Doctors Stand Up For Vaccination FAQ

In late August, a grassroots group of New Zealand doctors got together to answer a question: how can we help the people of Aotearoa New Zealand gain accurate information about the Pfizer vaccine?

They decided the best thing they could do was to show a strong and united stance: to speak publicly to the people of New Zealand in support of vaccination against Covid-19. A group called Doctors Stand Up for Vaccination was formed.

What is their message? It is this:

“We overwhelmingly support vaccination against Covid-19. It is safe, and it is effective. Serious side effects are very rare, and much less common than the same complications experienced in Covid sufferers.

We know that people have many questions, and we encourage you to read our FAQ document, which may help answer some questions and allay some fears.

This is a hard time for Aotearoa New Zealand, but together we will get through this.”

This group has listened, and identified the questions doctors are being asked on a regular basis: “Is the vaccine safe? How effective is it? What are the possible side effects, and how do they compare to the risk of catching Covid-19? How is the vaccine being monitored? Can I have it if I’m pregnant? How about if I’m immunocompromised?”

The result is a Frequently Asked Questions document to answer the most common questions. Read this document here.

Protect your eyes from Blue Light on your Screen

Not all blue light is bad - some exposure is good for our health. 

Sunlight is the main source of blue light but there are also man-made sources. Fluorescent and LED lighting, flat-screen televisions, computers, smartphones and other digital devices all emit amounts of blue light. The amount of blue light from these devices is small compared to levels from sunlight.

Exposure to blue light from the sun during the day is good for us, helping us to stay alert, perform well and stay in a good mood.

With people spending increasing amounts of time on digital devices, this raises concern about possible long-term effects of blue light over-exposure on eye health.  Exposure to blue light from these artificial sources can disrupt the internal body clock, particularly in the evenings – tricking our brains into thinking it’s still daytime, with potential to disrupt sleeping.

It does this by inhibiting the natural production of melatonin, a hormone in our bodies that regulates sleep.

Studies have shown that wearing blue light blocking lenses when you use digital devices will reduce this effect.

Over-exposure to artificially made blue light (even during the day) can also contribute to headaches & migraines, and dry or fatigued eyes leading to blurred vision and discomfort. This collection of symptoms is becoming known globally as Digital Eye Strain, or Computer Vision Syndrome.

We have a solution. Avatude Blue Light Eyewear combines comfortable & stylish frames with quality UV400 and UV420 blue light blocking lenses to reduce digital eye strain. These are perfect for people who do not use prescription glasses.

Check out our range, which is also available in our online store.

World Sight Day 2021 - Love your eyes

World Sight Day is an annual day of awareness to focus global attention on vision impairment, including blindness. This year, World Sight Day will take place on October 14, 2021 with the theme: Love Your Eyes.

Globally, at least 1 billion people have vision impairment that could be prevented or has yet to be addressed. Vision impairment affects people of all ages, with the majority being over the age of 50. Vision impairment and blindness can have major and long-lasting effects on all aspects of life, including daily personal activities, interacting with the community, school and work opportunities and the ability to access public services.

Unoperated cataract and uncorrected refractive error are the leading causes of vision impairment. Other causes such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, infectious diseases of the eye, and trauma, however, cannot be ignored and need to be addressed. 

Recently at the 74th World Health Assembly, Member States adopted two new global targets for eye care by 2030  ̶  a 40 per cent increase in effective coverage of refractive errors and a 30 per cent increase in effective coverage of cataract surgery. These targets will play a key role in not only increasing global eye care coverage in the future but also in delivering quality services.

Do you have a second pair of glasses?

Stuck in Level 4 Lockdown we fielded a number of calls from people stranded when their glasses were broken. In some cases we were able to find a creative temporary fix. But this is not always possible, and often less than ideal. Here’s a check list we recommend you consider:

1. Review how much you rely on your glasses. Take a moment to imagine starting a day without your glasses, how long would you be able to manage.

2. Do you have a back up pair of glasses? These may be an older pair of glasses in an previous strength. Locate these and try using them for a few hours to see if they still suit you.

Here’s another Lockdown observation. If your prescription is not up to date this may not cause you any eyestrain in normal conditions, but it can be different if you suddenly start reading more, or spending more time on a screen.

Often the outcome of an eye examination is a change to your ideal glasses prescription. This prompts the question: “Is it worth getting new lenses?” A ‘small’ change in prescription which we find at an eye examination may not seem worth an update at the time - but that can change when you increase your time reading and on a screen.

The final consideration is whether you update just your lenses, or get a complete new pair of glasses. This is the ideal time to consider how you would manage without your glasses. Consider a complete new pair of glasses and you will have a back up.

Do your glasses fog up when you wear a face mask? We can help.

As we adjust to life with masks, an annoying reality is glasses fogging up - who knew how much warm air we were breathing out! But we have a solution. Zeiss AntiFOG. We are all converts here. So simple, spray on the lenses, dry with the cloth, and fog - free for at least a day or two.

How does it work? The solution spreads a fine layer of moisture repellent across the lens.

Available now in Level 3 through contactless sales, or purchase at our online store.

Maui Jim Bifocals

These are an exciting range from Maui Jim® with a hidden reading segment in the lenses. If you only use glasses for reading and close range, or if you use hobby glasses for reading, then these are perfect for you this summer. You will never again have to switch back and forth between sunglasses and readers, even on the brightest days! Choose from +1.50, +2.00, and +2.50 powers. You can further customize your polarised reader sunglasses by selecting from almost any frame style, frame colour and lens colour.

No one will know that you’re wearing bifocals as the unique bifocal element is nearly undetectable. You shouldn’t have to give up vivid clarity and sumptuous colour just to enjoy some time in the sun – and with Maui Jim reader sunglasses you get the lovely clarity and comfort of Maui Jim lenses. Come and check out our styles.