Thanks, but unlikely to influence the ideologues and scaremongers who are determined to keep the population living in fear.

The author pointed out medical reasons against vaccine hesitancy, yet the issue is political.

I would not hesitate taking even the AZ vaccine provided:

1) It would not hamper my ability to obtain the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine AS WELL, once available in sufficient numbers. In other words, without government telling me "You already got yours".
2) I will be allowed to pay for it, as I will not accept free gifts from government.

This means that if I were able to buy my own vaccine on the black market, any COVID vaccine, without the government registering the fact that I got it, then I would not hesitate to take it. Anyone with information please?

Yup, just shows what we humans can do when we cooperate!

As for vaccines? Out here in the bush, most of us are still waiting for supplies to hit our GPs and Pharmacists. Even so, when my turn comes I'll hold out for Moderna, Given the brain cancer and consequently compromised immunity. And the history of blood clots, that near killed me. And the following months of hospitalisation, replete with clot busters and daily injections of anticoagulants.

So, no AZ for me! I've still got some very important things to do for humanity. Won't say what that is. But hopefully, it will be a new form of solid-state electronic drive that'll propel anything anywhere and at unbelievable speed. Above the waves or under them, to lift anything anywhere. The only sound, the rush of air or water.

To date remains just a concept that requires testing and proof of concept before we can even think of a prototype. And given success, could be worth trillions over time. And the science stacks up.
Alan B.

A good bit of rationalising, & thanks for the effort Anthony.

If you can still say they are safe, & do anything useful, in another 5 years time, I'll give getting the "JAB" some thought then.

A few points NOT mentioned by the author:

1. The trials are short term only. No-one has tested for the injections' longer term health effects which can take years and decades to develop.

2. The trials do NOT have a control group of unvaccinated people. Such a control group is the ONLY valid way to evaluate the overall health outcomes of vaccinated people, as compared to those who choose to remain unvaccinated.

3. The Pfizer and Moderna injections ARE indeed experimental. Their mRNA technology has NEVER before been injected into humans. Its long term effects are completely untested and unknown.

4. Pfizer’s CEO, who is paid sixteen million dollars a year, has told the media he won't be taking his company’s Covid injection. Even that obscene amount of money won't induce him to risk his health on his own product!

5. Moderna, prior to the emergency authorization of its Covid injection, had never before produced a successful medicine or managed to get any of its nine or so vaccines approved by the FDA.

So yes, while the author's family might have had AZ vaccines, that's no 'skin in the game' at all when it comes to mRNA injections.

I just wonder, would Bronwyn still present this criticism against mRNA vaccines had China also been produced them?

The real issues here are ethical and political in nature, not medical excuses as some would like to hide behind.

"I just wonder, would Bronwyn still present this criticism against mRNA vaccines had China also been produced them?"

A petty and irrelevant comment which I shouldn't be dignifying with a response ... more fool me!

The Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines do not contain mRNA technology. We don't yet know their long term health effects, but I do admire the way the Chinese have freely shipped them around the world to countries experiencing the most difficulty in procuring vaccines. A huge contrast to Western countries who have clamoured to secure vaccines for their own populations and done little to help poorer nations.

"The real issues here are ethical and political in nature, not medical excuses as some would like to hide behind."

Yes, I agree, ethical and political issues are of course central to the vaccination debate. Health, however, is very much the overarching consideration. People who truly understand the difference managing ones health through natural means can make, as opposed to resorting to medical and pharmaceutical quick-fixes, are correct to have concerns about the long term health consequences of these injections ... both for themselves personally and for the overall health of the population they belong to.

The real issue is trust. I do not trust anything since this whole nonsense started. the media show the same 30 second clip of some disaster somewhere in the world and we are supposed to swallow it? Masks no good, then good and now essential indoors and out? Young people dying but then they admit were terminally ill? Now as little news as possible and blown out of all proportion and no detail because? Because full details would expose more lies.
I hesitate because you are untrustworthy All you idiots wanting a jab every day because you are frightened literally out of your wits reinforces my belief. Lastly a lot of people are getting rich, very rich out of us being frightened more and more.

