PETER STEFANOVIC:
A new out-of-home ad campaign encourages eligible Australians to stay up to date with their vaccination status by booking a COVID booster.
[Excerpt]
VOICEOVER: After the last two years, we could all do with a bit of a boost, and a COVID-19 booster? It boosts more than just your immunity.
It's a boost to my bottom line.
A boost to my confidence.
A boost to my fitness.
A boost to our social life.
A boost to my happiness.
Give yourself a boost and keep up to date with your vaccinations by visiting australia.gov.au.
[End of excerpt]
PETER STEFANOVIC:
So there's the ad, you'll see a bit more of that. And joining me live now is the Coordinator General of the Operation COVID Shield, Lieutenant-General John Frewen. Appreciate your time this morning, John. So will this boost out-boost our rates?
JOHN FREWEN:
Well, we hope so, Peter. Last week, we ticked over 95 per cent of the nation have had their first two doses, which is a remarkable achievement globally and Australians really are to be commended for that. About 67 per cent of those people have come forward for their boosters so far. So there is scope there for, you know, an increase in those rates. So we hope this ad just freshens things up a bit, remind people of the importance to both their own health and to our economic well-being, and encourages people to come forward.
PETER STEFANOVIC:
How fast is that booster rate moving at the moment?
JOHN FREWEN:
Yeah. Look, it's pretty slow at the moment. You know, there's a whole reason- a range of reasons for that. We know people are, they're a little bit over the COVID thing. Many people have had COVID now and they're not as intimidated by Omicron as they have been previously. But the message around boosters is it's very clear that a booster shot will reduce your- the severity of COVID if you have it. It'll also help avoid some of the effects of COVID. So, you know, there's really good reasons to have the booster. It's really convenient and easy to get the boosters now. So we really do ask people to just step up and get it done like they have done for the first two doses.
PETER STEFANOVIC:
But that's a pretty common reaction, is it, that you're finding that that for a lot of people, they had the virus, it didn't really affect them that much, so they're not going to bother with putting yet another vaccine or another jab in their body.
JOHN FREWEN:
Yeah, there is- that's sort of certainly one of the common themes. You know, people also think, well, I've had COVID, I can't get it again. And that's not true either. You can get COVID multiple times as well. So these vaccines are safe, they're available. You know, you can walk into places anywhere around the country these days and pretty much get a jab straight away. So we just encourage people to keep doing it.
PETER STEFANOVIC:
I mean, supply is there, right? Other than the ads, there's not a whole lot more you can do.
JOHN FREWEN:
No, supply is there. It's really about people coming forward as they have and us just keeping the messages as clear as we can. So, you know, this third jab for the general population is what the ads are aimed at. We had different advice from ATAGI on Friday that is about the fourth dose or the winter dose, if you like, but that is about our most vulnerable. And what the science is telling us is for those over 65, for Indigenous people over 50, for people who are immunocompromised, or for people who are in settings like residential aged care facilities and disability care facilities, we want to get a shot to them before winter. And so, people are able to start coming forward for that now.
But in terms of supply, the supply is no longer a concern. We've got, you know, ample of all the vaccine types. We've got a good distribution network in place with more than 10,000 points of presence. And we've got a well-rehearsed range of ways of getting into residential aged care facilities and the like now to get the vaccine going. So-...
PETER STEFANOVIC:
[Talks over] So just back on that booster shot then, is- when it comes to aged care, disability care, those who are most vulnerable, are those booster rates at an acceptable level, in your view?
JOHN FREWEN:
Yeah. No, they're good. In aged care facilities where over 93 per cent of people have had their third dose, their booster, and in the disability care facilities it's 86 per cent. So, you see that they're both well ahead of the national 67 per cent rate. So the take-up is really good there. But it can always be better and so we'll keep at it.
PETER STEFANOVIC:
And I know it's only just been announced, so, you just referred to the fourth jab there. Is there any marker or measure there so far on take-up, even though it's only really just been announced?
JOHN FREWEN:
No, look, there's been- there has been people who particularly immunocompromised who might have had it, but really, we're just about to get rolling on that…
PETER STEFANOVIC:
Yeah, right.
JOHN FREWEN:
… and we hope to see strong take-up. I mean, in the general population, the over-65’s have been in the very high 90 per cent hole throughout the rollout, so I expect there will be strong take up there…
PETER STEFANOVIC:
Okay.
JOHN FREWEN:
… and as they've got good procedures for aged care facilities and the like. So I hope to see a good take-up.
PETER STEFANOVIC:
Lieutenant-General John Frewen, thanks for your time, as always.
JOHN FREWEN:
Thanks, Pete.