International travel off the cards for 2021, coronavirus border restrictions likely to remain in place
International border restrictions are likely to stay in place for most of 2021.(Flickr: David Spinks)
International travel is unlikely to begin again to and from Australia this year, even if a large number of the population is vaccinated, Health Department boss Brendan Murphy has said.
Key points:
- Professor Murphy says he thinks there will be border restrictions for most of 2021
- He has also played down concerns about the Pfizer vaccine which is due to be rolled out next month
- About 30 deaths were reported among frail, elderly people in Norwegian nursing homes who had received the vaccine
Professor Murphy, who was the chief medical officer at the beginning of the pandemic, said he thought the borders and mandatory hotel quarantine would remain for some time yet.
When asked on ABC News Breakfast what the likelihood was the international border would reopen this year, he acknowledged it was a “big question”.
“I think that the answer is probably no,” Professor Murphy said.
“We don’t know whether that will prevent transmission of the virus.”
Professor Murphy also added the pandemic and virus was so turbulent “the rule book has been made up as we go”.
“I don’t want to predict more than two or three months ahead,” he said.
“The world is changing.
“I think at the moment, we’ve got this light at the end of the tunnel – the vaccine – so we’re going to go as safely and as fast as we can to get our population vaccinated and then we’ll look at what happens.”
The secretary of the Health Department also said he was “not unduly concerned” about Australia’s first COVID vaccine, after about 30 deaths in Norwegian nursing homes were linked to the Pfizer jab.
“This group of people who had these adverse effects, and unfortunately some died, were very, very old and frail,” he said.
“It’s not clear whether the vaccine — how directly related to the death it was.”
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is seeking more information about the deaths, but in Norway it’s only triggered a small adjustment to how vaccinations are delivered.
The TGA confirmed it had received reports of “about 30” deaths of people in nursing homes who received the vaccine, though noted approximately 400 people die in an ordinary week in Norwegian nursing homes.
Tweak to Norway vaccine rollout
Steinar Madsen, medical director of the Norwegian Medicines Agency (NOMA), said that the rollout of Pfizer jab was continuing despite the deaths, and that his organisation was “not very concerned”.
“But we have made some adjustment, what to tell the doctors to look out for,” he told RN on Monday morning.
“All these patients are nursing home patients — if there is a very short expected life span, if they are terminally ill, you should consider not vaccinating them.”
A Pfizer statement said the company was aware of the reported deaths and was working with NOMA to gather all the relevant information.
“Norwegian Authorities have prioritised the immunisation of residents in nursing homes, most of whom are very elderly with underlying medical conditions and some which are terminally ill,” the statement read.
“NOMA confirm the number of incidents so far is not alarming, and in line with expectations.
“All reported deaths will be thoroughly evaluated by NOMA to determine if these incidents are related to the vaccine.”
Australians should be ‘reassured’
Professor Catherine Bennett, chair in epidemiology at Deakin University, said people should be reassured they won’t be offered the vaccine in Australia if it’s not safe.
“I think people should be very reassured, we have a very good regulatory process here, a very thorough process in Australia and because we’ve been able to wait for all safety data to come in from the phase 3 [advanced] trials and now have the benefit of learning from the experience in those countries rolling out the vaccine, she said.
“These vaccines, for the majority of the population, are looking very good to prevent severe illness and death — that’s what we’re most worried about, that’s what we need to protect people from.”
Dr Madsen said about 45,000 patients had been vaccinated so far in Norway, most in nursing homes.
Australia is on track to starting its own vaccination rollout with the Pfizer vaccine in February.
ABC
