By Dominique Tassell & Condamine Medical Centre
With Covid-19 still very much a present threat in the country, the time to be vaccinated is now.
Current data shows that 589 people are in hospital in New South Wales from Covid-19, of which 128 are in the ICU and a reported 66 are on ventilators.
As of 18 October, there are 851 people in hospital in Victoria, of which 155 are in the ICU with a reported 103 people on ventilators.
There have been a reported 1,448 deaths in Australia from Covid-19; 16 of these were reported in the last week.
State and Territory Governments are moving to decrease travel restrictions, which will mean the virus is less contained and Southern Downs residents more exposed to infections.
There is also a lag time of at least a month for the second dose to be given, to produce the best immunity to the virus.
Condamine Medical Centre (CMC) is running Astra Zenica and Pfizer vaccination clinics.
Dr Lynton Hudson from the CMC says that ‘the Pfizer clinic currently has ample vaccines on hand and is the preferred vaccine for people aged 12 to 59 years’.
You can book your Covid-19 vaccination online by visiting www.conmed.com.au, just scroll down to the coronavirus alert Covid-19 section and complete the booking form.
The Queensland Health directive is that having the vaccine is an important step towards reducing the serious effects of Covid-19 in people who become infected with the virus.
The Covid-19 vaccines do not contain live Covid-19 virus which means the vaccine cannot infect you with the Covid-19 virus.
Even though the Covid-19 vaccine has been shown to be very effective there is still a chance you may get Covid-19. No vaccine is 100 per cent effective.
However, current evidence shows that people who have received a Covid-19 vaccine have a much lower chance of developing more serious disease from Covid-19. This is compared to those who did not get the vaccine.
The vaccines have been made differently but both offer strong levels of protection against Covid-19. The vaccines are designed to trigger your immune system to make antibodies to the spike protein of the virus. This means if you were to ever get the Covid-19 virus, your body is better prepared to fight the illness.
All approved vaccines have been through rigorous testing, by the TGA, to ensure they meet the highest safety and effectiveness standards.
It is important to remember that even after vaccination, you should wash your hands regularly and maintain physical distance to help protect yourself.
