{"id":187145,"date":"2022-02-12T14:08:45","date_gmt":"2022-02-12T13:08:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=187145"},"modified":"2022-02-12T14:08:46","modified_gmt":"2022-02-12T13:08:46","slug":"mandating-the-booster-with-new-words-new-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=187145","title":{"rendered":"Mandating the Booster with New Words, New Rules"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When I got my first vaccination against Covid-19 back in September 2021, it was already becoming evident that the available vaccines gave limited protect against Covid-19, and there were potential side-effects.  My doctor nevertheless recommended I get the AstraZeneca vaccine because he said it would be easier to manage the potential side effects, blood clots.  He said that while rare, there would potentially be ongoing issues should I end-up with myocarditis, which was a documented side-effect of being vaccinated with Pfizer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My preference would have been to not<\/em> get vaccinated at all, to put more effort into keeping fit and working on increasing my natural immunity.  But it was also increasingly evident, that my ability to travel interstate, get on a boat to go scuba diving, and even just to go to my local surf lifesaving club for a glass of wine, were activities that government was about to mandate I be double vaccinated for \u2013 or excluded from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I decided to get vaccinated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My unvaccinated friends did warn me that soon they\/the government would be mandating a third dose, and on and on it would go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been listening to the Premier of Queensland, Annastacia Palaszczuk, explain that whether a booster was going to become mandatory or not would depend on advice from the ATAGI (Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation) and that decision would be made by 11th<\/sup> February.   Those are my words, but this is more-or-less what she has been saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They published a new advice yesterday on 10th<\/sup> February, entitled: ATAGI statement on defining \u2018up-to-date\u2019 status for COVID-19 vaccinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It explains that the advice is to serve as \u2018the basis for policies for the public health management of the COVID-19 pandemic\u2019 and \u2018the basis of the due and overdue rules for the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR)\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is my \u2018Immunisation History Statement\u2019 as a green document that I flash from my mobile phone that currently allows me to Scuba dive with my local club, entry to the local surf club, and entry onto an aeroplane should I want to fly to Cairns or interstate.  Without having an \u2018up-to-date\u2019 immunisation history statement these things would be denied me.  Yet I\u2019m told that being vaccinated is not really mandatory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The specific advice from the ATAGI yesterday includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Booster dose is a subsequent dose after an appropriate primary schedule based on choice of vaccine and immunocompromise status. Eligibility is from 3 months after last primary dose. The minimum time frame for a booster dose to be considered valid is 2 months. Although a booster dose at any time after 3 months is safe and effective, people who have not received a booster within 6 months of completing their primary series will be considered overdue.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

So, does this mean that I will effectively join the ranks of the unvaccinated, and become a pariah, if I\u2019m not vaccinated within 6 months of my last AstraZeneca injection?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The national broadcaster uncritically reports the new advice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Australia\u2019s definition of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is set to change, with people aged over 16 years now only considered \u2018up to date\u2019 with their vaccinations if they have had booster shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Points:<\/p>\n\n\n\n