"The main reason it used to take so long to get a vaccine to market is financial risk, and dealing with it."

I kind of figured that the biggest risk might be the potential for fast-tracked vaccines to have unintended side-effects, but I guess it's all about the money.

I heard somewhere that more people have now died from AstroZeneka than died from the atom bomb over Hiroshima.

Part 1 of 2:

Given I posted, I should address the list of concerns one reader had.
But first, an insight into what drug developers and regulators are thinking.

The risks of vaccines are born by individuals. The benefits are born by the community. This asymmetry has always been the case. No vaccine (or medical intervention, or new technology) is free of risk. But we must weigh risks and the benefits nonetheless. In the next 12-months, each of you will be exposed to covid as we go from pandemic to endemic (flu is endemic for example). The only question you need to ask is would I rather get exposed to covid vaccinated or unvaccinated. That is the basis of the risk analysis.

Now point by point.

1. The trials are short term only.

All new drugs face this issue. Regulators look through the preclinical and clinical data for any small sign of long term problems and then look at any potential types of theoretical harm based on the mechanism of action to look for. None of these vaccines showed any issues or they wouldn't be going into arms. The AZ vaccine showed hints of the thrombotic events (you'll remember the trial was halted a couple of times), but the risk benefit meant they kept going.

(an off-topic example to keep you thinking: Your use of mobile phones still has this problem. Regulators allowed them with no long term safety data. It has only been a decade or so we have been using them to the degree we do.)

2. The trials do NOT have a control group of unvaccinated people.

Here is the link to the Pfizer protocol and you will see the placebo group (by definition, unvaccinated). This point is just plain wrong. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04368728

Part 2 of 2:

3. The Pfizer and Moderna injections ARE indeed experimental. Their mRNA technology has NEVER before been injected into humans. Its long term effects are completely untested and unknown.

See above on long term safety. I have been responsible for a drug entering humans for the first time. Quite some responsibility. Phase 1 trials are small, patients are dosed with tiny doses one at a time to make sure there isn't any completely unforeseen problems. We (and the regulators) take that all very seriously.

4. Pfizer’s CEO, who is paid sixteen million dollars a year, has told the media he won't be taking his company’s Covid injection. Even that obscene amount of money won't induce him to risk his health on his own product!

Please do better. This is the kind of rubbish that creates vaccine hesitancy. https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-pfizer-ceovaccine-idUSL1N2PD1UX

5. Moderna, prior to the emergency authorization of its Covid injection, had never before produced a successful medicine or managed to get any of its nine or so vaccines approved by the FDA.

Yes, Moderna is a new(ish) company and developing new drugs and vaccines from scratch is a long process (which is why we are here reading this in the first place). Covid was a commercial boon for Moderna no doubt. They have products in development for Zika, Psoriasis (phase 1 trials in Melbourne as we speak), influenza and others. Moderna is not judged any differently from bigger companies by regulators. It contracts out the manufacture of the vaccine to a very reputable global company called Catalent at their plant in Indiana. Almost all drugs and vaccines are made by contract manufacturers. Again, this is one of those kinds of points that highlight the Kruger Dunning Effect. Sounds good until you actually understand the full picture.

Hope that is useful.

Interesting article.

Many wrongly assume that those choosing not to be vaccinated are all "hesitant". That is not so. Those not vaccinating include:

1. The "hesistant" (i.e "skeptical");
2. The anti vaxxers (i.e. believe it's the wrong thing to do); and
3. The apathetic (ie unmotivated).

Let's say that the above comprise 20% of the adult population, then to get to the magic number of 80% of adults (double dosed) vaccinated by Melbourne Cup Day (give or take a week), that means that every single adult who doesn't fall in the above groups ie the rest of the >16 year olds (including the indifferent amongst us) must roll up his/her sleeve.

I find it hard to believe we'll ever get to that magic 80% if there are no penalties or restrictions placed on those choosing to remain unvaccinated and insodoing, endangering the health of the rest of us.

Jonathan J. Ariel, if the vaccines are of any use they will protect the vaccinated, & the un-vaccinated can not harm you. As it is proven the vaccinated can still acquire the virus, & spread it, so if anything the probable more careless behavior of the vaccinated is more likely to be endangering the health of the un-vaccinated.

