Vaccinated

We both finally got our second dose of  the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, so we are now fully vaccinated and even have a nice digital certificate saying just that.  I don’t really know how useful that is since it brings no special privileges here, but at least we are now about 90% protected from getting Covid-19. I was looking at some real world data from other countries, and it looks like even if we do contract Covid-19 now, there is a 60% probability we will be asymptomatic, 40-50% protection against spreading it, 92% protection against being hospitalised, and of course 96% against dying from the stuff. This applies even to the new variants, and it doesn’t  matter if you have had Pfizer, Moderna, or AstraZeneca. It’s such a huge relief to finally be fully vaccinated, given the dismal vaccination rollout, or “strollout”, here in Australia. I even had my influenza vaccination a couple of weeks ago as well, and Eva is planning hers in a couple of weeks. 
As for side effects, after the first dose back in early May where I felt a bit blah the next day, I was expecting something similar. Neither of had any reaction at all, although Eva says she can feel a slight soreness right at the site on her arm. Apparently the second dose of Pfizer can really knock you around, so we were lucky to get AstraZeneca.

In Tasmania at least 42% of eligible people over 16 have had at least one dose, and about 18% are fully vaccinated now. for the over 50’s it’s 65% and 23%. Australia wide, the figures are 34.5% and 13%.  They have now pulled up the drawbridge across Bass Strait because of the Delta variant outbreaks and lockdown in Victoria, New South Wales, and parts of Queensland  which have been going on a rolling basis for several weeks. They have extended the check in requirements here to ALL retail outlets, not just restaurants. We had to use the check in app at the vaccination centre, and I had to use it at the petrol station the other day. If you came from Victoria after July 8, you have to wear a mask in public as well. They think the Delta variant is most likely already here in Tasmania, they just haven’t detected it yet. It has been 218 days since any active cases in Tasmania. I found that the ABC has aggregated most of the available data that is hard to find and even harder to interpret on various government and health departments websites.