Coronavirus Australia: Double dose vaccination rate hits 80 per cent for Australians over 16

Australia is now one of the world’s most vaccinated countries against Covid-19 with 80 per cent of eligible adults double jabbed.

Australia became one of the world’s most vaccinated countries against Covid-19 with 80 per cent of eligible adults double jabbed.

We are now one of the most vaccinated countries in the OECD, with double-dose rates higher than Israel and the US.

The 80 per cent vaccination rate brings it alongside Portugal, Spain, South Korea and Singapore as countries who have passed the important milestone.

The national 80 per cent milestone was originally set to trigger Australia progressing to Phase C of the National Plan of reopening, which included extending the travel bubble for unrestricted travel to some overseas countries, including Singapore which has been green-lit to commence from next week.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the milestone was “magnificent”.

“How good is that? Congratulations Australia,” he said.

“There has now been 36 million doses. This has been a true Australian national effort.

“A big thanks goes to our nurses and our doctors, our healthcare workers and pharmacists. Everyone who’s been involved in this extraordinary effort.

“From me a big thank you today, but it’s not over yet.

“We all need to take this path back together.

Afaf Kadar receives her second Covid vaccination at the Melbourne Showgrounds as Australia passes the 80 per cent double vaxxed rate today. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Victoria, NSW and the ACT have already passed their individual 80 per cent double dose targets, while Queensland and WA are days away from reaching 80 per cent first dose milestones.

NEW ‘CONTROLLED’ WAVE TO HIT AUSTRALIA

Australians have been told to enjoy the summer break away from high Covid-19 cases, thanks to the country’s high vaccination rates.

However, experts warn Australia will experience a “controlled wave” which is now sweeping Singapore and will likely be inevitable for the country too.

The Southeast Asian city is witnessing its highest infection surge since the beginning of the pandemic, with cases hitting an average of 3000 to 4000 new Covid-19 cases a day.

And that’s despite Singapore reaching the coveted vaccination milestone of more than 90 per cent before Australia.

Of those diagnosed with the virus, 98 per cent are asymptomatic or mild, despite the country recording more than 300 deaths in the past month – accounting for 70 per cent of Singapore’s total fatalities.

“A couple of weeks after you’ve had the vaccine is when it’s most effective (80 per cent) in preventing transmission, but four to six months later it’s more like 40 per cent,” Regional infectious disease specialist Dale Fisher told The Australian.

Singapore has recorded thousands of new cases Picture: Suhaimi Abdullah

Around 94 per cent of Singaporeans aged 12 and over have been vaccinated, with vaccinations set to be approved soon for primary school children.

Booster shots have also been made available this week for the double-jabbed aged over 30.

It comes as health authorities said they’ve witnessed an “unusual surge” in the number of infections which peaked over the 5000 mark last week, while more than two thirds of patients on oxygen or in ICU are unvaccinated.

“What matters in Singapore is not that we have 3000 or 4000 new cases a day but that we have 75 empty ICU beds which gives us a bit of comfort,” Professor Fisher said.

“You can expect this to happen in Australia because it’s quite similar in that there’s very little natural immunity and vaccination rates are climbing.

“There will be these surges as the restrictions are pulled down, but the fact it is coming into summer in Australia – when everyone opens their windows and flocks outdoors – and everyone has been recently vaccinated could mean the surge won’t be as big as it could have been.

“I think Australia could have a bit of a honeymoon for the next few months, though I’d be a bit more worried in six months when you’re going back into winter.”

From November 8, vaccinated Australians will be able to travel to Singapore without quarantining, while Australia’s borders will reopen to vaccinated Singaporeans from ­November 21.

AUSTRALIA RECOGNISES TWO NEW VACCINES

Two new vaccines will officially be recognised in Australia from Monday as the Therapeutic Goods Administration announces the addition of Covaxin and Sinopharm to its accepted vaccine list.

Covaxin – a Covid-19 vaccine manufactured in India – and Sinopharm – manufactured in China – will now be “recognised” for the purpose of establishing a traveller’s vaccination status.

This recognition is for travellers entering Australia who are aged 12 and over, and have been vaccinated with Covaxin, and those 18 and over with Sinopharm.

The TGA said its decision to accept the two new vaccines was made in response to additional information demonstrating the effectiveness of Covaxin and Sinopharm.

“These vaccines provide protection and potentially reduce the likelihood that an incoming traveller would transmit Covid-19 infection to others while in Australia or become acutely unwell due to Covid-19,” a TGA spokesman said.

Travellers entering Australia who are aged 12 and over and have been vaccinated with Covaxin will be recognised as fully vaccinated by ATAGI. Picture: AFP

The addition of the two vaccines will means many citizens of China, India and other countries in the Indo-Pacific region will now be considered fully vaccinated upon entry into Australia.

“This will have significant impacts for the return of international students, and travel of skilled and unskilled workers to Australia,” a TGA spokesman said.

