Have been using this global covid tracker which also includes vaccination rates ....

http://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/countries-and-territories/new-zealand/

Sadly , looking around the world .. the number of cases and deaths continue to grow . still nowhere near achieving global herd immunity .

You may be interested in this crystal ....

http://cdn.ymaws.com/www.theabn.org/resource/collection/65C334C7-30FA-45DB-93AA-74B3A3A20293/ABN_Guidance_on_COVID-19_Vaccinations_for_people_with_neurological_conditions_9.1.21.pdf

The unfortunate thing is a covid infection may well aggravate tinnitus but the bigger concern would be the neurological damage covid is capable of causing. How confident are you that you will remain covid free ? Do you feel that you are less at risk from a covid infection than vaccination ? Just another perspective to consider

Thanks for sharing this Blondey, as well as all the info you've been sharing.

I wish our country handled things the way NZ did when only one case was discovered. Unfortunately, here they seem to wait until it's worse case scenario before taking drastic measures.

The area I'm in is considered a high risk area for exposure. We've had guests, as well as employees getting sick with the Delta variant. A little over a month ago, the National Park Service mandated wearing masks in all indoor places. Even those who have been vaccinated are required to do so.

I was upset with myself after getting fully vaccinated... I ended up experiencing vertigo and headaches. Though there were two other factors in my life that changed, so I can't say for sure it was due to the vaccine. However, today I'm happy I chose to get vaccinated. The vertigo subsided, as did the headaches. With being potentially exposed to the virus on a daily basis, I feel more protected. And I feel I'm protecting others as well from having been vaccinated.

I still have to travel across the country, through some of the States that continue to increase in the amount of cases. It does concern me a little, especially since so many people here refuse to take precautions such as wearing a mask or staying home if they are sick. We had a family come in about a week ago, and clearly their son was sick, coughing all over the store. No mask, and not covering his mouth when he coughed. I, of course, spoke up but they wouldn't leave.

With all the research you've been posting, and doing a little research on my own... I feel confident that I made the right choice in getting vaccinated. I just wish more people in my country would take it as seriously as NZ has. Anywho, thanks again!

Thank you so much for your feedback River and choosing to be vaccinated. It really is the way forward out of this pandemic . Although our understanding of covid has improved and how we treat symptoms .. we still have no medical therapy that will destroy the virus . The current vaccinations will at least minimise risk and offer protection while other treatment options are developed .

Risk to staff in front facing roles is very real and can be scary . makes me angry to hear that you are exposed to such risk and irresponsible behaviour
How does your workplace recommend you deal with customers who refuse to wear a mask or become aggressive ? Do you have any means of immediate support when there is an issue ? The responsibility lies with your workplace to provide a safe environment .

Even in perfect New Zealand (laughing) we have had similar issues during lockdown with occasional individuals refusing to mask up at supermarkets. Police are quick to intervene when necessary . Mask wearing has been mandated in NZ which makes it easier to regulate and services can refuse entry to anyone not wearing a mask .

I may be wrong but America seems to have different policies and attitudes towards covid management between its states . A unified strategy would surely be more effective . That is one thing my country has done well ., to stand together against covid and do what needs to be done ( obviously there will always be outliers but mostly It has been a united “team NZ “ approach .

At least you are in a stunningly beautiful place River , breathe in that fresh nature air and enjoy getting away from the crowds when you can . Continue to look after yourself and stay safe xox

http://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/thrill-seeking-dog-goes-surf-wellingtons-lyall-bay

Lockdown in New Zealand ... so adorable ... he can be my surf buddy anytime

Yes, it is a beautiful place, however right now breathing in fresh air is a rarity. We're experiencing all the smoke from the wildfires west of us. I can only imagine how bad it is for those closer to the wildfires.

As far as the customers go, we are told if they become too aggressive or unruly to let them be. Or call park services and let them handle it. I'm at a point where I don't care if I get fired, I tell the people they need to leave if they won't put a mask on. Most will either leave or begrudgingly put one on. For those that insist on staying without a mask on, I refuse to wait on them at the register. My boss is aware of my stance and doesn't insist I do it anyways... she knows I'd walk and we're really short staffed.

Yes, each State has different policies for how they manage covid. I agree that a more unified strategy would be more effective.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-delta-outbreak-nz-to-have-vaccine-passport-by-christmas/BWHHR6BDTFXWDXFQOLKCY7KKTI/

Covid vaccine passports for NZ by Christmas . Hope that santa is bringing me something else as well lol

Curious ....Are other countries using vaccination passports just for international travel ?

When you say "vaccination passport", is that like the vaccination card (which we get in the USA)?

