Australia’s coronavirus vaccination rollout has begun as Scott Morrison receives Pfizer jab

The 85-year-old woman became the first person to receive the coronavirus vaccine in Australia after a small group of elderly caregivers, frontline workers and the prime minister received a jab on Sunday prior to national expansion. ..

Elderly caregiver Jane Mariciak was in the first line of Pfizer / BioNTech vaccines after Health Minister Greg Hunt revealed that a small number of people would be vaccinated at the Castle Hill Medical Center in Sydney. The day before the national vaccination program starts on Monday..

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who took his first dose on Sunday, was by her side when he received the jab to receive applause from the crowd.

Morrison described it as the “historic day” of the country before rolling up its sleeves.

According to Hunt, two senior care residents, senior care staff, frontline workers, defense personnel, chief medical officer Paul Kelly, and chief nursing officer Alison McMillan also said on Sunday. “To give confidence” I took my first dose.

“The prime minister will be the last in the group,” he said. “Today is the first round of Australian vaccines and ultimately about the hope and protection of Australians.”

He also invited opposition leader Anthony Albanese, two other members of the opposition, and Greens leader Adam Band to receive their first dose in the first week of the rollout, federal. Murphy has revealed that he will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine with Secretary of Health Brendan in the coming weeks.

Vaccine rollout in Australia begins with the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine and expands to include the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine from early March.

In the first phase of the vaccination program, front-line health, quarantine and border workers receive vaccines at 15 state and territory-operated Pfizer hubs, and federal-led vaccination workers are senior care staff. Elderly caregivers, people with disabilities, people living in 190 towns and suburbs of disabled accommodation.

Approximately 240 nursing homes will be vaccinated in the first week of deployment, followed by vaccinations for residents of all elderly care and disability accommodations in the next 6 weeks.

Hunt said earlier that the government wants to administer 60,000 doses of the vaccine in the first week of deployment.

He refused to specify the government’s goals for vaccination on Sunday, instead saying the government “wants to see as much as possible.” [people] Get the jab “as much as possible”.

“Our first goal is protection,” Hunt said. “The international evidence found in both the two early vaccines of Pfizer and AstraZeneca is that the safety impact on the prevention of serious illness, hospitalization and mortality was determined to be up to 100 percent. “

Survey by Australian National University released earlier this week Once the vaccine became available, it became clear that the number of people who said they were more likely to get the vaccine was significantly reduced.

Women, Aboriginal people, people who speak languages ​​other than English at home, and those who have not completed their 12th year were the least likely to get a jab.

“What’s your message to the general public? It’s safe, effective and helps protect you, but it also helps protect your mother and father, grandparents, Nonna and across Australia,” Hunt said. Said.

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