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COVID-19 vaccination in Australia

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COVID-19 vaccination program
COVID-19 vaccination map of Australia (as of 13th of March 2021)
Date22 February 2021 (2021-02-22) – present
LocationAustralia
CauseCOVID-19 pandemic
TargetImmunisation of Australians against COVID-19
BudgetA$1.87 billion[1]
Organised byFederal, state and territory health departments
Participants843,182 people with at least one dose administered of Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine
Outcome3% of the Australian population has received at least one dose
Websiteaustralia.gov.au/covid19vaccines
Australia's covid-19 vaccination underway

COVID-19 vaccination in Australia began on Monday 22 February 2021, and will continue throughout the year with the goal of vaccinating all willing Australians before 2022. Front-line workers[a] and aged care staff and residents will be the first Australians to be inoculated, before a gradual phased release to less-vulnerable and lower-risk population groups throughout 2021. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved two vaccines in Australia: the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine on 25 January, and the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine on 16 February.[2][3][4] As of 04 April 2021, Australia has administered 843,182 vaccine doses across the country.[5][6]

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Vaccine approval

The two vaccines currently approved for administration in Australia are classified as being "provisionally approved", meaning that they have been deemed safe and effective based on clinical and scientific data and are in the process of non-expiring registration. The authorisation means the vaccine will become part of the Australian Therapeutic Goods Register and will be up for review again in two years based on additional clinical data.[7]

Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine

This section is an excerpt from Therapeutic Goods Administration § Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine.[edit]
Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine (2021)

On 25 January 2021, the TGA provisionally approved the two-dose Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, named COMIRNATY, for use within Australia. The provisional approval only recommends the vaccine for patients over the age of 16, pending ongoing submission of clinical data from the vaccine sponsors (the manufacturers, Pfizer and BioNTech).[8] Additionally, every batch of vaccines have their composition and documentation verified by TGA laboratories before being distributed to medical providers.[9]

The Department of Health and Aged Care planned the administration of COVID-19 vaccinations in five phases, organised by the risk of exposure. Border, quarantine, and front-line health and aged care workers were vaccinated first, followed by over 70 year-olds, other health care workers, and essential emergency service members. Following the provisional approval of COMIRNATY, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that it was planned for the first group to begin vaccinations by February 2021, six weeks earlier than originally planned.[10]

The first public COVID-19 vaccination in Australia actually took place on 21 February 2021 with the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine at Castle Hill in Sydney. An 84-year-old  aged care resident was the first Australian to receive the vaccine. To show confidence in the national immunisation vaccine rollout, Prime Minister Morrison and Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly also received vaccinations.[11]

On 23 February 2021, Australia's second shipment of the Pfizer vaccine arrived at Sydney airport. Health Minister Hunt confirmed the arrival of 166,000 doses, and 120,000 more doses expected to arrive in the following week.[12]

On 9 April 2021, Prime Minister Morrison announced that Australia had secured another 20 million doses of Pfizer vaccine on top of 20 million already on order, meaning 40 million doses should be available to Australians in 2021. This was amid concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine, in rare cases, causing blood clots; see section Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine below. The additional doses of Pfizer were expected to arrive in Australia in the last quarter of 2021.[13][14]

On 23 July 2021, the TGA approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for teenagers between 12 and 15 years old.[15]

On 5 December 2021, the TGA provisionally approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine access for five to 11-year-olds.[16][17]

Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine

This section is an excerpt from Therapeutic Goods Administration § Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine.[edit]
Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (2021)

On 16 February 2021, the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine was approved by the TGA for use in Australia. The administration of this vaccine was scheduled to start in March.[18] Two weeks later, on 28 February, the first shipment of the vaccine, around 300,000 doses, arrived at Sydney for rollout from 8 March.[19] On 5 March 2021, Italy stopped the export of AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia due to their slower rollout of that vaccine in the EU.[20] On 23 March, TGA approved the first batch of locally manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine by CSL-Seqirus in Melbourne, and 832,200 doses were ready for rollout in the following weeks.[21]

