Category: COVID-19
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Pandemics are by definition GLOBAL. Will Australia share the solution?
Terry Slevin – PHAA “The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine for people aged 18 years and older, six months after their second dose. “In high-income countries, over 60% of people have had at least one vaccine dose, compared to around 4% in low- income…
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The Code COVID19 International Update – 27 October 2021
Dr Priscilla Robinson The Code COVID19 International Update is a weekly snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing efforts by nations around the world to test, track and fight the virus. It’s compiled by Dr Priscilla Robinson, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at LaTrobe University, and an editor for…
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The Code COVID19 International Update – 21 October 2021
Dr Priscilla Robinson The Code COVID19 International Update is a weekly snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing efforts by nations around the world to test, track and fight the virus. It’s compiled by Dr Priscilla Robinson, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at LaTrobe University, and an editor for…
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Dr Karin English on how pandemic planning paid off in the national capital
Jeremy Lasek – PHAA We continue our series featuring the incredible diversity of work within Australia’s public health workforce. Today, let’s meet Dr Karin English, who works with ACT Health as a trainee public health physician. Currently Karin is on maternity leave, and also hard at work studying for her…
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PHAA celebrates Michelle Dickson’s teaching contribution and shares her COVID-19 ‘silver linings’
‘For over 30 years, she has made a catalytic contribution to strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, their communities and their health, through education, research and service.’ So said the nominators of Associate Professor Michelle Dickson, a very worthy winner of the PHAA’s 2021 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander…
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Freedom from lockdown but shackled to alcohol: How Australia’s glorification of alcohol is damaging to public health
Dr Michelle I Jongenelis – Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Director, Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change I write this piece knowing that many in Australia will not respond favourably to the words that follow. I may be called a ‘party pooper’, a ‘killjoy’, or a ‘wowser’. Someone who is complicit…
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An update on the public health vaccination campaign tackling COVID wave in Illawarra
TOBY DAWSON – Vax the Illawarra Campaign Volunteer Background: In September we shared stories about the Vax The Illawarra campaign featuring former PHAA Board member, Dr Summer May Finlay, and two men living with long COVID who support the immunisation project. Here’s an update from the NSW region. The COVID-19…
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10 ways we can better respond to the pandemic in a trauma-informed way
By Christina Heris, Australian National University; Catherine Chamberlain, The University of Melbourne; Cindy Woods, The University of Melbourne; Helen Herrman, The University of Melbourne; Janine Mohamed; Michelle Kennedy, University of Newcastle; Shannon Bennetts, La Trobe University, and Simon Graham, The University of Melbourne Fear is one of the central emotional responses…
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The Code COVID19 International Update – 7 October 2021
Dr Priscilla Robinson The Code COVID19 International Update is a weekly snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing efforts by nations around the world to test, track and fight the virus. It’s compiled by Dr Priscilla Robinson, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at LaTrobe University, and an editor for…
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Pandemic lessons learnt, legacies, and the need for greater investment
Jeremy Lasek – PHAA The PHAA’s Australian Public Health Conference 2021, while virtual in nature due to COVID, is being widely acclaimed as having some of the best content in years. That old saying of ‘saving the best till the last’ may ring true yet again, following the conference’s final…
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Dr Dawn Casey PSM wins Sidney Sax Medal for her COVID leadership
Jeremy Lasek – PHAA Introduction After a long and distinguished career of public service, Dr Dawn Casey PSM, while a relatively late arrival on the public health scene, is now recognised as a national leader and inspiration for her active and passionate protection and promotion of public health within Australia.…
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The Code COVID19 International Update – 30 September 2021
Dr Priscilla Robinson This is a weekly snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing efforts by nations around the world to test, track and fight the virus. It’s compiled by Dr Priscilla Robinson, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at LaTrobe University, and an editor for the Australian and New…
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A rare COVID silver lining – Lauren Richardson on meeting ‘her people’ in VIC Department of Health
Jeremy Lasek, PHAA Our recent request for your stories to capture the essence of a career in public health has uncovered fabulous case studies. Today, we meet Lauren Richardson, who found herself swept up in the Victorian Department of Health’s COVID-19 response. Let’s start at the beginning. Lauren says she…
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The Code COVID19 International Update – 23 September 2021
Dr Priscilla Robinson This is a weekly snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing efforts by nations around the world to test, track and fight the virus. It’s compiled by Dr Priscilla Robinson, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at LaTrobe University, and an editor for the Australian and New…
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Drugs, advocacy, and understanding public health’s ‘new frontier’: it’s conference week
Jeremy Lasek – PHAA The Australian Public Health Conference 2021 starts this Thurday 23 September, and features a stellar line-up of presenters. One final reminder, this year’s conference is virtual only, so if you haven’t cancelled your travel plans and accommodation in the national capital, please make that a…
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Chief health officers are in the spotlight like never before. Here’s what goes on behind the scenes
Patrick Harris, UNSW and PHAA NSW Branch President Aryati Yashadhana, UNSW, and Evelyne de Leeuw, UNSW Until COVID-19, few people knew anything about Australia’s chief medical officer or the state and territories’ chief health officers. Now they are front and centre of the news cycle. But media coverage misses the nuances…
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Children join vaccine queue; mRNA a marvel; start packing for Bali?
