Pfizer supplies under strain but more shipments in sight

3 minute read

Communicable Disease COVID-19 Live blog

By

Bianca Nogrady

And study finds no effects on sperm count or motility from mRNA vaccines.

Welcome to The Medical Republic’s COVID Catch-Up.

It’s the day’s covid-19 news in one convenient post. Email bianca@biancanogrady.com with any tips, comments or feedback.

21 June

Supplies of the Pfizer covid vaccine are currently under strain, but the head of the federal government’s covid vaccination task force says more shipments will be available from August.
Speaking at a press conference earlier today, Lieutenant General John Frewen said there was a ‘resource-constrained environment’ with respect to supplies of the Pfizer vaccine, but availability was expected to increase in August and September, according to a the ABC.
Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has urged people to continue with their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine if they received the first without incident, stressing that there is no ‘mixing and matching’ happening with vaccines at this point.

Another pillar of vaccine hesitancy has been weakened with a study showing sperm counts and motility are unaffected by the mRNA covid vaccines.
Studies of the vaccine-hesitant have suggested fertility concerns are a key driver of vaccine avoidance, according to a paper published in JAMA.
However a study in 45 healthy men – 21 of whom received the Pfizer vaccine and 24 received the Moderna vaccine – found no decreases in sperm count, volume or motility after two doses of the mRNA vaccines.

Sydney’s latest COVID-19 cluster has grown to 11 cases, with two more community-acquired infections reported today, both of which are close contacts of previous cases.
The list of exposure sites now includes locations in Tempe, Baulkham Hills, Drummoyne and Parramatta. NSW has reintroduced the requirement for mask-wearing on public transport across Greater Sydney, Wollongong and Shellharbour, and in all public indoor venues in the City of Sydney, Waverley, Randwick, Canada Bay, Inner West, Bayside, and Woollahra local government areas.
Victoria has recorded one new local case today, and the list of exposure sites includes more locations in Southbank and Brunswick.
Queensland is also scrambling to avoid an outbreak after a member of international cabin crew tested positive after leaving quarantine, and visited the DFO in Brisbane Airport and the Brisbane Portuguese Family Centre on Saturday 19 June.
The crew member had tested negative three times in the 14-day hotel quarantine stay, then tested positive shortly after leaving quarantine.

Here are the latest covid-19 infection numbers from around Australia to 9pm Sunday:
National – 30,331 with 910 deaths
ACT – 124 (0)
NSW – 5642 (5)
NT – 176 (0)
QLD – 1665 (1)
SA – 785 (0)
TAS – 234 (0)
VIC – 20,685 (2)
WA – 1020 (0)

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