On 17 June 2021, Federal Health minister Greg Hunt announced a rise in the age limit for administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine. After new advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), the vaccine was no longer recommended for people aged under 60 years. This advice came after new cases of blood clotting, thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), in those under 60 after AstraZeneca vaccinations.[14]

On 23 June 2021, the Federal government released vaccine allocation projections and forecast that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine would be in "little need" past October 2021 when all Australians over 60 years were expected to be fully vaccinated.[22]

On 9 February 2022 within Australia the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was approved by the TGA (still pending ATAGI approval) as booster vaccines for individuals – joining Pfizer and Moderna booster vaccines for individuals approved months ago.[23]

Vaccine rollout and distribution

COVID-19 vaccine national rollout phases

National Vaccine Rollout Strategy[24]
Order Priority group Number of eligible (estimated) [25] Number of doses targeted [b] Progress [c]
Phase 1a
1 Quarantine, border & front-line health care workers 678,000 up to 1.4 million In progress
2 Front-line health care worker sub-groups for prioritisation
3 Aged care and disability care staff
4 Aged care and disability care residents
Phase 1b
5 Elderly adults aged 80 years and over 6,139,000 up to 14.8 million In progress Registration open
6 Elderly adults aged 70–79 years
7 Other health care workers
8 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 55 and over
9 Adults with an underlying medical condition, including those with a disability
10 Critical and high-risk workers including defence, emergency services and meat processing
Phase 2a
11 Elderly adults aged 60–69 years 6,570,000 up to 15.8 million TBA
12 Adults aged 50–59 years
13 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18–54
14 Other critical and high-risk workers
Phase 2b
15 Balance of adult population 6,643,000 up to 16 million TBA
16 Any unvaccinated Australians from previous phases
Phase 3
17 Australians under 18 years[d] 5,670,000 13.6 million TBA

On 21 February 2021, a day before the previously announced program start date, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly, Chief Nurse Alison McMillan, and "a small group" of aged care staff and residents became the first Australians to receive the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. The early vaccination was heavily televised with the hopes of reassuring Australians about the quality, efficacy, and safety of COVID-19 vaccines.[26]

On 22 February, the first Canberran received a COVID-19 vaccination. She was a 22-year-old registered nurse, and a member of a COVID-19 testing team.[27]

On 22 March, Health Minister Greg Hunt announced the phase-1b vaccination roll-out from today. In this phase, more than 6 million Australians are targeted for inoculation, and approximate 1,000 GP clinics are participating in vaccination all over the nation to ramp up the speed of vaccination.[28]

Distribution

The federal government has promised to provide free vaccinations to everyone living in Australia, largely regardless of immigration status. Like most vaccines, Australians will not need a prescription to receive them.[29]

Vaccination rollout by states and territory

State or territory Population Doses administered[e] People fully vaccinated[f] Ref.
Australian Capital Territory 431,114 12,778 0 [6]
New South Wales 8,164,128 126,494 20 [30][6]
Northern Territory 245,980 8,647 0 [6]
Queensland 5,174,437 88,282 0 [31][6]
South Australia 1,769,319 28,759 0 [32][6]
Tasmania 540,569 17,511 0 [33][6]
Victoria 6,694,884 116,234 0 [34][6]
Western Australia 2,661,936 56,872 0 [35][6]
Aged and disability care 187,300 111,873 0 [6][36]
GP clinic NA 275,732 0 [37]
Total 25,687,041 843,182 20* [6][38][39][5]
*estimate based on the first-day figures

The federal government and NSW do not report daily, so national figures may not equal the sum of states and territories.