I was fully vaccinated with the Sputnik vaccine while in Kazakhstan (March), and then fully vaccinated with Pfizer in the USA (July). I keep proof of both with me. But when I travel internationally, no one has ever cared about my vaccination card. They only ask for PCR test results at every airport (even layovers).

a question?? over the past year and a half since covid 19 escaped the lab.
what happened to the different flu strains that took 100's of thousands of lives every year??
did they mysteriously die off? or did they continue to infect people, and get counted as covid cases? Dr.s admitted that they are very difficult to tell apart.
but there has been no mention of the flu beyond that.
and the main cause of deaths are due to underlying conditions. same as with people that come down with the flu.

people will continue getting sick. like the flu, it wont get wiped out.
it will continue to morph and develop more strains. as it has been doing.
it is part of our lives now.

all we can do is learn to live with it. mind the reports of out breaks in your area, get the shots, stay home if your not feeling well. and live your lives.

Hi Richard . firstly , the last I heard the original source of covid is still unknown . Until there is evidence of a lab leak I am not going to speculate .

Secondly , The low circulating number of influenza infections during this covid pandemic has been mainly attributed to a couple of factors ...

1. The mass reduction of international travel . Similar to covid ...,.influenza is imported !!

2. Lockdowns , social distancing , wearing of masks , hand hygiene , quarantine , the requirement to stay home when sick, especially with any respiratory symptoms .

3. Increased uptake of influenza vaccinations .

While it may seem like influenza has disappeared , the reality is .. it hasn’t and there is concern over what will happen when the world reopens . Also concern if the previous influenza vaccine will be effective against whatever strain is eventually transmitted .

Recently , NZ and Australia introduced a travel bubble between our two countries . Coincidentally both countries battled with a winter surge of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus ) which placed an immense strain on our hospital system .

We may have “learned to live” with seasonal influenza (strains that we can successfully vaccinate against ) but I still recall the impact of H1N1 which was a novel influenza strain (commonly called swine flu) . .. thankfully I didn’t experience the Spanish Flu outbreak .

Personally , I do not feel we are at the stage we can safely “learn to live with covid “. Our vaccinations are new ( approx 8 months now in circulation ). Our knowledge about covid has improved but there are still many unanswered questions and major limitations with treatment options and healthcare resources . To “live with covid “ requires that outbreaks can be managed !!! Global herd immunity is still a considerable time away . Delta has seen a big surge in vaccination rates but untill rates are optimal and as long as countries remain disadvantaged when it comes to vaccination access/ distribution , the door is wide open for further mutations and uncontrolled spread

A couple of links you may be interested in reading ...

http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2783644


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/covid-19-coronavirus-australia-no-flu-deaths-this-year-but-that-could-change-experts-warn/M2FASIZRNEJZ2AACLOPAVHXIVI/

I will certainly be watching the UK closely as it heads into winter with interest and concern .

sorry blondie.. maybe I'm just speaking for my self here..so no disrespect meant.

1) the source has been widely reported as being from a virology facility out of the Wuhan district of china. from which it was first reported to the C.D.C.,
but that's a matter of choice as to if you believe the news that has reported it, or not or the scientists that have shown it has a human fingerprint in its design.

2) the lock downs did not stop the spread of the covid virus. so it would have had a similar effect with the spread flu virus. and it is spread the same way as the flu.

3) vaccines for the different flu strains have been around and have been used for generations. and people with the flu have all ways been asked to stay at home.
but 100's of thousands of people still died from it annually. so I dont understand the under reporting going on.
still does not explain why there has not been a single warning of a flu outbreak reminding us to get our shots, since the covid-19 hit..
I dont believe the flu disappeared, nor the deaths caused by it.
just as I dont believe people that died from other health conditions, mysteriously disappeared.
the vaccines for covid are new, and just like when a new strain of the flu is reported, the vaccines only help prevent the spread. and there are some people that experience side effects. it is a persons choice to take them or not (though that is being challenged as many people have been mandated into forced compliance).

to me it is not a matter of feeling we are at a stage where we can feel comfortable with having the corona virus in our lives.
it is here, and it is continuing to mutate. so we either learn to live with it.. or live in fear of it for the rest of our lives..

get vaccinated, pay attention to outbreaks in your area, and take care as you all ways have been told, when an infectious virus has been reported in your area..

but live your lives.

In the not too distant past I was doing extensive reading/research to make intelligent decisions. I've pretty much given up listening to the "experts".
What they told us last years is irrelevant this year,what they told us last week will be irrelevant by next week. It's as though they are using the S.W.A.G (spontaneous wild arse guess) methodology to give guidance.

Often mandates are illogical at best. I'm an adult, I'm a fairly intelligent person, I'm capable of determining my own risk tolerance. The whole thing has become way too politicized and is being used by governments to take away what used to be basic freedoms. We were told get vaccinated so you are protected and can get back to "normal life". Now they are telling vaccinated people they CAN'T get back to normal life, we need to wear masks to be protected because of the un-vaccinated. It's illogical to say the I as a vaccinated person needs to protect myself from un-vaccinated people.

I'll continue doing what I've done since the beginning which isn't much different from what I was doing before covid hit.