So today I was lucky enough to get a vaccine.

Now I am eagerly waiting for day 4 to pass uneventfully.

Also wore my lucky shirt for the win.

#COVIDisAirborne
#COVIDVaccination
#AirbornePPE
#Ventilation

Before going for my AZ vac I wondered about consent when the choice is either (a) consent to the AZ vac or (b) do not consent to the AZ vac. I thought about VIPIT and my discussion with a med friend about how many people that might be.

Him: if we vax say 10m with AZ and expected rate of VIPIT is 1:500000 (Buttery) then expect 20 cases and 6 deaths (assuming mortality of 30%).

I reflected that it was a risk number I was being asked to consent to, a risk of being one of the 6 in 10m c/f no severe covid/death

My Consent: Dr Alex went through the AZ risk factors with me as advised by DOH. I discussed my fears re AZ with Dr Alex mostly relating to me being a single mum and what might happen to my children should I be one of the few who might die. This is what was important to me.

We discussed that I am a woman under 55 (just). That AZ will most probably stop me from getting severe disease and dying (at least from current variants we have mostly had in Aus).

Despite knowing the answer, I then asked “is there an alternative vac available to me?”

He said he could not offer me an alternative vac. It saddened me that this was the case. I know what vac's are available. I actually read the studies. But I reflected that this will NOT be the only vac I will be having for Covid. I wondered if people were aware of that.

I thought about how 'this will be your first vac' should be part of the message. I want an mRNA vac. But AZ is what is available. It helped me make the decision. I pondered the risk of severe disease/death from Covid c/f being one of the 6. I consented

I thought about all the amazing people I know who are out there campaigning for recognition of #LongCovid. I thought about the estimated 32million cases of #LongCovid in the USA. Of those closer to home. I thought about the staggering number of deaths world wide. I consented.

I thought about the fact I work in a medical clinic and I have a reasonable risk of coming into contact with Covid if community transmission increases. After all, GP Clinics are a port of call for many people who are unwell or worried because they know someone who is unwell.

But mostly I thought about my daughter who has a primary immune deficiency and does not mount an immune response. About how I could not pass Covid on. How if we are not vaccinated as a country, she is not safe. My aim has always been to make Aus as safe as possible., for her.

So I consented
I consented to the risk of VIPIT
I consented because I judged the risk of contracting Covid and the resultant potential fallout from that to be greater
I consented for this to be my first type of vac
I consented to the only option available to me to protect her

I DID NOT CONSENT to AZ being my only choice or being the only type of vac I will ever get in Aus to combat Covid. I will keep advocating for wider vac strategy and will be getting every vac available to me as the opportunities to do so arise.

That I want that on the record.