International students will need to wait at least seven days after their second dose of Covaxin or Sinopharm to be legally regarded as fully vaccinated in Australia.

The two doses of the vaccine will also need to be at least 14 days apart, according to ATAGI’s standards.

While Covaxin and Sinopharm will now be officially “recognised” by the TGA, this does not mean the vaccine brands are registered for approved use in Australia.

Australians will continue to receive AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines only.

AUSTRALIA REOPENS TO THE WORLD

The first quarantine-free flight arrived in Australia on Monday, as the ban preventing Aussies from travelling overseas without an official exemption was officially lifted.

Passengers had emotional reunions at the arrival gate after Qantas flight QF12 arrived at Sydney Airport at 6am from Los Angeles.

A mother and daughter are reunited at Sydney’s International Airport as early morning flights arrive from Los Angeles, Japan and Singapore. Picture: Getty Images

A Singapore Airlines plane touching down slightly earlier at 5.15am.

The first Qantas flight out of Sydney will be to London via Darwin on QF1, with passengers on board no longer needing an exemption to leave the country.

The first overseas passengers arrive into Australia amid lifted travel restrictions. Picture: Dylan Coker

Sixteen international flights are due to arrive at Sydney Airport’s international terminal today, bringing home some of the 46,800 stranded Australians overseas.

It marks an end to almost 600 days of restricted travel after flights were paused on March 20, 2020.

There will be no need for quarantine in NSW if you’re fully vaccinated.

Expats arrive at Sydney International Airport amid lifted travel restrictions. Picture: Dylan Coker

AUSTRALIA MAY GET NEW VACCINE

Australia could welcome its fourth Covid-19 vaccine after Novavax announced the completion of its submission to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for provisional approval of its vaccine candidate.

The company’s application to the TGA marks the first complete application for provisional approval of a protein-based Covid-19 vaccine in Australia.

“This submission brings Novavax significantly closer to delivering doses of the first protein-based COVID-19 vaccine to Australia and, along with this week’s filing for conditional marketing authorisation in the UK, brings us one step closer to our goal of ensuring broad global access to our vaccine,” said Novavax President and chief executive Stanley C. Erck.

“We thank the Australian clinical trial participants and trial sites, as well as the regulatory and vaccine experts, for their assistance and contribution to this vaccine program.”

In a statement, the company said Australia had played a pivotal role in the Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials supporting the development of the protein-based COVID-19 vaccine. Additional booster trials and a Phase 1/2 trial for a combination vaccine using Novavax’s seasonal influenza and Covid-19 vaccine are under way in Australia.

US biotech firm Novavax said its Covid-19 vaccine candidate showed 89.3 efficacy in a major phase 3 clinical trial involving more than 15,000 people. Picture: AFP

‘NEW ERA’: HUNT

With Australia set to reach its next major trigger point on the national plan within 10 days, the Health Minister has outlined how Covid-positive people will be treated.

Greg Hunt anticipates Australia will reach the 80 per cent double-dose vaccination mark by next weekend, which would trigger phase C of Australia’s plan for reopening. As vaccination rates soar across the country, a “new era” of healthcare co-operation between state and territory providers and community-based doctors and nurse practitioners has been outlined and will mean asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic Covid-positive patients are treated at home, not in hospitals.

Mr Hunt announced the six-part $180m package from Melbourne beside the president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the chief nursing officer.

“We start with a $25 Medicare item, as a face-to-face bonus for general practitioners treating Covid-positive patients, or suspected Covid-positive patients in the clinic.

Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced a $180m package to support community care for Covid-patients. Picture: Gary Ramage

“That will attach to any other appropriate item the GP is using,” Mr Hunt said.

“This is a bonus for them in seeing patients face-to-face and recognising the additional cost of cleaning.

“(Second) as patients are being treated at home, we’ll make available pulse oximeters which allow for (at-home) oxygen reading. It will be a critical part of identifying whether any patient at home is starting to deteriorate in any form.”

Mr Hunt said the package would also support GPs, nurses and medical deputising services to carry out home visits. GP respiratory clinics will continue to remain open until at least June 30, 2022, telehealth systems will continue to be supported, and Covid-positive patients will be able to get scripts filled without needing a doctor’s visit.

“We want to ensure where possible people who are fully vaccinated and are not at risk of becoming a greater health issue for them that they will have treatment at home,” Mr Hunt said.

“If someone is unvaccinated or partially vaccinated and not deemed a (health) risk, they will also be treated on this path.”

RACGP president Karen Price said the announcement would save hospitals from being overwhelmed.

“That’s important for people who need to attend hospital for other acute injuries or illnesses,” she said.

As of Friday, 87.9 per cent of eligible Australians have received one dose, while 76.2 per cent are fully vaccinated. In addition, booster shots have begun being delivered at GPs across the country.