Representative imageNew South Wales, Australia's largest state, reported a slight increase in COVID-19-related cases on Tuesday. Officials tightened controls to prevent flare-ups of the deadly Delta variant in other areas.Nearly 150 people have been affected by the variant in Sydney, NSW. The strain is feared to cause major outbreaks and has prompted lockdowns in three major Australian cities as well as curbs in many others. It currently affects more than 20 million Australians or about 80%.Perth, the capital of Western Australia, started a four-day lockdown on Tuesday. It joined Sydney and Darwin. Queensland will place a snap 3-day lockdown in Brisbane and other areas starting Tuesday evening.Annastacia Palaszczuk, Queensland Premier, stated that "the risk is real" and she advised that we must act fast. Two new cases were reported by the state.Sydney, which is home to a fifth Australian's 25,000,000 population, is currently under lockdown for two weeks, until July 9, while Darwin, the northernmost city, was placed on lockdown for 72 hours, until Friday. Other restrictions are strict, including mandatory masks, and less gatherings.COVID-19 Vaccine Commonly Asked Questions View More How does a vaccine function? The vaccine mimics a natural infection. A vaccine induces an immune response that protects people against future COVID-19 infections. It also builds herd immunity quickly to end the pandemic. A vaccine induces immunity in a sufficient number of people to prevent the spread of a disease from person-to-person. Good news is that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was relatively stable which makes it more likely that a vaccine will be developed. There are many vaccine types. There are four main types of vaccines. One is a vaccine that is based on the entire virus. Two are vaccines that use a benign virus to carry the antigen of SARS.CoV. Three are nucleic-acid vaccines with genetic material such as DNA and RNA of the antigens. Four are protein subunit vaccines, which contain the recombinant protein of SARS.COV-2 and an adjuvant (booster). How long does it take for a vaccine to be developed? The process of developing a vaccine is complex and long. Vaccines are not given to patients with a specific disease, but are administered to healthy people as well as to vulnerable groups such children and pregnant women. It is mandatory to undergo rigorous testing. Although five years is the fastest time to develop a vaccine, it often takes twice as long or more. See moreNSW has reported 19 newly acquired infections. This is a record number of cases, up from 18 cases one day ago.Australia announced late Monday that it would increase COVID-19 vaccines, including mandatory shots for high risk aged-care workers and workers in quarantine hotels. It also made AstraZeneca available to anyone under 60 to combat infections.Officials had previously restricted the AstraZeneca shot to those over 60 because of blood clot concerns. However, they recommended Pfizer shots for everyone below 60. This was a significant change that slowed Australia’s immunization drive.Officials have announced that anyone under 60 can request the AstraZeneca vaccination if they are approved by their doctor. They will also be covered by an indemnity plan with no-fault coverage, similar to one seen in other countries.Officials from the Health Department say that AstraZeneca offers high levels of protection against COVID-19, and its benefits outweigh any potential risks.Australia's COVID-19 numbers are relatively low thanks to lockdowns, quick contact tracing, and strict social distancing rules.
