Huge overhaul to Australia’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout with millions eligible for the jab in just TWO WEEKS – as Scott Morrison slashes flights from virus-ravaged India – here’s what you need to know
- Aussies between 50 and 70 will be able to get their jabs from May 3 at clinics
- Government was originally expected to begin this in the middle of the year
- Flights from India will be slashed by 30 per cent due to increasing cases
Six million Australians will be eligible to get a Covid vaccine in just two weeks in a major overhaul to the nation’s fledgling rollout.
Everyone over 50 years old will be able to attend mass vaccination hubs from May 3, including at Sydney’s Olympic Park and Geelong’s huge Ford factory.
Scott Morrison brought forward the dates after experts warned the stringent rules that only allowed the jab to be given to priority groups first was slowing down the rollout.
Those between 50 and 70, making up 6,570,000 people in phase 2A of the rollout, will be able to get their jabs in respiratory clinics and state and territory hubs from May 3 and at GPs from May 17.
The government was originally expected to begin this phase in the middle of the year.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Star Scientific, a hydrogen research facility in Berkeley Vale, Central Coast on Wednesday
Mr Morrison made the decision after states offered to set up mass vaccination hubs to increase the pace of the sluggish rollout.
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has offered to set up a mass hub at Sydney’s Olympic Park and the Victorian government has opened hubs at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton and the former Ford Factory in Geelong.
Over 50s will only be allowed the AstraZeneca jab because the Pfizer jab is being saved for younger Australians.
This is because the AstraZeneca jab presents a low risk of blood clotting in young people, with about four in one million suffering potentially deadly clots, while the Pfizer vaccine is not linked to clots.
Australians over 50 who want to the Pfizer jab will have to wait until the end of the year when more supply arrives from overseas.
Health Department Secretary Professor Brendan Murphy said: ‘We recommend AstraZeneca, the risk benefit for over 50s is vastly in favour of being vaccinated.
‘But people always have a choice and more Pfizer will be available later in the year. At this stage we will not be making Pfizer available to those 50 and over.’
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian (right) has offered to set up a mass hub at Sydney’s Olympic Park
Just under 1.8 millions have now been vaccinated so far, with roughly 60,000 jabs hitting arms each day.
Meanwhile, direct commercial flights to Sydney and charter flights to the Northern Territory from India will be slashed by 30 per cent in the next 24 hours as the hotel quarantine system suffers a sharp increase in cases.
India set a global record by recording 314,835 new Covid cases in a single day on Wednesday and has suffered one million cases over the past four days.
Travellers coming from India will also have to return a negative Covid test in a transit country before taking their final leg to Australia.
Sydney is Australia’s only city receives direct flights from India.
People visit a mass vaccination centre to receive a Covid-19 vaccine in Melbourne on April 21