AstraZeneca boss’s dire Delta warning for Qld

The Delta variant of Covid-19 is coming for Queensland says the Australian boss of AstraZeneca, as brand fussiness and a reluctance to get AZ drag down the state’s jab rates. SEE THE FIGURES

The Australian boss of pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has warned Queensland the Delta variant is coming “ready or not” as brand fussiness and a reluctance to get AZ drag down the state’s vaccination rates.

AZ’s Australian president Liz Chatwin said increased AZ uptake in NSW and Victoria had been driven by the recent outbreaks and lockdowns and she believed other states would follow.

She said the contagious Delta variant would come to states such as Queensland and Western Australia that had so far avoided big outbreaks.

People queue up to receive a Covid jab at the vaccination hub at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Boondall. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

“We see the level of hesitancy definitely falling and the people are coming forward to receive the vaccine,” she said.

Ms Chatwin said she expected far more Aussies to put aside their reticence and avail themselves of “plentiful, safe supply”.

“If you look at the statistics in NSW … only 4 per cent of people admitted to hospital in NSW are fully vaccinated … on the flip side, more than 80 per cent that have been admitted to hospital haven’t had a vaccine or are only partially vaccinated,” Ms Chatwin said.

Regularly derided as the “second-class” option, Australia’s reception of the Oxford AZ vaccine had been a “surprise” and sparked moments of confusion and frustration, Ms Chatwin said.

AstraZeneca Australia president Liz Chatwin. Picture: David Swift

She cited Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young’s insistent campaign against young people using AZ being echoed by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Ms Palaszczuk’s Twitter account has since June contained a factually incorrect post that the British government would not allow under-40s to get the AZ jab.

Rather than responding to the frequent attacks on AZ, Ms Chatwin said she would prefer to focus on how proud she and her team were that the vaccine was being produced at no profit.

“We are helping people to continue their lives right here in Australia with this vaccine,” she said.

The rare blood clot side-­effect of AZ can be diagnosed by a free blood test at a GP and is easily managed in hospital. Nine people have died from clotting linked to AZ in Australia and 1076 Australians have died from Covid-19.

Steven Little, 67, from Coolum receives his Astra Zeneca vaccination. Picture Lachie Millard

Young people in NSW and Victoria have taken up AZ at up to twice the rate of Queenslanders, who are lagging in last place.

Almost one in five NSW and ACT residents aged 16-59 have taken AZ jabs, while almost one in seven Victorians in that age bracket did the same. It compares with just 10 per cent of younger Queenslanders.

Queensland has the lowest rate of vaccination in the country with 55.4 per cent of the population having had a first dose of either vaccine and 37.1 per cent fully vaccinated.

Western Australia was almost in line with the Sunshine State, with 56 per cent having had first doses and 36.9 per cent fully vaccinated.

In NSW 77.3 per cent have had a first dose and 44.5 per cent are fully vaccinated, and in Victoria, 64.5 per cent first and 40 per cent both.

Doctors and infectious disease experts told The Sunday Mail brand fussiness and a false sense of security were problems for the Queensland take-up.

Queensland chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners Bruce Willett said young people were holding back on getting their jabs, wanting to wait for Moderna and Novavax, while many over-60s were turning up their noses at AstraZeneca.

“They will be sorry they haven’t got a needle in their arms sooner when the virus inevitably crosses the borders,” he warned. “Queenslanders need to be prepared for that invasion rather than thinking they can rush for a jab when it actually happens.

“I am seeing patients in the 60-70 age groups wanting to wait for a Pfizer vaccine when AstraZeneca has been best ­approved for this age group. If they don’t jump at getting the AZ they will end up at the end of the queue for Pfizer.”

The GP said complacency due to low infection rates in the state was probably the main reason for slow uptake.

“Low levels of vaccine supply in the earlier days put the brakes on the rollout, but we have plenty of AstraZeneca, and all the vaccines are good vaccines, so hurry and get the needle,” he said.

Virus expert and member of the national Immunisation Coalition Robert Booy said there was no time to wait.

“Any vaccine will take five to six weeks before two doses will start to offer protection, so anyone that is waiting to have a vaccine or waiting for a particular brand could find they are too late,” he said.

As of September 6 the Queensland government has received 1.54 million doses of Pfizer and has administered 1.296 million of them. This month, Queensland primary care sites will receive 766,000 Pfizer doses, while the state government will receive 570,000 Pfizer doses.