How many doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will NSW get?

It’s been a frustratingly slow start to the vaccine rollout with early mistakes and mishaps causing fear and confusion. But NSW is now expected to receive hundreds of thousands of doses per week. See the vaccine supply list

The slow pace of vaccinations in NSW is about to kick into gear with an estimated 200,000 Pfizer shots a week available in August, and as many as 430,000 doses a week in September.

By October this will rise to 540,000 vaccines delivered per week.

The federal government’s Horizon report has forecast vaccine supply over the coming months, including the long-awaited Moderna vaccine — another mRNA vaccine like Pfizer that is recommended for use in the under 60s.

The first of 25 million doses of the Moderna vaccine will arrive in September.

Operation Covid Shield co-ordinator Lieutenant General John Frewen said the supply turnaround has begun with the arrival of one million doses of Pfizer last Sunday.

“This ramp-up has seen supply more than triple in a fortnight, which also means the vaccine rollout now steps up a gear as we have more vaccines to get into arms,” he said.

There have been AstraZeneca vaccines available but not enough Pfizer doses. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“Supply continues to rise in coming months as more Pfizer comes to our shores ahead of the introduction of Moderna later this year. We are on track to have as many Australians who want to be vaccinated, vaccinated by the end of the year.

“As part of the campaign plan, I am looking at additional channels to help get the vaccines into arms. This will include accelerating the rollout of pharmacies, mass vaccination hubs, drive-through clinics and workplace vaccinations.

“NSW is currently facing some very difficult challenges and I am working with NSW to target key areas.”

To date, supply of the Pfizer vaccine has severely hampered the vaccine rollout.

Since mid-June the Pfizer vaccine has been recommended for Australians aged under 60, creating a massive chokepoint as those eligible scramble for the limited supply.

The AstraZeneca jab, meant to be Australia’s workhorse vaccine, is now only recommended for the over 60s after the risk of a rare clotting disease was identified.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has been openly critical of the lack of supply of Pfizer amid the Sydney lockdown, saying on Wednesday: “We can’t get enough Pfizer to actually fill up all the facilities we’ve done.”

In addition to the 40 million Pfizer jabs contracted for the last quarter, the federal government has secured 25 million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine.

The first 10 million doses were expected to arrive in the latter part of the year but projections look to fall short of that.

Government projections estimate between 87,000 and 125,000 doses of Moderna a week will be available in September, and between 430,000 and 615,000 a week available in October to December 2021.

Provided approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which is expected, between 30,000 and 43,000 Moderna jabs will be available per week in NSW in September, growing to 149,000 to 212,000 shots per week in October.

More than 3.2 million shots have been administered to an eligible population in NSW of 6,565,651 with 14 per cent fully vaccinated with the recommended two doses.

Australian Medical Association president Dr Danielle McMullen said the forecasts were pleasing but supply had to get to the most vulnerable first.

“The most vulnerable still need to be prioritised and we still see pockets of health care workers, or support workers in health care — cleaners and delivery drivers coming in and out of health care facilities are unvaccinated,” Dr McMullen said.

“We need some transparency as to where those doses are going and how quickly they are being administered.”

An extra 51 million doses of Novavax has also been ordered by Australia. This is still in Phase 3 development. If it is proven safe and effective by the TGA, it will be available in Australia later in 2021.

MUM CAN’T WAIT TO GET HER KIDS JABBED

Campbelltown mum Sharyn Pitman is relieved that Covid vaccines have now been approved for the 12-15 year-old age group.

As soon as they are eligible, she would like all her six children aged between seven and 27 to get their Covid vaccines.

“I had my first vaccination done for myself last week, but I would not hesitate to get all my kids done,” she said.

Jude, who is 14, is now approved to receive the vaccine after Australia’s medical watchdog approved the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for 12-15 year-olds.

“The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has thoroughly, and independently, assessed the domestic and international evidence before extending its approval for the Pfizer vaccine to be administered to this age group,” Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Friday.

Up until now, the Pfizer vaccine had only been approved for use in Australia for people aged 16 years and over.

“They will fast-track vaccines for 12-15 year-olds for immunocompromised children or those with underlying health conditions and then they will review the incoming data over the next month on the general population,” Mr Hunt said on Friday.

“As with all of our vaccination decisions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) will now consider this approval and provide expert advice on which groups of adolescents should be prioritised for the roll out of the vaccine and how and when it should be administered.”

Sharyn Pitman lost her baby Amie in 1997 to whooping cough and will be getting her sons vaccinated for Covid-19 when it becomes available. Picture: Toby Zerna

Ms Pitman knows respiratory viruses can kill. She lost her baby Amie in 1997 to whooping cough at just 19 days old and if she can protect her kids, she will.

“I wouldn’t hesitate, I’m really confident in the vaccine regardless of the misinformation, I’ve weighed it up,” she said.

“It’s the way we have to go. I’ve always trusted vaccines and science in the past.”

Currently 22,000 teens aged 15-19 have been fully vaccinated in Australia who mostly have underlying conditions.

The Delta is more infectious than the Alpha variant, and data from the UK found children and adolescents were at greater risk of becoming infected with Delta, and although they did not, in general become severely unwell, they were responsible for transmitting it.

Professor Fiona Russell from the Murdoch Children‘s Research Institute said the vaccine had been found to be safe in the age group.

“Data from US safety trials of Pfizer in this age group show that it is safe and effective. This vaccine is routinely being given to all teenagers over 12 years old in the US and Canada so millions of teenagers have already received the vaccine,” Prof Russell said.

“The close monitoring that follows after roll out of a vaccine has detected a rare side effect in which the heart muscle (myocarditis) or lining (pericarditis) can become inflamed. It mostly occurs in young men and teenage boys within one week after the second dose.

“No serious ongoing problems have been detected. Doctors will be on alert for symptoms in children (and young adults) who have received Pfizer, particularly after the second dose. Symptoms include chest pain and shortness of breath.”

In Indonesia, close to 700 children have died of Covid.

When the Pfizer jab will become available to the 12-15 age group will be advised by ATAGI.

Originally published as How many doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will NSW get?