The federal and state governments are in the final stages of planning the national rollout of two COVID vaccines – Pfizer and AstraZeneca. With only a fortnight to go until the originally planned mid-February target start date, Australians should be advised soon of how, when and where we can get the jab.
The federal government has had six months from the announcement of the purchase of the vaccines to plan this immense logistical exercise, and every day of that was needed. It wisely rejected calls for an early rollout. Australia is essentially COVID-free, the demand on the health system is very low and easily managed, and so a cautious rollout was warranted.
The TGA has approved the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine for use in Australia.Credit:Getty
Australia, while producing its own AstraZeneca vaccine, must now confront what impact, if any, may result on its scheduled rollout of the Pfizer vaccine next month following the European Union’s imposition of export controls – because both companies cannot meet their agreed supply volumes and timelines within the bloc. Interruptions to the supply chain are being reported on a daily basis, which makes efficiency of supply in Australia and minimising wastage even more vital.
State governments will be mainly responsible for distributing the Pfizer vaccine through their public hospital systems, and for vaccinating healthcare staff – one of the top-priority groups. Governments should agree on how many people each is responsible for vaccinating, and publish weekly updates on their progress.