PHAA and Prof Kathy Eagar, AHSRI As the national vaccine program continues apace, adults are now able to register their 12-to-15 year-old children or dependants for a Pfizer COVID vaccination. The vaccine was already available to children aged 12-15 who are Indigenous, on the NDIS, live in remote areas, or…
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The CODE Update – 16 September
Dr Priscilla Robinson The Code Update is a weekly snapshot of the COVID-19 pandemic, assessing efforts by nations around the world to test, track and fight the virus. It’s compiled by Dr Priscilla Robinson, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at LaTrobe University, and an editor for the Australian…
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Two Ruby Princess passengers on living with ‘long COVID’
Henry Karpik (left) and Don Jones Jeremy Lasek – PHAA Henry Karpik was blunt. “I was supposed to be dead,” he said. Having been given what he calls “a second shot at life”, the former passenger of the cruise ship Ruby Princess andCOVID19 -survivor, Henry Karpik, recently celebrated a quiet…
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Australian Public Health Conference just 2 weeks away
Jeremy Lasek – PHAA Australia’s experiencing a range of chronic disease challenges including tobacco use, obesity, and unhealthy foods. Climate change looms as a national and worldwide health problem. And the Australian Government is close to finalising a comprehensive national policy on Prevention. Oh yes, and we’re also dealing…
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PHAA board member, Dr Summer May Finlay, part of community-led COVID19 vaccination campaign
Jeremy Lasek – PHAA One of the leading lights in Australia’s public health sector, proud Yorta Yorta woman, Dr Summer May Finlay, is leading the call for more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to get vaccinated against COVID. Prompted by recent data from the Department of Health showing a big…
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The CODE Update – 08 September
Priscilla Robinson View the latest spreadsheet here Another interesting week, with an overall drop once again in both cases and fatalities. It is unclear about why there is a rise in deaths in the Americas and Europe – perhaps these are in people who have been unwell for…
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Are bottle shops using Twitter to encourage drinking during COVID-19?
Jeremy Lasek – PHAA The impacts of COVID-19 on our lives have been all encompassing. There have been varying reports on its impacts on mental health, dietary habits, regular physical exercise and alcohol consumption, particularly under the effect of long lockdowns. While traditional media remains a key marketing tool…
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The CODE Update – 01 Sept
Priscilla Robinson View the latest spreadsheet here This week in our many Covid-lands: Worldwide, there have been very slightly fewer cases this week than last, and the only regions with small rises have been South East Asia and the Western Pacific, which of course had relatively few cases…
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PHAA President ‘honoured’ to be leading western NSW COVID-19 crisis team
Jeremy Lasek – PHAA A team of public health experts from five states and territories is currently on the ground in one of the nation’s COVID-19 hot spots, providing surge capacity to help address the growing crisis in the west and far west of NSW. Headed up on…
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The CODE Update – 25 August
Priscilla Robinson View the latest spreadsheet here A generally quieter week this week, except for the Western Pacific and Africa. Compared with the week before there is just a small increase in case numbers and fatalities. And of course for those of us in Australia, we are getting…
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PHAA member urges caution on compulsory COVID-19 vaccination
Jeremy Lasek – PHAA Australia has passed another important milestone in its ever-accelerating vaccination rollout, administering more than 16 million COVID-19 vaccine doses and tracking towards meeting the agreed National Cabinet thresholds of 80% fully vaccinated, to start freeing us up from restrictions before the end of the year.…
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Vaccine Hesitancy: Should We Be Worried?
Veronica Martinez Harris and Michelle I Jongenelis – PHAA members Never has there been a more important time in living memory to get vaccinated, with Australia’s ability to effectively tackle the COVID-19 crisis heavily dependent on high vaccination rates. Despite this, Australia’s vaccine rollout has experienced multiple setbacks since…
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The CODE Update – 18 August
Priscilla Robinson View the latest spreadsheet here There are some interesting patterns to note this week. As happens about every three months or so, this week the total number of new cases compared with last week is very slightly reduced, as are fatalities (it last happened in May-June, and before…
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Indigenous communities go digital to spread COVID-19 vaccination message
Jeremy Lasek – PHAA One of the greatest success stories since COVID-19’s arrival in Australia in January last year has been our ability to keep it out of some of our most vulnerable communities, and in particular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. That’s largely been the result of…