Vaccine on order

Section 'Vaccines' not found
Vaccine name Approval progress Quantity Doses arrived Vaccine approved Began administering
Pfizer–BioNTech Approved for use 20 million 457,000 [38] 25 Jan 2021 22 Feb 2021
Oxford–AstraZeneca Approved for use 53.8 million 714,000 [40] 16 Feb 2021 5 March 2021 [41]
Novavax Phase III clinical trials 51 million None Not yet Not yet
Johnson & Johnson[42] Phase III clinical trials unavailable None Not yet Not yet

Progress to date

Cumulative vaccinations in Australia

Daily vaccinations chart of Australia

Vaccine overdose and adverse reaction

Two elderly aged care residents in Queensland received a "higher than recommended dose" of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, however, there has been no adverse reaction noted.[43] It was reported that the contractor responsible for aged care vaccinations in Queensland, Healthcare Australia, found that the doctor responsible had not completed their training for administering COVID-19 vaccinations, and was stood down and subsequently reported to the appropriate medical regulator.[44]

A health worker in Queensland experienced a serious anaphylactic reaction after receiving the Pfizer vaccine and was admitted into intensive care. The person has a history of anaphylaxis and discharged after full recovery on the same day.[45]

A 44-year-old Victorian man was admitted to Melbourne's Box Hill Hospital on 2 April 2021 when he developed serious thrombosis and a low platelet count after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine on 22 March He developed blood clots in his spleen, liver and gut. Similar cases had been reported overseas among those who received the AstraZeneca vaccine (30 cases in the UK alone) but none among those who had received the Pfizer vaccine. Canada and Germany had already suspended the use of AstraZeneca for people under the age of 55 and 60 respectively. It was estimated that this occurred in somewhere between one in 100,000 and one in a million recipients. About 750,000 doses had been administered in Australia. This prompted the TGA to warn anyone who experienced persistent headaches or other worrying symptoms four to 20 days after receiving the vaccine, to seek medical advice.[46][47]

Vaccination timeline criticisms

On 11 March 2021, the Australian Medical Association claimed that it is highly unlikely the government's target of offering vaccination to every Australian by October 2021 would be achieved and suggested that mid-December 2021 would be a more realistic date for this goal to be realised. The government had aimed to administer 60,000 doses by end of February but ended up administering just 31,000 doses.[48] Now, the milestone of 4 million doses has been moved to early April.[5] 

Graph of Covid-19 vaccine rollout targeted vs actual

   Target figure for vaccination    Doses administered

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Front-line workers is limited to staff at border and quarantine facilities, health care staff in emergency and COVID-19 wards in hospitals, and other direct-contact workers.
  2. ^ Both doses
  3. ^ Figure shows eligible got at least one dose of the approved vaccine
  4. ^ This phase will only occur based on clinical and scientific data, as there is limited evidence currently about the efficacy of the vaccine for this age group.
  5. ^ Australians who have received at least one dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine.
  6. ^ Australians who have received a full course of an approved COVID-19 vaccine.

