It’s V-Day: Get the jab now or you’ll run out of time, with 278,000 doses waiting in SA Health fridges

With 278,000 vaccine doses waiting in the fridge, South Aussies have been told to get jabbed now or run a crazy risk when the state opens up in five weeks.

Time is running out for unvaccinated South Australians to get their jabs before the state opens up to the rest of the country and increased cases of the Delta strain.

In an urgent plea, the state’s Covid-19 authorities say this week is a “crucial time” to get the first coronavirus vaccine, just five weeks before SA is expected to reach the magic 80 per cent jab rate for people aged over 16.

Premier Steven Marshall, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens and chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier all warned unvaccinated people, or those who were jab-hesitant, that now was the time to get inoculated to avoid major risks.

Mr Stevens, who will authorise all changes to restrictions, said there was a “real likelihood” unvaccinated people would be subject to bans when travelling, including being forced to quarantine for a fortnight.

Their intervention came despite new figures showing almost 280,000 vaccines are being stockpiled in SA Health fridges amid fears of poor vaccination rates in Adelaide’s north.

Confidential SA Health modelling shows December 3 is the date the 80 per cent goal will likely be reached, meaning the five-week “V-Day” deadline to get a first jab is Friday. Prof Spurrier said there needed to be three weeks between doses and “full protection” can take between 10 and 14 days to develop.

Mr Marshall said the vaccine was the state’s only pathway out of the pandemic as his government prepares a road map to ease restrictions.

“It’s now more critical than ever you roll up and get yourself vaccinated,” he said.

“Don’t just do it for yourselves, do it for South Australia. This is the disease of the unvaccinated. Covid is coming, please get vaccinated.”

Federal figures show 62.5 per cent of SA adults older than 16 are fully vaccinated, while 79.3 per cent have had a first dose.

Immunisation nurse Charly Betzold with a vial of Pfizer at the Women and Children's Hospital on Monday. Picture: Tom Huntley

While authorities have yet to decide the date when the state’s hard borders with NSW, ACT and Victoria will open, they have promised it will be before Christmas.

Prof Spurrier said while SA had “done extremely well to manage this pandemic so far, we know Covid-19 is coming”.

“Right now we are on the cusp of reaching that double dose target,” she said. “For those who have not yet done so, this week is the crucial time to get your first dose.

“If you are planning to get vaccinated – now is the time.”

She said one dose was good, but being fully vaccinated provided the best protection. “Vaccination is one of most important things we can do as our pathway out of this pandemic,” she said.

Mr Stevens “strongly encouraged” people to get jabbed “as quickly as you can”.

“The sooner we hit that 80 per cent target the sooner we can open up our borders, which I think is important from an economic, social and family perspective,” he said.

He said there were thousands of people wishing to visit loved ones interstate, or overseas, travel for business or explore the world.

“People need to appreciate there is a sense of urgency here,” he said. “We need to get back on track … to as close as normal, as quickly as possible.

“Don’t leave it so long that you are still at risk when the rest of the community hits that 80 per cent mark.

“When we do open our borders, we’re going to be managing Covid-19 in the community and the people who will suffer the most from (either) further restrictions or sickness are those people who are not vaccinated.”

Latest SA Health data shows 278,425 vaccine doses are being stored in fridges.

More than 263,000 of them are Pfizer jabs, which have increased by 87,000 in a week.

Three weeks ago, the stockpile was almost 233,400 doses.

Officials say the Commonwealth dictates supplies while the stockpiles are needed for double dose allocations.

Labor health spokesman Chris Picton said the issue was now getting the jabs into arms.

“Vaccines sitting in fridges do nothing to protect the community or help us remove restrictions,” he said.

“Let’s expand the program and get these… shots out of the fridges and into people’s arms to protect the state.”

At the ‘Super Walk-In Weekend’ at Elizabeth, registered nurse Atong Ather gives Darren Thompson of Salisbury his second Pfizer dose. Picture: Dean Martin

SA Health held a “super walk-in weekend” on Saturday and Sunday at 15 clinics.

Federal data shows 7182 vaccinations were issued at SA Health clinics on Sunday, and 8485 on Saturday, compared with 11,678 and 9015 the previous Saturday and Sunday.

An SA Health spokeswoman said it had launched mobile vaccination clinics and opened up 6000 appointments at the Wayville and Noarlunga vaccination hubs.

Health Minister Stephen Wade said the state was closer to reaching targets than other “low Covid” states such as Queensland and Western Australia.

“With the vast majority of South Australians having easy access to the vaccine and supply no longer an issue, the government’s focus is on ensuring that we have strong vaccination rates across geographical and cultural cohorts across the state, not just statewide rates,” Mr Wade said.

SA Health has now allowed immunocompromised people to get their third vaccination.