The Australian Government has again brought forward the proposed rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.
At a press conference yesterday Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, ‘We are still winning, but we have not yet won the fight against the pandemic. And that will continue to be a fight that we will wage over the course of 2021.
‘In the most recent outbreaks over the summer, the systems have been put to the test in New South Wales, in Victoria, and today in the case that has been announced in Queensland will similarly present a test,’ he said.
‘But we have seen that test passed, not just by the systems that have been built up by those jurisdictions as we have battled that virus throughout the course of 2020, learned the lessons, improved the systems, upgraded, working together.
‘But it is also a test that is increasingly and continues to be passed by the Australian people.’
Vaccine on the way
Addressing the COVID vaccine, the Prime Minister said, ‘Throughout the course of dealing with this pandemic, we have been dealing with this in a very Australian way.
‘Of course, we are mindful of the experiences and the lessons that we can learn from other jurisdictions.
‘Our officials have been moving swiftly and safely to introduce the vaccine here in Australia as soon as is safely possible,’ said Mr Morrison.
‘Doing that is critical to public confidence in the vaccine. We have set out cautious timetables and outlined them to you over months now, and the Health Minister has engaged most significantly in communicating that to the Australian people.
‘There have been no delays in the introduction of the vaccine in Australia. There has been the necessary swiftness that has been asked of the TGA and, of course, the health officials that are driving this process,’ he said.
It is moving considerably faster than normal vaccination approval processes would occur in Australia, but without skipping a step, without cutting a corner, ensuring that everything that needs to be ticked is ticked along the way.’
After emphasising that the rollout plan was ‘going as quickly and as safely as possible’, the PM said, ‘We are now in a position where we believe we’ll be able to commence vaccinations of high priority groups in mid to late February. So we’re talking about next month.
‘This will, of course, remain conditional on a number of important factors, most importantly, that final TGA approval and the delivery of the vaccine from our suppliers.’
Scott Morrison said the initial vaccine to be approved would be from Pfizer, with AstraZeneca expected to follow.
With the Pfizer vaccinne needing to be stored below 70 degrees Celsius, the PM said this presented some ‘logistical issues’. He also noted that two doses would be required, within one month, ‘and that has to be managed particularly for the priority populations.’
Who will get it first?
The Prime Minister said priority populations had been identified with a view to creating a ‘ring of containment and protection’ for the Australian population.
‘Those populations in that first phase are quarantine and border workers, front line health officials, as well as those working in aged care and disability care and those in aged care, and disability care residents.
‘We anticipate optimistically that we would hope to start the vaccination with around 80,000 vaccinations a week,’ said Mr Morrison.
While emphasising that vaccination was not a silver bullet, and COVID safe practices would have to continue, the Prime Minister said the government’s target was to vaccinate 4 million Australians by the end of March.
Recent stories, information and updates regarding COVID-19
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has just announced that greater Sydney area will go into lockdown until next Monday. A story The Echo posted this morning about the breach at Brisbane International Airport has been updated as the Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young, has declared the international terminal a venue of concern. Anzac Day was a bit different this year because of COVID, but commemorations went ahead across the country. The matter of over $15,000 owing to Ballina Shire Council by the Ballina Seagulls Rugby League for unpaid rates was discussed at council's last meeting. Enhanced safety measures for point to point transport such as taxis, hire and rideshare vehicles are being rolled out in Byron Bay, Ballina and Lismore with the opening of three free temporary vehicle sanitisation stations. The capital of East Timor, Dili, is reeling after flood waters swept through the city on the weekend, leaving at least 27 dead. The President of East Timor, Francisco Guterres Lú-Olo, described the floods as a 'great calamity'. NSW Health has confirmed that COVID-related restrictions for the Northern Rivers will be lifted at midnight tonight (Monday 5 April). On Easter Sunday afternoon the Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) has thanked the community for coming forward in large numbers for COVID-19 testing, with more than 10,000 tests conducted in the region in the past week. As masks become harder to find across the Northern Rivers following the latest COVID-19 health alert, NSW Health has provided masks for business operators in Ballina and Byron Shires. The Byron Shire community and visitors have come forward in large numbers for testing following the alert of two COVID positive visitors coming to Byron Bay last weekend.Greater Sydney under COVID related restrictions
Brisbane Airport green zone breach update
Anzac Day commemorated across Australia
Ballina Council debates waiving Seagulls debt
Vehicle sanitisation stations roll out
Dili facing double disaster
Northern Rivers COVID restrictions lifting at midnight
COVID testing encouraged in the NNSWLHD
Face masks for Ballina and Byron businesses
UPDATE: Thousands of COVID tests conducted across northern rivers
Heidi Neckelmann, the wife of a beautiful doctor who died after his Jab, wrote this yesterday..with respect
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The love of my life, my husband Gregory Michael MD
an Obstetrician that had his office in Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach Died the day before yesterday due to a strong reaction to the COVID vaccine.
He was a very healthy 56 year old, loved by everyone in the community delivered hundreds of healthy babies and worked tireless through the pandemic.
He was vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine at MSMC on December 18, 3 days later he saw a strong set of petechiae on his feet and hands which made him seek attention at the emergency room at MSMC. The CBC that was done at his arrival showed his platelet count to be 0 (A normal platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood.) he was admitted in the ICU with a diagnosis of acute ITP caused by a reaction to the COVID vaccine. A team of expert doctors tried for 2 weeks to raise his platelet count to no avail. Experts from all over the country were involved in his care. No matter what they did, the platelets count refused to go up. He was conscious and energetic through the whole process but 2 days before a last resort surgery, he got a hemorrhagic stroke caused by the lack of platelets that took his life in a matter of minutes.
He was a pro vaccine advocate that is why he got it himself.
I believe that people should be aware that side effects can happened, that it is not good for everyone and in this case destroyed a beautiful life, a perfect family, and has affected so many people in the community
Do not let his death be in vain please save more lives by making this information news.
So Julian a sad story but you would rather die or have other people die from COVID. Again antivaxxers cherry picking the data. What about the 300,000 who have died already in the US already?