What is our current understanding of COVID-19?  A gigantic and possibly never-ending question.  It may appear that there is current COVID stability, but this is illusory, as new pathogenetic strains precipitating further pandemics are inevitable. What about the demand for booster innoculations?  Anti-COVID neutralising antibodies and clinical immunity produced by vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 virus are known to wane over a period of months.1  Antibody levels one booster dose after the primary series of vaccinations are fully restored but this effect also progressively declines.  Fortunately, the 3-dose regimen including RNA-based vaccines is also highly effective against severe disease and death from the Omicron strain.  The question arises as to whether a fourth dose will be required because of waning immunity, whether it will also be as effective as the initial “booster”, and if so will its effect also be transient?  The underlying implication is that a regular programme of boosters may

War causes death, disease, destruction, despair and destitution.  It is a valid topic for inclusion in a medical journal. Spare a momentary thought for Mr Vladimir Putin.  He does not seem to realise that by invading Ukraine he may have signed his own death warrant.  A week ago he might have expected to live a full life, notwithstanding earlier adventures, and he appears not to realise that violent adventurism based on lies only ends in tragedy.  Mother Russia, whom he is indulging, exists only in the creative minds of Russian romantics.  How do we respond as doctors to such an unfortunate but disturbed person?  Is he entitled to sympathy due to his lack of insight?  Perhaps, but the negative side of the Putin ledger is now inescapable.  Like most of the world, we denounce his actions in Ukraine. Several days ago the invading Russian army attacked a broadcasting station in

This Journal, in an early publication from the pen of the Editor (1) and at a point prior to the availability of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection during which lockdown of citizens was taken to be the only possible mechanism for reducing community spread of the virus, noted that the wider economic and social impacts of such measures had been overlooked.  I stated “…The natural and expected political imperative is to prevent unnecessary infections and deaths.  However, this must be balanced against the adverse chronic consequences of economic shutdown, which will produce its own health hazards, especially in the area of geriatric medicine and mental health.  Thus one reaches the conclusion that reversal of restrictions in the interests of resuming normal life must be undertaken before the pandemic has been fully controlled.” I also noted that the Premier and Chief Medical Officer of Western Australia made statements recognising that continuing social

The Tasman Medical Journal is politically neutral but government decisions in health based on misapplication of science and/or causing widespread community confusion justify comment as they must have health consequences.  In a previous (1) and supplementary blog we summarised information demonstrating from four studies that the Omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2 is resistant to currently available vaccines until the “booster” or 3rd dose has been administered.  A further two studies confirm that conclusion (2,3).  Thus the description of double-vaccinated persons as “fully vaccinated” is wrong for the omicron strain, which is the strain currently feared most by the WA authorities. In response to the perceived risk of the omicron strain and in order to reduce its impact on the state hospital system, the WA government has recently reversed its ‘binding’ policy of opening the state borders on 5 February 2022 and introduced further restrictive regulations that even the state Premier has