THOMAS ORITI:
First this hour, new government data has revealed people in New South Wales who aren't vaccinated against COVID-19 were 16 times more likely to die or end up in intensive care during the state's Delta outbreak. It comes as the nation's most populous state has this week loosened more restrictions, allowing fully vaccinated residents to embrace, I guess, some sense of normality after the long lockdown. Looking wider, though, more than 80 per cent of Australians aged 16 and over are now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Latest figures show, since the pandemic began, 182,000 people have contracted COVID-19 in Australia. It's claimed 1827 lives. Now, as New South Wales, Victoria, and the ACT emerge from lockdowns, with the Northern Territory expected to follow suit today - of course, extending that lock out for 24 hours - the Chief Medical Officer is encouraging people to make the most of newfound freedoms. Professor Paul Kelly joins us live now from Canberra. Professor, good morning.
PAUL KELLY:
Good morning, Tom.
THOMAS ORITI:
Thank you very much for your time. You've written an opinion piece on the Health Department website today, you know, acknowledging Australians will have to live with coronavirus for the foreseeable future. Do you think most people have accepted that now?
PAUL KELLY:
Well, I think that is a reality, but we're in such a good position, with one of the highest rates of vaccination in the world. That 80 per cent double dose figure for over-16s is matched with over 70 per cent, 12 to 15-year-old age group. And so we're well prepared in relation to vaccination, as well as well-prepared health systems as we heard at National Cabinet on Friday. So, it is a wonderful time to be opening up. But what I said in my opinion piece is, you know, it's a difficult time for some people who have got used to being locked down. So, you know, being cautious where you need to, wearing a mask if you feel that's what you want to do, is quite reasonable. But it is a wonderful time. And now we're seeing getting back to some sort of COVID normal, which is, as we thought, would happen.
THOMAS ORITI:
When we look at COVID normality in the road ahead, boosters, that's obviously dominating discussion this week with the rollout of the Pfizer booster shot starting yesterday. Do you have a view on that at the moment? Do you envisage these becoming a yearly or a bi-yearly fixture? How do you think this is going to look like?
PAUL KELLY:
So, we don't know that yet. The booster program is an important thing. We know that that's the case and we're one of- we're only the second country in the world to open boosters up to the whole of the population, as was officially done yesterday. But we've had a running start. There's been over 170,000 people have already had a third dose. Some of those would be in that immunosuppressed group, but also having their boosters six months after their second dose of the primary course. We know that those first two doses give really good protection. The boosters give just what it sounds like - gives a boost to that protection and helps it to last longer. What happens into the future in terms of fourth or subsequent doses? That's a matter for emerging science, and we'll be watching that very carefully together with international colleagues in the years to come.
THOMAS ORITI:
Professor, you say, you know, it's a wonderful time and make the most of newfound freedoms, but, you know, unlike New South Wales and Canberra, where those vaccination rates are well over 90 per cent of eligible Australians getting the shot, you know, we're not seeing that everywhere. Just 65 per cent of the Northern Territory and Western Australia are seeing those double jabs. Does that concern you at the moment?
PAUL KELLY:
It does and my very clear message to anyone who's listening from the NT, from Queensland, from WA, and anywhere really, if you have not yet got vaccinated, please make those bookings. We're- that is- the vaccines are available all over the country now, over 10,000 points of presence. And so it's really just a matter of walking to the nearest vaccination clinic and getting started on that. So those states that have not experienced what has been a difficult winter this year and also last year, in Victoria in particular, those states have been very lucky up to now but that luck will not last. The virus is coming. It's not if, it's when. And so you do need to get that protection as quickly as possible. And you mentioned that work done in New South Wales and published overnight, it's spectacularly helpful being vaccinated in terms of decreasing your chances of severe illness. And that's been shown all around the world and most recently in New South Wales.
THOMAS ORITI:
Speaking of which, I do know the HSC starts in New South Wales today, the major, you know, Year 12 exams. I mean, some might argue that snap lockdowns, they're really just not sustainable in light of the disruption caused by those measures. Do you think we're moving towards a situation with those vaccination rates getting higher where we won't need lockdowns or lockouts, are they going to be a thing of the past?
PAUL KELLY:
That's certainly- the national plan says that and I think, we talked again at National Cabinet on Friday in great detail about the importance of having test, trace, isolate, and quarantine, as well as at least a small, hopefully minimal, public health and social measures approach to augment the way that the vaccine works to protect the community. So there will- those sort of things will continue to be there. But in terms of lockdowns, they should be a thing of the past now for those very highly vaccinated populations. So that sort of thing is no longer needed. And as you mentioned the HSC, good luck to anyone who's sitting it today. I still remember my first exam…
THOMAS ORITI:
[Talks over] Yes.
PAUL KELLY:
…and I'm sure everyone will go well.
THOMAS ORITI:
Yeah. Tough times for so many students of course. I know you've got to dash away in a minute but we are fast approaching the festive season, Professor. Where do you stand on the states that do currently remain closed to residents from elsewhere in the country?
PAUL KELLY:
Well, you know, states have to make their own decisions, the elected governments for those states, and you know, it's the states and territories that decide on those domestic borders. But I do hope they start to crumble down soon. I said in my opinion piece, I've got a niece who's been- had a long postponed wedding in Western Australia. I was speaking to her last night. Looking forward to getting the family back together there and having that joyous occasion, and I'm sure I'm not alone in that sort of idea.
THOMAS ORITI:
Indeed. Indeed. Just one- just before you go. We're seeing- we had the WHO on the program yesterday. There's been a dramatic surge in COVID infections in the northern hemisphere, you know, you hear about this fourth wave affecting European nations as winter approaches. Do you anticipate 2022 being as tough as 2020 and 2021 in certain parts of Australia?
PAUL KELLY:
Well, yes, we're certainly watching Europe with great interest as they go into another winter, that's their third winter during the pandemic, we've only had two of course. So next winter, yes, we do hope that things will go well. We'll plan for, you know, some more COVID at that time and potentially in flu season, which we haven't seen for the last two winters. We'll certainly hope for the best and I think by then we'll have incredibly high vaccination rates. We already do. That's going to protect us throughout that winter period. And then we'll be talking about flu vaccines as usual in the coming months to make sure that people are as protected as possible.
THOMAS ORITI:
Yeah, of course. And important not to forget that either. Professor, it's a pleasure. Thank you very much for joining us this morning.
PAUL KELLY:
You're welcome, Tom.
THOMAS ORITI:
That's the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly.
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