Thank you for the follow up post Anthony. I'm afraid I am still not convinced. I would be much more likely to be convinced if the government had not made it very difficult to acquire Hydroxychloroquine, Ivermectin or other antiviral alternate treatments.

In the belief that there can be no smoke without some fire, there is too much evidence of the usefulness of these treatments for them not to advantageous to some extent. Having taken both the above as a prophylactic for malaria in the islands for some years over 40 years ago, I know they are safe.

I have now gained access to Ivermectin, & will take it in conjunction with C, D & zinc in the old malaria dose, with larger dose available if required.

Having taken this action, the authorities have totally lost my confidence, & I will not consider any of these vaccines this side of 2026.

Anthony Bishop

"Given I posted, I should address the list of concerns one reader had."

It seems I should be grateful. So I am. And BTW, I do have a name.

Well, your replies might reassure others, but they certainly don't convince me as to the long term safety of these injections. I've read from a number of well-respected health professionals who are seriously concerned about these experimental gene therapies and the risk of longterm health problems such as heart issues, autoimmune disease, fertility problems and cancer.

Your mobile phone analogy is very apt. It's the reason I've never owned one. And just as brain surgeon, Charlie Teo's warnings on mobile phones and brain tumours have been shut down by Big Telco, so too will any future warnings on links between mRNA gene therapy and emerging health problems be shut down by Big Pharma.

Regarding the placebo group, it states in the study you linked to that this group will be offered the injection "at defined points as part of the study." This is exactly what has already happened, despite there being several years of the studies yet to run. Both Moderna and Pfizer controls have now been given mRNA shots. There is no longer a placebo group. The tests are a sham.

As for the Pfizer boss, he definitely hadn't had a shot at the time of the December 2020 interview you linked to, despite telling everyone else to get one as soon as possible! Obviously, the media were onto him and he couldn't continue to delay. So yes, I do concede I didn't have that bit of trivia completely right!

Bronwyn

“A view from nowhere”

Or

A view of Cuba from Guantanamo Bay.

Dan

Dear Anthony,

«In the next 12-months, each of you will be exposed to covid as we go from pandemic to endemic (flu is endemic for example). The only question you need to ask is would I rather get exposed to covid vaccinated or unvaccinated. That is the basis of the risk analysis.»

Not quite: the question should be, would I rather get exposed to covid vaccinated with the best possible vaccine or with a mediocre one.

Since in Australia those who received AstraZeneca will be prevented from also receiving Pfizer/Moderna further down the line, at least before borders are opened, accepting AstraZeneca is a very poor choice, not only due to blood-clotting.

If it was up to me alone, then I would buy ALL the vaccines, whether or not approved by the Australian bureaucracy, and inject them myself into my arm, every month a different one as this would secure me the best possible immunity.

Dear Hasbeen,

A quick look at your history shows this was you take on vaccines about 10 years ago:

"I agree that vaccination is a very good thing for the vast majority, & the small risk of harm to any individual is a risk worth taking".

I can think of no reason why that would change other than it now conforms to your political ideology to be vaccine hesitant.

To think that you now have fallen in with those Byron Bay anti-Vaxx lot, people you would have despised in the past, makes for pretty strange bedfellows. But given Trump's anti-vaxx stance I suppose it is understandable.

SR, these are not vaccines in the traditional sense. They are entirely different to vaccines as we know them.

I thought you were knowledgeable enough to realise that, but apparently not.

You know I've been a regular poster here for a few years, but I've never had a comment removed.
I could be tempted to deliberately throw out some p's and q's and earn myself a black mark on this.

"I find it hard to believe we'll ever get to that magic 80% if there are no penalties or restrictions placed on those choosing to remain unvaccinated and insodoing, endangering the health of the rest of us."

How does me not getting the jab place your health in danger?
I'd argue that all you sheep going to get the jab and hoping for this 80% is going to end up with me be forced to take the jab, and that puts my health in danger.

