I don’t know who needs to hear this but there is no slack in Aus hospital systems, each resource / ICU bed allocated to a COVID Patient comes with denial of access to other patients. It also requires staff (a limited resource) who in-turn require PPE which remains in short supply
When PPE is exhausted, HCWs are at increased risk, furthering resource pressures. If recently expressed political and self appointed Med Guru messaging reflects the strategic thinking of our leaders, then I hope which ever deity / higher power / universe you call upon help us all
To them collective action is illegitimate. They think because vaccines go into people and reduce their chance of getting sick it's an individual protective action, therefore the way to go. And if you decide not to, then you're taking the risk.
Before going for my AZ vac I wondered about consent when the choice is either (a) consent to the AZ vac or (b) do not consent to the AZ vac. I thought about VIPIT and my discussion with a med friend about how many people that might be.
Him: if we vax say 10m with AZ and expected rate of VIPIT is 1:500000 (Buttery) then expect 20 cases and 6 deaths (assuming mortality of 30%).
I reflected that it was a risk number I was being asked to consent to, a risk of being one of the 6 in 10m c/f no severe covid/death
This open letter signed by 400+ HCW & Experts was sent to the prime minister, federal health minister, state premiers and health ministers, federal / State CMO's and the members of AHPPC, CDNA, ICEG asking for urgent coordinated national action on aerosol transmission of Covid19