LISA MILLAR:
The vaccination rate in New South Wales has surged ahead, ranking among the fastest in the world, and that's based on data from the past 7 days.
MICHAEL ROWLAND:
Elsewhere, the rollout is being ramped up in Victoria from this morning, another step towards reaching that national vaccine target of 70 per cent, then 80 per cent. Lieutenant General John Frewen is the National COVID Taskforce Coordinator-General. He joins us now from Canberra. General Frewen, a very good morning to you.
JOHN FREWEN:
Hey Michael, great to be with you.
MICHAEL ROWLAND:
Hey. So, the New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian is confident that based on that big ramp-up of the vaccine rollout, New South Wales will hit the 70 per cent target roughly by the end of October. Based on when you see the rollout going, will the national average hit 70 per cent around the same time?
JOHN FREWEN:
Look, Michael, I'm really encouraged by the way people in Australia are turning up to get vaccinated. There has been some fantastic work done in New South Wales, particularly through some of those mass vaccination hubs they've got down in the south-west of Sydney, but broadly, across the nation, people are coming forward in droves as well. We are up to 17.5 million doses now. Last week we were getting close to 300,000 doses a day on average, so people are turning up. It is really encouraging to see. We've got many, many distribution points coming online, so I think we've got a really great chance of getting to those higher numbers by the end of the year. I just won't put a particular date on it.
MICHAEL ROWLAND:
Okay. Because the New South Wales Premier is intent on reopening once she hits 70 per cent. She can't do that, right, because not only have the states got to reach the target, the national average has to be 70 per cent. Again, do you think there is any hope of that national average hitting 70 per cent by the end of October, early November?
JOHN FREWEN:
Look, the public sentiment for vaccination is really strong. We've got around about 80 per cent of Australians are indicating they intend to get vaccinated and then there is another group who are still making up their minds, so that gives us the people who are prepared to get vaccinated. We've got the supply coming, we've got the distribution points, so as long as people keep turning up, we can get to those high figures before the end of the year.
MICHAEL ROWLAND:
Okay. Now, National Cabinet is expected on Friday, General Frewen, to tick off on advancing the rollout to 12 to 15-year-olds with Pfizer and Moderna, when the Moderna shipments come in. Firstly, will there be enough Pfizer to deal with the- to administer to the 12 to 15 year olds in the first place?
JOHN FREWEN:
Yeah, so we're actually waiting on the ATAGI advice for 12 to 15-year-olds Already 12 to 15-year-olds with other conditions and Indigenous kids in those age groups can access Pfizer. Once we have the ATAGI advice, we are developing plans to open up to those cohorts. We are actually working on a youth vaccination plan right now that will help us get to all of the kids in that age group, whether they are school-goers or kids in care and the like. But the supply is coming. We will have Moderna from the middle of next month and we'll have lots of Pfizer coming in in October.
MICHAEL ROWLAND:
What about using schools at vaccine hubs?
JOHN FREWEN:
Yeah. So, we're working with the states and territories. I think school-based vaccination could be a big part of the program. Already some of the states and territories are moving kids in Year 12 to some of the big hubs. We are also looking at a program where we might be able to book families in so that parents and kids can get done together. So, we are working a set of options at the moment that will give us the best opportunity to get all of those kids vaccinated as quickly as possible.
MICHAEL ROWLAND:
And finally, the Prime Minister has expressed- I guess, quiet optimism, is the best way to describe it, of Australian families reuniting with other family members interstate, borders down by Christmas. Is that in your crystal ball as well?
JOHN FREWEN:
Look, vaccination is a really important part of our plan out of this thing. We've got the supplies, we've got the distribution networks. It really is now about people continuing to come forward.
So I just really encourage everybody, if you haven't had a dose yet, to get booked and get your jabs. If you have had your jabs, that's fantastic, but start encouraging your other friends and family to get along and get vaccinated That's how we will get to those really high rates this year.
MICHAEL ROWLAND:
Advice we can't repeat often enough. General Frewen, thanks for your time this morning.
JOHN FREWEN:
Thanks Michael.
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