
After a sluggish start to the national COVID-19 vaccination rollout, the rates of Australians getting the jab is steadily climbing.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stated that he believes the rollout will be complete by the end of 2021.
"I would expect by Christmas that we would be seeing a very different Australia to what we are seeing now," he told reporters in late July. "Lockdowns become a thing of the past when you're at that level."
If you're yet to get your jab, here's what you need to know about which one you can receive, where and when.
Who can get a COVID-19 vaccine right now?
The Federal Government has established a vaccination rollout plan that prioritises the most vulnerable members of our community.
Currently, vaccines are available to:
- people aged 40 and over;
- people aged 16-39 who elect to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine;
- pregnant people;
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people;
- people with an underlying medical condition or significant disability;
- quarantine and border workers, and their household contacts;
- aged care and disability care workers and residents;
- healthcare workers;
- critical and high-risk workers, including defence, police, fire, emergency services and meat processing;
- people with an Australian Border Force outwards travel exemption in an eligible category.
This daily infographic provides the total number of vaccine doses administered in Australia as of 27 July 2021. Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccine information here: https://t.co/vqZuOLzB2P pic.twitter.com/Tn0Kfai2Qd
— Australian Government Department of Health (@healthgovau) July 28, 2021
Who gets Pfizer and who gets AstraZeneca?
Both vaccines are approved for use in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. That means they have met strict standards and have been deemed safe and effective.
A body of experts called the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) reviews data and information on these vaccines weekly and issues recommendations to the Federal Government based on its findings.
Under their current recommendations...
Pfizer should be prioritised for:
- people under 60;
- pregnant women;
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 16 and over;
- NDIS participants or unpaid or informal carers of NDIS participants of any age;
- quarantine or border workers;
- health care workers;
- aged care or disability care resident or workers;
- people with an underlying medical condition or significant disability;
- critical or high-risk workers, including defence, police, fire, emergency services and meat processing;
- people with an Australian Border Force outwards travel exemption in an eligible category.
And AstraZeneca should be prioritised for:
- people aged 60 and over who don't meet the above criteria.
However, people aged under 60 who don't wish to wait for the Pfizer vaccine (which is in more limited supply) can choose to receive the AstraZeneca jab:
- following an appropriate assessment of suitability by a qualified health professional; and
- if you provide verbal or written consent.
Plus... In Sydney: Year 12 students aged 16-18 in the LGAs of Cumberland, Canterbury-Bankstown, Blacktown, Liverpool, Fairfield, Parramatta, Campbelltown and Georges River will be offered Pfizer. This is part of a plan to get NSW Year 12 students back in classrooms by August 16 to complete their HSC year. (The Government has not yet announced plans to vaccinate younger students, and those in Greater Sydney will continue learning from home for the duration of the lockdown.)
Why are AstraZeneca and Pfizer recommended for different age groups?
This is because the AstraZeneca vaccine has been associated with an extremely rare side effect: a blood clotting condition called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS).
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