A week ago on this Blog I wrote,
“We’re now in a fingers crossed situation, hoping that the new rapid mutation transmission variety doesn’t hit our shores. That’s not something I’d bet on”.
As it transpired that was prophetic, the rapid mutation virus arriving three days later causing havoc. Furthermore, on the evidence from abroad it will be almost impossible to prevent re-occurring and once again the nation could be plunged into an economically devastating lockdown.
That’s no one’s fault. What is however is the mind-blowing blundering regarding vaccines to deal with this.
Four months back Health Minister Hipkins not once but twice assured the nation, “We’re at the head of the queue to obtain vaccines”. We now learn that we weren’t even in the queue.
So was Hipkins lying? Not for a minute do I think that, rather, like all Ministers he was relying on what his Health department officials were telling him. This ineptitude may go down as the most incompetent bureaucratic blunder in our history. Why?
Because of the probability of more economically debilitating and soul-destroying lockdowns and the possibility of lives lost, simply because far from being at the head of the queue, our Health officials had done nothing.
The New Zealand media have largely ignored this but not so abroad.
Last week The Financial Times published a lengthy article on this astonishing stuff-up, quoting a number of New Zealand relevant academics, understandably wringing their hands.
New Zealand, alone, not just in the developed world but with the exception of a handful of chaotic war-torn African nations, not only has no vaccines, let alone a vaccination programme, but no possibility of having one inside at best six months.
Why? Because demand massively exceeds supply and manufacturers can’t keep up with their established client nations, let alone entertain a new one.
So Britain with its near 70 million population expects to have every adult inoculated by the end of June, America is vaccinating a million folk a day and plan to double this up inside a month, Australia begins its mass vaccination programme next month, Russia and China are vaccinating many millions a day, while alone, our Health Department clowns wring their hands and mutter about such activity here by year-end.
There needs to be a huge enquiry into this blunder, of Royal Commission status. The last Royal Commission was, as I wrote when it was announced, utterly pointless, being into the Christchurch mosque massacre. That was a shocking waste of time and money, its only plus being it paid me to rent the space to conduct it.
But an enquiry into our Health Department ineptitude is critical, in particular given epidemiologists and other relevant specialists all say that it’s inevitable Covid will not be the last such event and we can expect them to be a regular feature.
A final irony; On the day The Financial Times ran their piece about the New Zealand cock-up the World Health boss Tedros Adhanom appealed to New Zealand and other wealthy nations to spare a thought for the half dozen distressed war-torn mismanaged African countries without vaccines and for us to allow them a small quota to help out. Please repeat the appeal Tedros, only this time on our behalf.
Today the Prime Minister has spoken on this issue. As I suggested last week, the excuse proffered for the cock-up inaction, is that our Health officials were waiting to ensure the vaccines were safe. That’s reasonable but why then drop the Minister in by telling him we were at the head of queue when we weren’t.
Jacinda gave vague year-end vaccination assurances but I suspect underneath is seething although no as much as Chris Hipkins will be.
So once again, we’re in a fingers-crossed situation. Skybayers should get stuck in praying which will be just as futile but they will at least feel better.
15 Comments
Sir Bob, great post.
I disagree when you say no one is responsible for the South African version getting into our community.
MIQ are feckless in their mismanagement.
Guests with 1 day to leave are regularly mixing with new arrivals playing soccer together and throwing frisbees !
Zero accountability from those responsible.
You are so very right about the vaccines arrival here.
We have been willfully mislead ( and that is being polite ) for over 3 months.
We were never in the queue.
Over 100 countries have approved 5 of the vaccines available.
World leaders, Queens and other royalty have received their shots for the last 2 months.
All Ardern can now say is that we may approve what everyone else approved last year in the coming weeks.
Silent , as always on DELIVERY.
Australia and Samoa are vaccinating full steam in 14 days.
Meanwhile our border personnel and health professionals are exposed for months as will the greater population.
The “ management “ of this crisis is absolutely scandalous.
All we can expect are frowns, hugs, hand wringing and a tsunami of untruthful statements.
Meanwhile, as you point out we will be financially crippled and our health held to ransom.
Here here!
Delaying approval of vaccine is political speak, when the reality is a small country doesnt have the pushing power of these bigger ones. Get use to waiting in line on this one.
Why doesnt the PM just tell it like it is? Maybe thats not in the manual to become a politician these days.
Thank God we have a bloody big moat to help us through these times.
Sir Bob, But the vaccine is not the answer. I will be attacked I know for being a tin-foil hat conspiracy theorist. I am not saying that covid is not ‘real’ at all. But please, please, Sir Bob do not have the pfizer vaccine. Using RNA as a ‘vaccine’ is untested. RNA therapies were developed for cancer, so by having a RNA-based vaccine it’s like saying ‘let’s give the whole population chemo just in case they get cancer’. Please open your mind to other answers- even if for your own health. Look into the ‘covidplanB’ group’s writings- a group of highly esteemed Professors etc, who work in areas such as the Ms Wiles of this world-in fact probably better to advise on the issue than she is. or going even more alternative, listen to a podcast ‘Wise Traditions’ – ‘It’s gene therapy not a vaccine’. Please…from another Addison’s person.
