Covid-19 vaccine stockpiles getting bigger as state prepares to reopen borders

Record number of Covid-19 vaccines are sitting in a stockpile new figures show, as a soccer hero says all athletes should be vaccinated – “it’s pretty simple”.

A record number of Covid-19 vaccines are sitting in a stockpile new figures show, as authorities prepare for a last- minute jab blitz before borders reopen next week.

Latest SA Health data shows almost 400,000 vaccine doses – mostly Pfizer – are being stored in SA Health fridges.

A month ago the stockpile was almost 192,000.

Labor has criticised the stockpile, arguing it should be in people’s arms so close to the border reopening on November 23, especially across Adelaide’s northern suburbs where jab rates are poor.

Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier on Sunday again urged all South Australians to be vaccinated.

“It is so important as we come to the 23rd and we’re opening up the borders because we will be having the disease in our state,’’ Professor Spurrier said.

Emily Chi and Sitha Chan from the Santipheap Apsara Amatak Cambodian Dance Troupe being vaccinated for the first time by nurses Abraham Sang and Sharon Fitzmaurice at a pop-up Clinic outside the Multi Cultural Festival in Victoria Park. Picture: Emma Brasier.

“It will be, in a sense, people who are not vaccinated who are going to catch Covid, who are going to pass it on to their families and they’re going to get sick with this awful disease.’’

Professor Spurrier made the appeal at a multicultural festival, which featured a mobile vaccination facility, where community leaders encouraged their members to be vaccinated.

She also urged anyone who had received one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine to return for their second dose and said Pfizer was also available.

Professor Spurrier said the state’s plan on how to live with Covid will be released early in the week, which will include details about quarantine requirements, as well as advice for businesses about what restrictions will still be needed and how they will be enforced.

SA Health will also boost mobile clinics across the state from today. Vaccination clinics will also stay open late next Monday in what officials say is a “final push to get as many people in the community vaccinated as possible”.

Mass hubs at Wayville, Elizabeth, Noarlunga and Kilkenny, as well as clinics in regional areas, will extend operating hours.

Meanwhile, former Adelaide United football director Bruce Djite has said all athletes should be vaccinated for reasons of safety and to ensure competitions are not disrupted by Covid-19 outbreaks.

Djite, who is now chief executive of the Committee for Adelaide, said he would not like to see a repeat of last season when “borders were shut, competitions were down, TV rights money is impacted, players were stood down”.

“Sports people and sporting organisations in a very privileged position (are) very often put on a pedestal, it comes with the territory and I think, personally, 100 per cent of athletes and staff should be vaccinated if they want to participate and do what they love doing in playing sport,” he said.

Djite said with the A-League men’s competition starting this week he was aware of players nationally who had not been vaccinated.

A spokesman for Adelaide United said all its players were fully vaccinated.

Djite said it was frustrating to see vaccine hesitancy, not only among athletes but in the general population.

“We wouldn’t be where we are today as a species without this sort of technology,” he said.

“Why all of a sudden are we starting to question the smarts of some of the best scientists in the world?

“Get vaccinated. It’s pretty simple, it’s pretty painless. It’s going to keep you safe.”

Adelaide United Director of Football Bruce Djite. Picture: Brenton Edwards