Coronavirus: No evidence: epidemiologist questions WHO ruling out Wuhan lab as likely source of pandemic
Leading epidemiologist Raina MacIntyre has questioned why a World Health Organisation delegation that investigated the origins of COVID-19 ruled out the theory that the virus had escaped from a laboratory without providing evidence. READ MORE
UNSW biosecurity researchers develop intelligence program that ‘could have prevented COVID-19’
Researchers from the University of NSW have developed a biosecurity program they say could have prevented COVID-19 and believe it will be instrumental in thwarting future pandemics.
UNSW’s head of biosecurity research, Raina MacIntyre, has spearheaded an intelligence program called Epiwatch that she is confident could have detected COVID-19 in China in mid-November 2019 – one month before the World Health Organisation knew about it. READ MORE
Can vaccines offer an exit plan from Covid-19? – Prof Raina Macintyre
What we do not know yet is the efficacy of these vaccines in preventing all infection (symptomatic and asymptomatic). This is of interest in assessing the ability to achieve herd immunity. Only AstraZeneca has published data on asymptomatic infection, and the vaccine is not very effective on that front. READ MORE
Vaccines need to be studied to assess effectiveness against new variants of the coronavirus
The American pharmaceutical company Novavax has released results about the efficacy of its vaccine - claiming it's 95 per cent effective against the original version of Covid-19.
But it's less effective against the fast-spreading variant of the virus that's now become dominant in South Africa. Hear the interview
Ignoring pandemic experts proves fatal – Prof Raina Macintyre
The catastrophic failure of many Western democracies such as the U.S., UK and many European countries to control COVID-19 has been shocking. READ MORE
Australia must vaccinate 100,000 people every day to meet government targets
Professor Raina MacIntyre, head of the biosecurity program at the Kirby Institute at the University of NSW, said last week that the AstraZeneca vaccine may protect “against death and hospitalisation, but may not protect well against infection”.
“I do not believe the AstraZeneca vaccine – based on published phase 3 trial results – will be efficacious enough for herd immunity,” she said. READ MORE
Vaccine ‘not good enough to stop the coronavirus’
Raina MacIntyre, the head of the biosecurity program at the University of NSW’s Kirby Institute, said Australia would not achieve herd immunity if most people in the community received the ordinary dosage regimen of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Medics are also concerned that millions of Australians are in line to receive the lower efficacy AstraZeneca vaccine. READ MORE
How important are COVID vaccine efficacy rates?
Experts weigh in on whether greater investment in candidates with a higher efficacy rate would actually provide greater promise of elimination. READ MORE
Aus COVID-19 vaccine rollout brought forward to February
The rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine in Australia will be brought forward from March to February, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying the first groups are expected to receive a jab as early as the middle of next month. READ MORE
Coronavirus: Australia’s COVID vaccine rollout accelerated amid fears over mutant UK strain
The federal government hopes to vaccinate four million Australians by April, but a leading epidemiologist says the nation still needs to invest in more vaccines, raising fears our stocks may not be up to the job of stopping future outbreaks. READ MORE