I agree,there is not the chance of a paper cat in a burning barn of me having that vaccine until I can convince myself it and any others are “Safe” regardless of what the boffins and the masses say let alone Hipkins and the Covid Queen .Also I’m one of the vulnerable by age and fortunately still blessed with a functioning top two inches and at least others like me are safe in the interim while the titts in the MOH entertain us with their continuing arse covering of their staggering incompetence through this entire issue,more flannel and bullshit to come via twitkins.Watch and weep folks -I’m going to trust myself and plan to survive and thrive.
It is well known overseas that cycle thresholds above 35 are unreliable to confirm covid. NZ tests to 40 CT. Ashley says that Woman 0056 was at a reasonably high threshold. I’m guessing it was above 35 and she is not contagious and therefore there will be no more cases from this faulty diagnosis.
The associated costs and disruption are all wasted.
The lack of a vaccine by march as promised will result in untold cost and lives lost. Will someone stand trial for manslaughter?
I concur with Saffron.
Too many innoculated folk overseas have died. Many Brit nurses have gone on strike, refusing to give, or receive this inoculation. The product has not been tested correctly, the side effects on some has been horrendous and the truth of it is continually either being censored or slanted as fake news
Doctor’s have spoken out to the detriment of their jobs to warn people of the dangers of these products.
For us to not recieve this vaccine before the year is up, will in the long run be much safer for the nz residents
Do not rush it i say
A couple of links in reference to my comments. I hope that’s acceptable and doesn’t go against the rules.
Thank you for the chance to orate..
https://youtube.com/watch?v=kf6NDIiE3Tw&feature=share
If tens of thousands of New Zealand’s old people die from a new strain of Covid, because we couldn’t get to them with an experimental vaccine, then the upside is that we will have even more disposable money left over, to inflate property prices even higher. And that would certainly put a smile on everyone’s faces…after they finish pretending to care less about someone else’s grandma.
Good piece as usual. Shame about the gratuitous last sentence.
Just perhaps we weren’t in the wealthiest line. The ‘flu vaccine had to be re-applied every year and only made some a lot sicker- it’s all the great gamble of being human. ps. the skybayers gave Trump a lot of blessings- nuff said!
Yes it beggars belief doesn’t it ? They need to fire some people to shake whatever dept it is that runs this stuff. Dr Bloomfield as director of public health seems to have little to say on how we were at the front, but now at the end of developed nations. Jacinda tonight says we will roll out at the same time as Australia as the world vaccine suppliers think neither country is a priority . However the next article on the same news said how Australia was rolling out in next few weeks . Its like Trump half truths and waffle.Why are the NZ reporters not bringing to account Ms Adern, Mr Hipkiss and Dr Bloomfield on these glaring issues?
As for the logistics fiasco. How hard is it to schedule a different facility to take in all occupants on a set date and release them all n two week brackets ? They simply have to (demand) airlines fit in to set schedule dates. Its not like they don’t have enough time slots or gates at international airports or Hotels . You know they managed to negotiate rack rates?
Its getting to the stage they need the private sector to step in and take it all over . Be completed cheaper and more efficiently with measured outcomes that no doubt will be superior . Its not rocket science any of this.
When will people finally wake up that Ardern, desperate for an election win last November, came onto the TV at 1pm each day and just plain and simple told mis-truths to the entire NZ audience? “We are front of the queue”, “Vaccinations will be rolled out early in 2021”. “Of course there’s enough PPE”. “Of course there’s enough test kits”. “Our MIQ facilities are working well”. “Trust us – we know what we’re doing…..”. etc etc.
The worst thing is we now have to tolerate yet again, the PM rabbiting on, on a daily basis.
There has never been any doubt in my mind that this government is intent on never wasting a trick with this virus. Last year she announced to her breathless audience: “This will be a Covid-19 election”. Already she is spouting that “2021 will be the year of the vaccine”. So what will she cook up for 2022…?
One thing is for sure: “I’ve saved you all Aotearoa” will be Arden’s catch-cry leading into the 2023 election. It worked for them in 2020 & they’ll make damned sure to time things perfectly so it’ll work again for them in 2023.
People need to get real & look past the hugs, frowns, nodding head, false smiles, teddy bears, ‘Team of 5 Million’ garbage, being talked down to like preschoolers, and the blatant lies & deceit, to actually realise we have possibly one of the most crafty and downright dangerous governments in NZ’s history.
“The most open & transparent government ever”. What an absolute total joke.
I think you are being very charitable to Adern. Last year her and Saint Ashley continually assured us that we had adequate PPE and enough flu vaccinations. They also told us that the border was one of the most secure in the world. History shows these were barefaced lies. I would not trust anything her and Hipkins say. Frankly they make up as they go.
As for the media giving the govt criticism over this – well the print media, TV and Red Radio won’t raise a murmur. They serve purely as cheerleaders for the govt. I would note that Newstalk ZB and Magic Talk are notable exceptions. They at least do try and hold the govt to account.
The myth about Jacinda’s peerless stewardship on the COVID crisis continues despite cock-up after cock-up. First, she was not “early,” she was late – i know, I came down for a visit on March 1 and the only indication of action was the question “have you been in China within the last two weeks?” ” No,” we said, “we haven’t been to Italy or South Korea either.” No test. Nothing. Then the total lockdown, which wiped out my cousin’s butcher shop while the supermarket down the street was going gangbusters. Now this. At some point, will the bubble burst?
No surprise. This Government’s expertise is in stopping people doing things, not actually doing anything. Like all bureaucracies.
And their first action is always to ensure their monopoly over private sector competition.