Excellent contextual analysis from Prof Andrew Wilson on the complexities of developing/implementing national strategies #NationalPreventiveHealthStrategy
New advice from @RealOzSAGE today: Based on present information, a 3rd vaccine dose could be given any time from two to six months after the second dose. ozsage.org/media_releases… cc @CroakeyNews
"OzSAGE is concerned that the newly revised 5 month booster interval will leave too many Australians vulnerable, and be too late to prevent a surge in Omicron in Australia, as is predicted in the UK. rotecting Australians and the health system...
"Rapidly achieving high third dose coverage is essential for protecting Australians & the health system. OzSAGE notes that as of 12 December, 19,262,415 Australians were double-vaccinated (75% of the population) but only 687,067 (2.7% of the population) had received a 3rd dose.
@AMSANTaus is calling on NT Govt to take urgent action to address growing COVID concerns: “News of a likely positive case in Timber Creek & multiple positive wastewater results appearing in
numerous remote communities underscores the growing & urgent need for a stronger response.
Calls from @AMSANTaus: 1. That the Big Rivers Region, including Katherine, is placed into lockdown with a mask mandate and the 5 reasons to leave homes, initially for 48 hours until the situation is clear.
2. That where cases are confirmed in a remote community a hard lockdown with the ‘contain and
test’ response is immediately applied. 3. That during the lockdown period steps are taken to introduce vaccine passports across the region.
So yesterday was a HUGE day for public health, not only in NSW but nationally, with widespread attention on how leaders marked the easing of public health restrictions. #AusPol#publichealth#COVID
It was a day that called for careful, thoughtful messaging, about the ongoing need for caution and preventive efforts with COVID. Politicians could have used the Swiss cheese model of public health as so usefully employed by @K_Eagar in this article croakey.org/covid-snaps-on…
They could have invested in some public health promotions around how to minimise the risks of opening up – and not only around COVID. How to look after self and others while marking the occasion. Why getting blotto may not be the smartest response.
When govts mislead the public by suggesting opening up means "going back to normal", think of The Swiss Cheese model – "a helpful way to think about how we manage our way out of lockdown and manage living with COVID beyond that".
"It recognises that no single intervention is perfect at preventing coronavirus spreading. No intervention is 100 %, every intervention has holes. Multiple layers of protection help limit spread of the virus. Each layer has holes & the risk of infection ⬆️when the holes align