According to The Guardian Australia, the nurse – who requested to remain anonymous – said that she was “furious” at the “snail’s pace” of the vaccine rollout around the country.
“During one eight-hour shift, I gave just one vaccine, and I came out afterwards just fuming,” she told The Guardian Australia.
Comparing the rate of vaccine uptake to places like the UK and the US, where people are lining up out of the door to receive their vaccine doses at clinics and centres, she described the incredible differences between the approaches.
According to the anonymous nurse, the issue has nothing to do with vaccine availability, telling The Guardian Australia that there are more than enough available doses. Rather, the rate of people coming through the doors is what is causing the issues.
Naming issues like the centre being poorly advertised and difficult to see from the street, to the public fears and trepidations regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine, and the increasing complacency of Australians due to low case numbers, has meant that the flow into vaccine centres is so slow that people without appointments, and even those who don’t strictly fall into an eligible group, are able to walk in and get vaccinated.
“I’ve brought in friends in their 60s or 50s who are usually intelligent people, but who are reading so much misinformed rubbish about the AstraZeneca vaccine, and it means they are reluctant to get vaccinated. I had the AstraZeneca vaccination myself because I don’t want to recommend a vaccine I am not prepared to get, and it was fine, it’s a good vaccine.
“But I feel like not enough is being done to educate people about it.”
This misinformation is another reason why the nurse believes people aren’t arriving for their vaccines.
A number of Pfizer vaccines are expected to be delivered in the next few weeks. However, they have been instructed that these doses are strictly for those under 50.
“It won’t help those older people who are spooked by the AstraZeneca vaccine,” she said.
While the hub she works at is careful to not waste vaccine doses, she said that they may be better used at GP offices where people are struggling to get doses.
The anonymous nurse said she felt that in the hands of their GP, older people may be more likely to get the vaccine, where they can discuss their options with someone who knows their medical background.
Last week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison defended the rollout, announcing that roughly 85% of aged care facilities had received the vaccine.
He also commented that he was pleased with the progress made, particularly on Saturday, which at 30,000 doses administered, was a record day for Saturday vaccinations.
“We had a particularly good progress in aged care facilities. We are through about 85% of those now and are on track in completing that to the timetable.”
While Victoria had its biggest single day of vaccinations on Monday – with roughly 9,000 vaccine doses through state-run centres and over 13,000 booking hotline calls – it’s said that this has been a more recent pick up since numbers dwindled following the Australian Technical Advisory Group (TGA) on Immunisation’s advice making Pfizer the preferred vaccine for those under 50.
Currently, there are over 30 open-access vaccination centres in Victoria, with more slated to open each week.
With the Australian government’s securing of 15 million ‘booster shots’ of the Moderna vaccine, healthcare professionals are hoping that as more people become eligible, and more people receive their shots, the numbers of people rolling up their sleeves will continue to increase.
Have you received your COVID vaccine? Tell us in the comments.
I am 78 years of age and I live in Brisbane. I had my first covid vaccine a week ago. I had no side affects whatsoever and I do suffer from allergies. My arm was sore the first couple of days but was the same as it was when I had the flu vaccine a few weeks before. My next Covid shot is due end of August. I have no hesitating in saying all seniors should be vaccinated. This is the only way we can all return to a normal life. My generation have all been immunised against all these diseases eg the Polio vaccine was one which a lot of people had adverse reactions to but because of vaccination this terrible disease has been eradicated. I urge all seniors in my age group to go ahead and have the vaccine as soon as possible.
Absolutely I’ve received my Astra Zeneca vaccine!! How can I, in any conscience, baulk at a 1 in 100,000 risk when nurses, doctors, support workers, first responders etc, fronted up every day during outbreaks to save our lives? Vaccination isn’t about the individual; it’s about the community. Who amongst us is prepared to take a 1 in 100,000 risk to protect our family, friends, neighbours and community? Who amongst us is prepared to take a 1 in 100,000 risk so we can reconnect with the world again and reopen our country?
The best comparison I have heard thus far compares the risk from contracting coronavirus with the risk of your home being destroyed. Virtually everyone ensures their home, yet the risk of loss in very small. The risk of an adverse reaction to any of the vaccines may not be quite as small as the housing issue, but the consequences, both short and long term, of contracting coronavirus can be very severe, witness the experience of the world to date. Vaccine hesitancy does not make sense from either a risk management or mitigation perspective, let alone from a community greater good perspective.
Please EVERYONE GET THE JAB.
I work in hospitality, I’m over 50, listening to my colleagues from India telling me they spoke to a relative on new years eve. .he was dead 5 days later. He had access to oxygen, ventilators etc. But once you get the virus ITS NEARLY BO CHANCE IF RECOVERY. If you do you are LUCKY but it’s a painful recovery
So after hearing the fact That if you get the virus and yr NOT IMMUNISED. Chances are you will DIE A PAINFUL DEATH.
So I booked myself in and I am a recovered renal carcinoma paitent. I had sore arm and was quite tired, and I drank a litre if water Evey hour for 48 hours in no sore arm on 3rd night
Now I’m booking appointments through HOT DOCS for my friends and colleagues.
Do YOURSELF AND FOR AUSTRALIA A FAVOUR AND go GET IMMUNISED
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
No I haven,t and don,t intend to till a safe vaccine is released for over 50’s. I am over 70 gone through 3 bouts of cancer and am not going to be told by a government you will be fine when they must have known that there was a danger of blood clots with astrogenica before they bought it on the cheap.! Where has our right to choice gone !!
So it is still a choice. Can still catch covid, can still spread it and a lessening of symptoms is hardly proven as yet. The majority have less chance of catching it and the severity are better odds than an un-proven vaccine. And having it doesn’t stop lockdowns, mandated masks, social distancing etc etc. When the vaccine does all that, then perhaps the no sayers will be more inclined to have the jab. And I’m not talking about special rules for jab takers whilst discriminating against those who don’t have the covid jab.
I have been trying for ages to get my
Covid. Vaccine, but I always am given the run around.
At last I was given a date for tomorrow Saturday 29 th May, then guess what, received a phone call, yesterday putting it of until Saturday 5th June. I am 86 yrs old,