Support for vaccinations
There are many reasons to get vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Firstly, there are personal health and safety reasons. It may save your life or that of someone you love. Then there are the social reasons, the ethical and moral and even economic reasons. Being vaccinated significantly decreases any chance of death from the virus. Reaching a level of 'herd immunity' will protect our whole community.
The local St George Branch of the Association of Independent Retirees (A.I.R.) supports the vaccination program subject to your GP's advice. Many members of A.I.R. St George who have been vaccinated state that they felt nothing and had no side effects. Others have had their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine with minimal side effects.
After receiving the vaccine, I felt somewhat 'off colour' for about 24 hours, but it did not affect my day-to-day routines. I understand that is the most common result with AstraZeneca. I understand that the side effects are more often felt after the second dose with the Pfizer vaccine.
In relation to the risk of 'blood clots,' the chances are about 1 in 200,000, which is the same as the chance of having a winning lottery ticket. The other point is to consult your GP, as the rare occurrence of blood clots is possibly associated with those having other medical conditions.
If your local GP is not offering the vaccine, they will refer you to a local GP service that is and appointments are generally available within a couple of weeks.
We urge all to 'get the jab'.
Neil Birdsall, Mortdale
When "MPs unite to receive the jab", should we be worried?
When I piece together official and public health COVID advice and instruction, I am left with mostly contradictions and inconsistencies, which suggest poor judgement and is confusing.
It seems the young and healthy, mostly asymptomatic, can continue to be infectious despite vaccination and are being offered Pfizer the most effective vaccine against COVID, variants and blood clotting, which kill the aged most. If the vaccinated can continue to infect the unvaccinated vulnerable, all talk about herd immunity and vaccination passports is disinformation.
Officials claim that rare AstraZeneca clotting reactions are now better treated, so why only among the vulnerable not in the more hardy, resilient and resistant? Even the clotting analysis is counter instructive, with it being associated with low platelet counts. Shouldn't this mean fewer clots, not more? If not clotting by platelets, what else? Plaque or plasma coagulation?
Every effort should have been made to offer both Pfizer and AZ to those most vulnerable to dying first, at any cost, not be made to wait indefinitely when it might be too late, and where together the vaccination rate would be greater. Borders might now be open to the minority that want to travel in a pandemic affected world.
This has the appearance of another haphazard public-private partnership program, helped by a non-existent trained federal health and quarantine workforce and infrastructure, and perhaps another royal commission in the making.
*When "MPs unite to receive the jab", should we be worried?
Richard Piech, Sans Souci
Wasn't amalgamation supposed to make things cheaper?
Now that Georges River residents have been soundly punished with the promised savings of Coalition government amalgamation, i.e., higher rates, what will become of the council sought rate harmonisation, boundary changes and relinquished "surplus" public parking spaces or property? Are these and more essential property sales waiting shiftily in the wings for when the council needs additional sources of revenue to squander, issues which IPART seems to have conveniently overlooked, thereby indirectly appeasing or assisting amalgamators?
The silence of state and federal local representatives is conspicuous by the absence of objections.
RP, Sans Souci
Jesus would never condone such behaviour
I wish the PM could explain to the public how spending $6 million over three years to keep a family in detention is the way of Christianity, for when reading the new testament, I have concluded that Jesus would never condone this in his name. No wonder people like me have given Christianity the flick with the bending of ethics portrayed by leaders that wear Christianity on their sleeve for all to see, only to be seen as hypocrites. Imagine if $6 million had been spent on social housing or safe residential places for women suffering domestic abuse. Now that would be seen as a Christian act, and if God does exist, she would be happy with the outcomes.
Zuzu Burford
Get vaccinated
I got my second Covid jab today. I got my quad flu shot at the end of March. I turn fifty this year, so I didn't hesitate. I am also a carer and work in aged care, so I care about the people in my life and others in the community.
I booked through the online booking system through the government eligibility website. I went to the NSW Vaccination centre at Homebush and got the Pfizer. I was the first in the queue at 8am.
I found the booking system and processes to be excellent. Messages and instructions are clear and concise. You receive multiple text messages which provide information and reminders. Whoever has designed this has done a great job at delivering an effective system.
And the staff and system at the Vaccination centre were extremely well run and organised.
Thank you, NSW Health, and the federal government, for the vaccine!
Jason Dullow, Jannali
