Dr Billie's COVID Whinge

Dr Billies whinge I've got COVID

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ARE YOU THINKING OF TRAVELLING ? This was my journey

Due to COVID 19 it is almost 2 years since we have been able to travel. So as soon as we were allowed to leave Australia I booked tickets to visit my elderly parents in London. At the start of lockdowns my mother had convinced herself she would never see me again. Until I arrived in the hallway of her London flat I was unable to convince her otherwise.

I wont bore you with the trip details but as a heads up I will copy here for you the Whats App messages I sent my friends back in Oz whilst standing in Heathrow Airport trying to return home

NOTE date on picture below - yep the bag travelled alone 2 days later!!.

(the pooch is my dog Bacchus checking my bag out)

Vaccination Certification Consternation

I reproduce below a typical email (deidentified of course) that we have received as a result of the difficulties we are experiencing uploading COVID vaccination notification to the Australian Immunisation Register. This is not to make an excuse for our short comings rather to explain the process.

We do not want any vaccine to be recorded inaccurately, to not be recorded nor for anyone not to receive their vaccination certificate in a timely fashion. However there are many moving parts to this process most of which are new and can malfunction as it has all been rolled out quite fast.

Please notify us via this website and I will rectify mistakes as quickly as I can. Please be patient with us we are vaccinating over 300 people a week. This generate a lot of paperwork which we upload daily. Occasionally we make mistakes for which we apologise. Please point them out to us - nicely :-). We will correct them. If it doesn't work first time - tell us. We are trying to get it right.

MESSAGE

Sep 10, 9:12 PM

Hi, I recently came in as my vaccination record hadn't been updated (4 weeks after my COVID vaccination) and now it says I received Pfizer, which I did not. I received AstraZeneca I'm sorry but this is unacceptable. Firstly not updating it immediately, which if I had complications could have been detrimental to the care I received. And now not even putting the correct information up. I would like it fixed immediately and to be contacted when it is done as I dont trust it will be done otherwise.

Form Submission

Sep 12, 6:51 AM

thankthank you for informing us this problem could be at the AIR's interface not just with our data entry. This will be attended to in working hours tomorrow. You can check if this has been uploaded correctly by logging into MyGov from Wednesday onward you for informing us this problem could be at the AIR's interface not juSep 24, 5:53 PMst with our data entry. This

Hello, this is my 4th and final time contacting you. My vaccination record is STILL incorrect (it has been over a month). It says I received Astra and Pfizer from you on the 16/08/21 when I only received Astra. I have contacted you 3 times (email, phone and this platform) since the error was made (after initially NOT uploading anything, then uploading pfizer). With things opening up I am worried this will affect my ability to go places. If this is not fixed by next week, and I receive a call informing me as such. I will have no choice but to report the practice to the medical board. In such an important time this is utter incompetence. Please inform me when it is fixed, not that you will attend to it, as I have been told that once and it has not been attended to.will be attended to in working hours tomorrow. You can check if this ha

Oct 9 , 12:03 PM

Dear

I did change the details when you asked me intially.

The Australian Immunisation register are dealing with hundreds of thousands of issues like yours every day.

There have been many issues with this process.

This no excuse but a reason as to why this is beyond my control.

I have seen articles where the Hubs such as Home Bush have had these issues as well and everyone in the same predicament as yourself wants to get their vaccination certification as we open up.

I have tried many times to call the AIR. To no avail.

All I can do is put through the changes again and see of this prompts their computer system to make the changes.

The AIR is aware of this problem as it is widespread.

I do understand that this is cold comfort to you.

I can send you an manual certificate to say that you have received the vaccines although recognise that this isn't official certification.

I am upset that view this as my unprofessionalism and incompetence and I unreservedly apologise.

However our countries' need to vaccinate the whole population and to document this is a short period of time via newly written computer protocols with new vaccines and systems that have never 'spoken' to each other before needing to do just that .... it is unfortunately inevitable that there will be times when the software doesn't work properly. The real humans affected by this- yourself and myself trying to fix the problem are caught in this.

It will in time be rectified.

I am going to use the text of our messages deidentified on the surgery blog to explain to others what is going on as you are not alone in your frustration. It has happened to others and we too are concerned about this. onward.