References

  1. ^ "COVID-19 and the Australian Government's Response". Budget 2021–21. Retrieved 20 February 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ "TGA provisionally approves Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in Australia". Department of Health. 25 January 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ "TGA provisionally approves AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for use in Australia". Department of Health. 16 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ Hitch, Georgia (7 January 2021). "When will I get the coronavirus vaccine? Who gets the vaccine first?". ABC News. Retrieved 26 January 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ a b c "Tracking Australia's COVID vaccine rollout numbers". ABC News. 16 March 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)(Nota bene*The data on this site changes daily)
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Australia Covid vaccine tracker". COVIDLIVE. 13 March 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)(Nota bene* The data on this site changes daily.)
  7. ^ "Provisional approval pathway: prescription medicines". Therapeutic Goods Administration. 16 February 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ "TGA provisionally approves Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in Australia". Department of Health. 25 January 2021. Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  9. ^ "COVID-19 vaccine: Pfizer Australia – COMIRNATY BNT162b2 (mRNA)". Therapeutic Goods Administration. 25 January 2021. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  10. ^ Hitch, Georgia (7 January 2021). "When will I get the coronavirus vaccine? Who gets the vaccine first?". ABC News. Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  11. ^ Dye, Josh; Clun, Rachel (21 February 2021). "COVID-19 vaccines begin as Prime Minister receives Pfizer immunisation". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Second shipment of Pfizer COVID-19 arrives in Australia, boosting national supply". 9News. 23 February 2021. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  13. ^ Worthington, Brett (9 April 2021). "Australia secures additional Pfizer vaccine following AstraZeneca concerns". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  14. ^ a b Coughlan, Matt (17 June 2021). "AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine not recommended to Australians under-60". 7NEWS.com.au. AAP. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  15. ^ "TGA approves Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 12 to 15-year-olds". Department of Health. 23 July 2021. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  16. ^ "Melbourne Press Conference with Minister Hunt and Professor John Skerritt, on 5 December 2021, on the TGA provisionally approving Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for 5 to 11-year-olds". Department of Health. 5 December 2021. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  17. ^ "Australian children aged five to 11 set to receive Pfizer Covid vaccine from mid-January". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 December 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  18. ^ "AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in Australia". abc.net.au. 16 February 2021. Archived from the original on 5 June 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  19. ^ "First shipment of AstraZeneca vaccine lands in Australia". 9NEWS. 28 February 2021. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  20. ^ "EU, Italy stop AstraZeneca vaccine exports to Australia". 9NEWS. 5 March 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  21. ^ "Australian drug regulator releases first batches of locally made AstraZeneca vaccine". The Guardian. 23 March 2021. Archived from the original on 28 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  22. ^ Haydar, Nour (24 June 2021). "Federal government projects little need for AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine after October". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 23 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  23. ^ "TGA provisionally approves AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine as booster dose". 9 February 2022. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  24. ^ "COVID-19 vaccine national rollout phases". Australian Government Department of Health. 21 February 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  25. ^ "COVID-19 vaccination – Australia's COVID-19 vaccine national roll-out strategy". Australian Government Department of Health. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  26. ^ "Australian PM is vaccinated as rollout begins". BBC NEWS. 21 February 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ^ Vidot, Anna (23 February 2021). "Meet the nurse who received Canberra's first COVID vaccination". ABC Radio Canberra. No. Drive. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  28. ^ "MPhase 1B rollout underway as 'workhorse' AstraZeneca vaccine approved to be locally produced". 9NEW. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  29. ^ "How COVID-19 vaccines will be distributed". Department of Health. 18 February 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ^ "Australia begins rollout of Pfizer vaccine". 9news.com. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  31. ^ "Queensland will begin the COVID-19 vaccination program tomorrow". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  32. ^ "COVID vaccine arrives in South Australia". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  33. ^ "Pfizer vaccine to arrive in Tasmania on Monday with 1000 doses to be rolled out to priority workers from Tuesday". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  34. ^ "Pfizer vaccine arrives in Victoria". youtube.com. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  35. ^ "Pfizer vaccine arrives in Victoria". 9news.com. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  36. ^ "A PROFILE OF PEOPLE LIVING IN RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE IN AUSTRALIA". abs.gov.au. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  37. ^ "Total number of people vaccinated". health.gov.au. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  38. ^ a b "Second shipment of Pfizer COVID-19 arrives in Australia, boosting national supply". 9news.com. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  39. ^ "Prime Minister Scott Morrison slams 'misinformation' around COVID-19 vaccines as he receives second Pfizer jab". 9news.com. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  40. ^ "First doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine arrive in Australia". abc.net.au. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  41. ^ "South Australian doctor receives first AstraZeneca vaccination shot in Australia". abc.net.au. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  42. ^ "COVID-19 vaccine provisional determinations". www.tga.gov.au. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  43. ^ "Doctor who gave incorrect dose of Pfizer vaccine to elderly patients did not complete training". www.abc.net.au. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  44. ^ "Contractor behind COVID-19 vaccine bungle gets green light to continue". www.abc.net.au. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  45. ^ "Pfizer vaccine gives Queensland health care worker an anaphylactic reaction". abc.net.au. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  46. ^ "Blood-clotting case in Australian AstraZeneca vaccine recipient being taken 'very seriously' by Therapeutic Goods Administration". ABC. 3 April 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  47. ^ Antrobus, Blake (3 April 2021). "Coronavirus Australia: Health officer's new warning after AstraZeneca vaccine clot case". News.com.au. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  48. ^ "End of December more realistic target for all Australians to get Covid vaccine, AMA says". theguardian.com. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
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