best interest. Or at least, that is how their lobbying is framed. Continue reading »
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Opening with 70% of adults vaccinated, the Doherty report predicts 1.5K deaths in 6 months. We need a revised plan
One consequence of the escalating COVID outbreak in New South Wales has been increased political tension around the “national plan” for COVID reopening. Continue reading »
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Premier Berejiklian, please stop thinking about easing of restrictions after “6 million jabs”
There have been many mistakes in many countries hindering efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic. None has been more counterproductive than the premature easing of public health containment initiatives. Time and time again this has breathed new life into infections by the SARS-Cov-2 virus. This is especially so when dealing with the “Delta” variant. Continue reading »
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How Covid in NSW has revealed the differences and disadvantages of class, race, age and gender.
Gaming the virus in NSW: how fighting the last war will not win the next one.Premier Berejiklian is not listening. Continue reading »
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Vaccinating aged care staff: mismanagement by Scott Morrison’s government.
Calling something as poorly designed as Australia’s Covid vaccination system ‘a rollout’ gives wheels a bad name. The failure to manage effectively the identification of priority groups for coronavirus vaccination, and to deliver vaccines to them, has to date been an awful failure of public administration. Continue reading »
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Gladys’ infection is spreading everywhere
Intransigence is experienced by many of us daily. It may even dominate our own emotional repertoire. Now, though, as NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announces rising Covid infections and accumulating deaths, this unhelpful trait seems increasingly endangering. Continue reading »
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Not good enough, Premier Berejiklian
The NSW outbreak of delta infections is worse after six weeks of lockdown. As I am sure is true for many readers, I am frustrated today by the obvious loopholes in our current “lockdown”. Continue reading »
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As US hits Biden’s 70% vaccination goal, world’s poor nations barely over 1%
Exposing stark global vaccine inequity amid a fast-spreading delta variant, White House officials said Monday that at least 70% of US adults are now at least partly vaccinated against the coronavirus – compared to just barely over 1% when it comes to the world’s poorest nations. Continue reading »
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The COVID-19 ‘National Plan’ seems designed to fail
The end goal of the ‘National Plan to transition Australia’s National COVID-19 Response’ announced on July 30 is a nation willing and able to weather the endemic existence of COVID-19 in the community. But this may well be unachievable under the plan because of two fundamental flaws: it is a plan that allows for opting Continue reading »
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Big pharma monopolies gauging over vaccination prices whilst refusing access to poor countries
Wealthy nations including Canada, Australia , Germany, and the United Kingdom continue to oppose the TRIPS waiver Continue reading »
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A tale of two cities in the same pandemic.
The eastern suburbs of Sydney became the seeding event for Delta’s entry to Australia. It was nurtured by a driver transferring infected airline personnel to quarantine at the nearby Kingsford Smith airport. Continue reading »
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Making good use of the AstraZeneca in which we are ‘awash’
Thanks to the Delta variant, the Covid-19 pandemic is now a national crisis. If the vaccine roll-out can find both the urgency and the administrative efficiency required, the immediate challenge stemming from an excess supply of AstraZeneca and an acute shortage of Pfizer can be met. While steps are being taken to divert Pfizer from Continue reading »
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Lockdown protesters march across the flat earth
Once more unto the breach of commonsense and science, they come. The anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers. Blinded by ignorance and feverish self-righteousness, it’s a wonder they don’t march off the edge of the flat earth. Continue reading »
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Australia Should Back Covid-19 Waiver of Intellectual Property Rules
Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government told Senate Estimates in June that Australia is not opposed to negotiation of the TRIPS waiver, but has not yet made a decision to support it. Continue reading »
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The right answer to Jack’s question can help use all that AstraZeneca
Jack1 from Bathurst phoned into Life Matters this week. He thought to help the Covid vaccine situation by bringing forward his second AstraZeneca jab. But no one could tell him what effect that would have on the efficacy of his jabs. Continue reading »
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We can help restore confidence in the AZ vaccine
Public policy and personal reticence due to side effects continue to impede the use of Australia’s available and effective AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccine at a time when it is most needed, the now critical 6 months before sufficient supplies of alternate vaccines can deliver the desired 80% vaccination rate required to end the need for Continue reading »
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Data hesitancy: class, race, ethnicity and geography in the viral dangers of Sydney
In Sydney an outbreak that started in the east, under lax surveillance and permissive admonitions poorly policed, has spread to the west where it has taken on draconian, oppressive and destructive forms in both its virology and its sociology. Continue reading »
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Is AstraZeneca the Britney Spears of COVID vaccines?
