Tagged: vaccinations

Why vaccine doses differ for babies, kids, teens and adults – an immunologist explains how your immune system changes as you mature - COVID-19

Guest Author • Nov 05, 2021 •

• COVID-19,
• immune systems,
• vaccinations

Brian Peppers, West Virginia University   Human beings are born pretty helpless, with a lot of developing to do. And just as you must learn such skills as how to walk, so must your immune system learn to defend against infections. As time passes, your immune system matures through different stages, much the way you advanced from crawling … Read More

COVID-19 in Aotearoa: what does public health do now? - Public Health Expert

Public Health Expert • Oct 18, 2021 •

• COVID-19,
• New Zealand stories,
• Public Health,
• vaccinations

Dr Belinda Loring, Dr Ruth Cunningham, Dr Polly Atatoa Carr* Public health activities have collectively made an incredible contribution to minimising the impact of COVID-19 in Aotearoa. But the work for public health is not over. As the situation in Auckland heralds a transition point in our approach to the pandemic, the challenge now is to be bold and clear … Read More

Why Jacinda Ardern’s ‘clumsy’ leadership response to Delta could still be the right approach - COVID-19

Guest Author • Oct 15, 2021 •

• COVID-19,
• leadership,
• New Zealand stories,
• vaccinations

Suze Wilson, Massey University   Leading people through the pandemic is clearly no easy task. But does the criticism currently directed at New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reveal a major misstep on her part, or something deeper about the nature of leadership itself? Ardern has previously won widespread praise for her COVID-19 response and crisis communication, topping … Read More

To be truly ethical, vaccine mandates must be about more than just lifting jab rates - COVID-19

Guest Author • Oct 12, 2021 •

• COVID-19,
• ethics,
• New Zealand stories,
• vaccinations

Matheson Russell, University of Auckland   As New Zealand’s race to lift vaccination rates continues, and with pressure to lift social and economic restrictions too, the role of vaccine mandates is coming into sharper focus. Yesterday the government signalled stricter rules will apply in health and education. But while public sentiment appears to be on the side of … Read More

‘Are you double dosed?’ How to ask friends and family if they’re vaccinated, and how to handle it if they say no - COVID-19

Guest Author • Oct 05, 2021 •

• COVID-19,
• vaccinations,
• vaccine hesitancy

Jessica Kaufman, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Julie Leask, University of Sydney   The weekend is approaching, your fridge is stocked with cheese and you’re eager to organise a COVID-compliant picnic with other fully vaccinated adults which your local rules stipulate. But choose your guests wisely — only fully vaccinated people can attend, and fines apply if the rules are … Read More

What are the limits of dissent as NZ locks down, vaccinates and prepares to ‘open up’? - COVID-19

Guest Author • Sep 01, 2021 •

• COVID-19,
• New Zealand stories,
• vaccinations

Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato   As New Zealand grapples to bring a Delta outbreak under control and to accelerate the vaccination rollout, social cohesion is vital for a successful elimination strategy. Political consensus on elimination has endured so far. Unlike the anti-mask and anti-vaccination movements elsewhere, most New Zealanders continue to back the prime minister’s decision to … Read More

What rights do NZ children and their parents have when giving consent to be vaccinated? - COVID-19

Guest Author • Aug 25, 2021 •

• COVID-19,
• medical consent,
• New Zealand stories,
• vaccinations

Claire Breen, University of Waikato   With the government’s announcement last week that 12–to-15-year-olds can now receive the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19, New Zealand has joined a growing list of countries expanding their vaccination rollouts. A Ministry of Health survey in June found 58% of caregivers were likely to allow their 12–to-15-year-old children to be vaccinated, up … Read More

Should we tell stories of vaccine sceptics who have died of COVID? - COVID-19

Guest Author • Aug 17, 2021 •

• COVID-19,
• morality,
• Psychology,
• vaccinations

Nick Chater, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick   As vaccine uptake starts to wane, stories have began to emerge of people who refused the jab ending up in intensive care, ruing not having had the vaccine, and subsequently dying. These cautionary tales are certainly attention-grabbing, but is it right to publish or broadcast them? If human … Read More

Research now backs routinely offering pregnant women the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine - COVID-19

Guest Author • Jun 11, 2021 •

• COVID-19,
• New Zealand stories,
• Pregnant Women,
• vaccinations

Michelle Wise, University of Auckland New Zealand and Australia will now routinely offer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to women at any stage of pregnancy, following an update of vaccination advice. This comes as research suggests the risk of severe outcomes from infection is significantly higher for pregnant women compared to the general population. At the same time, … Read More

How well your immune system works can depend on the time of day - COVID-19

Guest Author • Jun 04, 2021 •

• bodyclock,
• COVID-19,
• immune system,
• vaccinations

Annie Curtis, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences   When microorganisms – such as bacteria or viruses – infect us, our immune system jumps into action. It’s highly trained to sense and eliminate infections and clear up any damage caused by them. It’s typically assumed our immune systems work the exact same way regardless of whether an infection occurs … Read More