Australia's Covid-19 Vaccination Rollout On Track for Completion by End of October

Strategic Insights -

Australians can look forward to being fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by the end of October, according to Health Minister Greg Hunt. The country's vaccination rollout is expected to be completed ahead of schedule, with the Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca/Oxford University, and Novavax vaccines all cleared for use. While the rollout is voluntary, Hunt expressed confidence in the vaccination program and encouraged Australians to get vaccinated. The Therapeutic Goods Administration is expected to complete its analysis of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine data by February, with the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine data analysis to be completed by the end of February.

Key Takeaways:

  • Australia's Covid-19 vaccination rollout is expected to be completed by the end of October, ahead of schedule.
  • The rollout will use three vaccines: Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca/Oxford University, and Novavax.
  • The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is expected to be the first to be rolled out, from March, targeting health workers and aged care residents.
  • The AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine has submitted additional data, with TGA data analysis expected to be completed by the end of February.
  • The Novavax vaccine is a classical protein vaccine, with 3.8m doses expected to be ready before the end of February.
  • The Therapeutic Goods Administration will conduct a 14-day safety test of the first batches of vaccine.
  • The rollout is voluntary, with Hunt urging Australians to get vaccinated, citing "heartening reports" of an expected uptake of up to 80%.
  • Hunt expects the Therapeutic Goods Administration to have final data on the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine by February.

Statistics:

  • 80%: Expected uptake of Covid-19 vaccine, according to heartening reports.
  • £3.8m: Number of doses of AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine expected to be ready before the end of February.
  • March: Expected rollout date for Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
  • 14 days: Duration of safety test for vaccine batches, as per TGA protocol.
  • February: Expected date for completion of TGA data analysis on Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
  • End of October: Expected completion date for Australia's Covid-19 vaccination rollout.

Sources:

  • Greg Hunt (Australian Health Minister)
  • Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
  • Australian Associated Press (AAP)
  • Getty Images