Queensland authorities expect case numbers and exposure sites to grow today as three million across the state begin their first full day in lockdown; Victoria has recorded four new local cases. Follow all the day’s news
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Frewen described the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine as “a very effective vaccine” and “a national asset”, given it was being produced domestically in Australia. He told Sky News that Australia had access to ample supplies of AstraZeneca.
I think since the PM’s announcement on 28 June, there’s been more than 71,000 Australians under the age of 40 who’ve come forward to get their first dose of Astra Zeneca, so I’m really pleased to see that people are making informed choices and they’re balancing the risk, and they’re getting the AstraZeneca if they haven’t got access to the Pfizer right now.
Look I’ve got in my readily available stocks, more than a million and a half doses of AstraZeneca. So we’re ready, we’re shipping it out as the ordering comes in… and we’re also helping our friends and partners in the Pacific as well.
We’re saying every Australian who wants access to a first dose [of a Covid-19 vaccine] will have that opportunity this year. I think with the supply that’s coming on, you know, we’ve got a really fantastic chance to get the vast majority of Australians fully vaccinated this year if they choose to do so, but we need to take every opportunity we can and right now people who are eligible for Pfizer should should get out and get Pfizer but for everybody else they should go and make an informed choice now.
And if AstraZeneca is available they should get the AstraZeneca. I mean, one dose is better than none but two doses is the best is the best path out of that this.
Lt Gen John Frewen, who leads the national Covid vaccine taskforce, has been interviewed on Sky News.
Sky News’ Andrew Clennell asked Frewen about the suggestion he had been firm with Gladys Berejiklian in national cabinet when she had floated cancelling GP appointments in New South Wales and divert the Pfizer to southwestern Sydney.
Look, this is a national vaccine rollout programme, and it’s really important that we, we do vaccinate the whole nation at the same time.
So at the moment there’s plenty of AstraZeneca, we’re still a bit supply-limited on Pfizer so we’re allocating that proportionally across the nation, but it is really important that we do bring up the fully vaccinated rates as equitably as we can across the nation, because these hotspots can happen anywhere.
Continue reading...source https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2021/aug/01/queensland-lockdown-brisbane-covid-sydney-newsouthwales-melbourne-victoria-gladys-berejiklian-annastacia-palaszczuk-virus-melbourne
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