Can faster vaccination help Australia crush the new virus strain?

The new Delta variant of COVID-19 seems to be spreading fast. And it is causing bumps in the fight against the global pandemic, that has consumed the lives of four million people till now.

Australia, which has been able to contain the virus very well in past – which can be attributed largely to its demographics and partly to the policies of the government, has also seen spike in the cases due to the highly contagious new strain. The weekly fresh cases in Australia have grown by an alarming 54% -- a number that has prompted lockdowns in the country.

However, the numbers coming out of Australia might be alarming locally, but on global scale, they seem to be miniscule. Looking at Europe – it looks like the mess has gotten real there. Some smaller countries or regions have seen weekly surge in excess of 1,000%. But when it comes to larger European nations, the situation there too, is grim. Cases in Greece have surged 105% on a weekly basis. In the Scandinavian countries of Finland and Denmark, the fresh weekly cases have surged by about 84%. In the UK, the numbers have grown 67%. Right next to Australia, in New Zealand, the cases have surged 100%.

Europe is at least rich enough to take the hit. However, the concern seems to be severe regarding the middle- and low-income countries of Africa, Asia and Caribbean – where at many places, the weekly surge has hit triple-digits.

Source: Government releases, Kalkine Research

Amid this melee of newer and more formidable variants of COVID-19, a group of people, now called as anti-vaxxers, have been trying to dissuade people from crucial vaccination drive – by disseminating fake news and misinformation. However, despite their resistance, it is pertinent to note that the vaccine is, by far, the most important tool in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Why is vaccine important?

Till now, governments across the globe have been going for lockdowns. A lockdown is not a surefire solution to the pandemic – despite many governments globally considering it that way (probably for their own convenience). However, a lockdown is used to buy time to get the infrastructure ready to battle the pandemic, as it slows the spread of virus at the beginning of the curve.  By the time, COVID-19 has tightened its grip in a geography, there is little to nothing that a lockdown can do, until the virus itself ebbs out. India is a classic example: despite regional hotspots declaring full lockdown, the second wave in India ripped the country apart until the virus itself got tired. So, the only two ways out of this would be vaccination and following the COVID-19-appropriate behaviour – that is, wearing masks at public places, maintaining social distance, and washing your hands regularly. Vaccines, to a large extent, make your body immune to the new forms of viruses. There have been cases where a high viral load of COVID-19 cases has shown no symptoms of virus – thanks to the immunity built by vaccines. Vaccines don’t guarantee that you will not be infected with COVID-19; they don’t act like mosquito repellant sprays. But what they can ensure is that if you get infected by the virus, it won’t harm you in a sinister way.

How is Australia vaccinating itself?

Australia is one of the few countries that has offered all its citizens free and safe COVID-19 vaccines. The country has administered 8.3 million doses – both first and second shots till now. Of this, 6.42 million people have received their first dose – implying that a quarter of the country’s 25.7 million population is partially vaccinated. On the other hand, the country has administered 1.9 million second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. This would mean that just 7.3% of the population has been fully vaccinated. This number shows that vaccination has been slow in the country despite funds allocated by both federal as well as the regional government towards vaccination this year. The US and the UK, in comparison, have fully vaccinated almost half of their population by now. On the other hand, many European countries have vaccinated one-third of their population already. So, Australia is yet to gather pace on vaccination drive.

Which are the COVID-19 vaccines available in Australia?

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has advised only two types of vaccines in Australia:

• Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
• Oxford/Astrazeneca vaccine.

The Pfizer vaccine will be prioritised for people under 60 years of age. On the other hand, the AstraZeneca vaccine will be prioritised for people aged 60 years and over.

According to the Department of Health, Australian Government, if you are aged under 60 years of age and have already had your first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and did not experience abnormal side effects, “ATAGI recommends you still receive your second AstraZeneca dose. This will provide you with greater coverage against severe illness from COVID-19”.