Everything I've said about this crap has been more or less right so far.
25% of people WONT GET BETTER
http://time.com/6073522/long-covid-prevalence/

The path to protecting our nation was SHUTTING THE DOORS ON OUTSIDE VISITORS.
Our pos leaders have failed at every turn.

Now it's all about vaccination and herd immunity.

We either have a gun to our heads with Covid,
Or a gun to our heads with the vaccines.
99% of the nation held ransome for the 1% of people who wanted to catch planes.

I told you all there would be no end to lockdowns within the country if we didn't lock people OUT OF the country.

I told you all a year ago, we should've shot the planes out of the sky, (say Russia did it, works when convenient) and put permanent firing squads on the tarmac, for anyone dares to set foot in the country from overseas.

I blame government incompetence for this whole entire sh*tshow.

I can afford to buy 2+ years of food, and have no contact with the outside world if I need to, so why do I have to be imposed upon for the lives you want, living normally whilst spreading your filthy shite pandemic virus around, because you all live week to week.

So screw your virus, and screw your death causing experimental vaccines as well.

Also many religious people see all this vaccine-passport as mark of the beast and end-times tribulation.
Have fun getting them to take the jab.
You can put your gun to these peoples heads, but it won't work.
You'll have to pull the trigger.

Herd immunity to a man-made bioweapon that permanently makes 25% of people sick forever, and reliant upon big pharma?

You know armament manufacturers don't care about world peace.
So why would big pharma want healthy people?

You're not going to get your 80% without mandatory vaccinations.
I'd say roughly half or more of the people I speak to don't want anything to do with it.
On the other side you've got little sinister old ladies taking everyone they know down for shots, because they believe its in the communities best interest.
- Like covid gave their miserable lives some purpose

So when 76% of kids get adverse reactions on the first shot, and 80 something percent have adverse reactions on the second shot, you can bet that all this will be waste of time and money, built on the sickness of our nations citizens and upon the incompetence of our own leaders, who cared more about the economy, than they ever did about anyone's health.

And where are the economist people who say we can never run out of money and debt is good?
They're the same ones telling you to go get your shots, for the good of the economy.

Dear Hasbeen,

I put this on another thread but it could just as easily apply here:

Back during the Spanish Flu in Australia the developed an experimental vaccine quick smart. Don't imagine they would have had the number of whingers flapping their gums about a tiny risk of an adverse outcome. They just got on with it.

"Commonwealth Serum Laboratories was established during the First World War to alleviate Australia’s dependence on imported vaccines. In 1918 it developed its first, experimental vaccine in anticipation of pneumonic influenza reaching mainland Australia.

Researchers did not know what caused influenza, but produced a vaccine that addressed the more serious secondary bacterial infections that were likely to cause death.

Between 15 October 1918 and 15 March 1919, CSL produced three million free doses for Australian troops and civilians. It later evaluated the vaccines to be partially effective in preventing death in inoculated individuals."

http://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/influenza-pandemic

God we are getting soft aren't we and blokes like you are leading the way.

Dear Armchair Critic,

Look mate I know you are wetting your pants about getting the vaccine which is understandable for someone your age, put these are mostly sensible measures mostly to make sure our elderly are protected and our health system isn't over run as it has been in many other countries.

That some of the deliberately unvaccinated will act as Typhoid Marys is a given, what the rest of us need to do is make sure the impact of that selfishness is minimised, that is all that is going on. No great conspiracy old boy.

For gods sake SR, give over.

You obviously don't believe the so called vaccines will protect you or the rest of the jabbed herd. If you actually believed they will save you it would not matter to you if others get or don't get jabbed.

Just why the hell do you think it will be better for you & the herd of vaccinated if a few others do or do not get the jab? Your reasoning is totally irrational, & I could say as usual.

Well Armchair Critic has made some good points.

No, I disagree with what he said about vaccines, but I do agree that Australia's border should remain closed, even after 80% vaccination is reached, and I do agree that federal government has let us down in their appetite for "economy".

I think that we should only open the borders once an anti-viral medicine is available whereby anyone who even suspects of being infected can take it and avoid the illness. I think such a medicine will be available next year, but if it doesn't then Australia should remain closed indefinitely.