In the UK the AstraZeneca vaccine is hailed as a public health success story. Professor Sarah Gilbert, the Oxford University scientist who led its development, was created a Dame in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list and received a spontaneous standing ovation from the crowd at Wimbledon.But not in Australia. Continue reading »
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Poor leadership, irresponsible media and a clever virus
Despite this being the most scientific of all ages, capable of producing highly effective vaccines a year after the SARS-COV-2 virus was identified ( Russian scientists actually achieved this in six months), poor leadership, ignorance, stubbornness and irresponsible media, (broadcast and social), are making this pandemic much worse than it needs to be. Continue reading »
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Wanting a social marketing campaign on Covid and getting a band aid instead
There is one thing almost everybody commenting about Australia’s poor vaccine roll out agrees with – the need for an advertising campaign. Continue reading »
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Covid 19 has revealed the weaknesses but also the importance of globalisation.
If enough of us ever get vaccinated to get over the immediate emergency, it will be useful to take time to reflect on the medium-term implications of the global pandemic for the governance of Australia and the world. There is much to be done and much we can learn. Continue reading »
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Why do some wealthy people leave money on the table by not buying private hospital insurance?
One in three high-income earners choose not to take out private hospital insurance, even though they could save money by avoiding the Medicare Levy Surcharge. A reason behind this decision is that these individuals are happy to use public hospitals. This suggests that people may be unaware that they are being financially penalised on their Continue reading »
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Russia’s vaccine curse
The Sputnik V vaccine was an incredible achievement for Russian science. The measure of success, however, will depend on the ability to vaccinate a majority of the Russian population in order to reach herd immunity. Continue reading »
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The NSW ‘lockdown’ that isn’t while putting business before people.
A ‘lockdown’ strategy that does not involve lockdown, a vaccine distribution policy that is dangerously inconsistent and covid testing facilities that cannot meet the demand generated by public health orders, are but some of the problems responsible for the continuing explosion of COVID-19 cases in Sydney Continue reading »
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It’s the vaccine rollout, stupid!
Bill Clinton certainly had a feel for what ‘worked’ in getting himself elected, and then re-elected. He knew that the electorate had one major concern, and all the other matters were just background noise. Cue Scott Morrison and his Government. The vaccine rollout, period. Fix that, and you are home. No more lockdowns, no more Continue reading »
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Covid 2021 – Lessons from Dunkirk about unused resources. Think pharmacies
With the Covid Vaccination rollout in danger of stalling 18 months into the program, it is time to reconsider what underutilised Australian resources can be used to accelerate the rollout process. Continue reading »
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‘Humanity Must Stand Together’: Top Medical Ethicists Demand Vaccine Patent Waivers
Two medical ethicists are the latest to argue that the World Trade Organization must lift patent protections on Covid-19 vaccines to save lives both in the Global South, where inoculations against the virus are lagging, and in wealthy countries which is likely to face future infectious disease outbreaks if they continue hoarding the supplies needed to fight Continue reading »
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Fear God, not the pandemic in Indonesia.
July 20 will be a big day in Indonesia. It marks the end of more than two weeks of lockdown, and it’s Bloody Tuesday – Idul Adha, the feast of the sacrifice. This year participants may become victims. Continue reading »
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