Good morning i’m dr Lucas De Toca and welcome to the top three. Today Linda joins us, who interprets Auslan. We are broadcasting from the land of Ngunnawal, and I also acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands that people may be watching from. Today I greet those who work in our pathology laboratories, test centers, GP respiratory clinics and other testing facilities. They were masters during this pandemic and helped keep us all safe and tirelessly doing thousands of tests a day so we know if we have COVID or not, and also if we get a negative test result so that we can get out of the Isolation can come out. It is really important that we carry on as we have done for the past 14 months to stay home if we feel uncomfortable despite very mild symptoms. Take a test and wait for us to get the negative result before we leave home. This is thanks to the people we work in these laboratory facilities and collection points where we can continue to stay COVIDSafe. So thank you very much.
First question, why should I get vaccinated if I can still catch COVID-19?
Yeah, that’s a really good question. There is growing evidence that the vaccines may have an impact on the infection to reduce the spread. This is something that is pretty difficult to assess, and it takes some time for the vaccines to be used in the population to see what effect they have on transmission. We see overseas in countries like Israel or the UK that they prevent infection or that the virus replicates. So you seem to be able to stop the spread. What we do know for sure, however, and there is plenty of evidence that the vaccines, all of them, are very effective in preventing you from getting very sick and going to the hospital or dying of COVID-19, and that is in the first place Line what we want. We know that the direct protection, the protection you get right from the vaccines, allows you to drastically reduce the chance of having a bad outcome from COVID, going to the hospital, or dying from the disease. So it is really important that although there is a possibility that you will still get COVID after vaccination, that you receive the vaccine. So we are very clear and you are very sure that you will not get a serious illness or die from the illness.
The vaccines will help us avoid the pandemic prolongation. They will help increase the number of new cases and they will also help reduce the total virus circulating in the population. This is the best way to prevent new variants of the virus from appearing. Even if you have had COVID-19, you will still be asked to receive the vaccine if it is offered to you. We believe, based on the evidence we have, that even if you have had the disease, the vaccines will help you maintain an immune response longer and protect you even if you have already had the disease.
Second question – if the vaccine is safe, why do we need to sign a consent form?
Yes, informed consent is a legal, ethical, and professional requirement for any health or medical intervention. It’s a big part of patient selection and supporting patient-centered care. Vaccines in Australia are voluntary, and although these vaccines are highly recommended, they are voluntary as they will help keep you and the community safe from COVID-19. Basically, however, informed consent is a way of ensuring that the person’s decision is well informed and given voluntarily to consent to a health procedure or other intervention. This includes vaccination. Consent applies to every medical procedure you perform and you must give consent for the flu vaccine or childhood vaccines. It’s important to ask questions and speak to your GP or health care provider about any concerns. Consent is a process, it is a form. It’s a process of asking questions and making sure you have the information to decide if the vaccine is right for you.
It is not mandatory for the consent to be signed. Many practitioners use informed consent forms, and the government has provided sample consent forms that can add to this discussion. Ultimately, however, it is a process, not a document. Oral consent is valid and very common in many vaccination processes. When you give informed consent, it means that you have the information to make that decision and that you are excited about the COVID-19 vaccine. Consent can be withdrawn at any time if you change your mind and want to end the consent process. These vaccines are voluntary but they are very effective and we really encourage people to get the vaccine when offered to them.
Finally, why is it okay to travel to New Zealand without being quarantined but not in other places?
Yes, unfortunately the pandemic continues to rage internationally. In fact, in the past few weeks since the start of COVID-19, we’ve seen one of the highest increases in new cases internationally. That is a really sad situation and it means that we have seen tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of cases around the world every day. However, some countries as well as Australia and New Zealand are definitely two of them. They have taken very successful steps to stop the spread. International border closings, public health restrictions and, most importantly, how the Australian and New Zealand people have embraced and followed public health directives and done everything to protect themselves and everyone else means that we are in a truly enviable position compared to have the rest of the world where we have virtually no community broadcast. Whenever there is a case of COVID it is mostly a hotel quarantine of returning travelers or the very rare case of community spread that is reached and eradicated very quickly. This means that we can lead a relatively normal life in our controlled areas. Since both countries are in a very similar situation, they can create a travel bubble so people can travel back and forth between these two countries without getting permission to leave from the federal government or without you having to be quarantined there arrive or when you return. This is great and will greatly improve our ability to explore and vacation, but also get back in touch with loved ones if you happen to have friends or family in New Zealand.
Unfortunately we are not in the same situation as the rest of the world and that is difficult for many people with overseas families, like me, with my family in Spain and Italy. Therefore, the government continues to review the international situation and it is likely that in the future we will have similar bubbles with other countries in our immediate region that also have very similarly successful COVID-19 situations. As the pandemic progresses and the vaccination program progresses, we will continue to assess the state of our international borders. But for now we want to make sure we are protected from COVID-19 as we have been for the past 14 months, but in the meantime we can travel domestically and it is a very large country so there is a lot to explore . and now go and visit New Zealand friends.
I think that’s all for today. As always, thanks for watching. Thank you for staying COVID-proof and thank you for continuing to ask your questions so we can know what you are interested in and then prepare these segments. Thank you, Linda, for your interpreting and see you next time.
