Over 50s get a vaccine of their own in latest bid to speed up rollout
All over-50s will be able to get the AstraZeneca vaccine from next month as the nation’s leaders reset the coronavirus jab rollout.
Fewer than 10 per cent of Australians have received a coronavirus vaccine as the federal government prepares to expand the rollout to all over-50s from next month.
The sluggish immunisation program continues to come under fire with national cabinet agreeing to a major reset in a bid to salvage its progress.
AstraZeneca jabs will be available for people over 50 at state and territory vaccination centres as well as respiratory clinics from May 3 before being sent to all GPs from May 17.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said it was a once-in-a-lifetime challenge as he reflected on the number of Australians to receive a shot in the programās first two months.
āYouāre looking at about nine per cent of the adult population in terms of vaccinations and then thatās increasing every day,ā he told the ABC on Friday.
In contrast, the United States has vaccinated more than half of its adult population while the United Kingdom is sitting on 63 per cent.
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Nearly 1.8 million Australians have now been vaccinated, with about 60,000 doses administered each day.
Medical advice recommending AstraZeneca be avoided for people under 50 due to extremely rare but serious blood clots has hampered the rolloutās pace.
Mr Hunt said there had been massive death rates in the countries outstripping Australia on immunisation progress.
āThe rest of the world, a raging global pandemic. Australia, an island sanctuary,ā he told Nine.
āAt the same time we are pushing forward with these vaccinations as quickly as possible, but always as safely as possible.ā
A catastrophic outbreak has sparked a cut in repatriation and direct flights from India to Australia.
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India tallied more than 314,000 new infections in one day according to its most recent figures, a grim pandemic world record.
Travel exemptions to India will be tightened and people returning will need to be tested for coronavirus.
āIndia is going through a terrible agony at the moment,ā Hunt said.
āWe have two roles ā one is obviously first and foremost to protect the country. Secondly, to help bring Australians home.ā
Other countries could also be included in the restrictions, once Australia drafts its high-risk nation list with the UKās ratings being used as a guide.
Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles said Indiaās situation highlighted the need to vaccinate all Australians sooner.
āThis rollout has been botched. We are still in a situation where weāre not looking at getting the country vaccinated by the end of the year,ā he told Nine.
āWe are going to be more exposed to these sort of questions about countries like India, where the virus is running rampant.ā
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