Pfizer vaccine Australia: Queenslanders set to get first jab on Monday, February 22

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has revealed which region will get the COVID-19 jab first as the state races to track down close to 50 travellers who flew to Queensland via Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport.

The Gold Coast will be the first hub in Queensland where the COVID-19 vaccine will be rolled out in the Sunshine State.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today revealed the region would get the jab first before it is rolled out to the other five hubs.

“My understanding is that it will start in one hub first just to do testing to make sure everything’s fine and then it will be rolled out to the others,” she said.

The other five hubs will be Cairns Hospital, Townsville Hospital, the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, the Princess Alexandra Hospital and the Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

Ms Palaszczuk said a Queensland public health official had been sent to Canberra to embed themselves in the national coordination centre for the vaccine roll out.

“I want to absolutely know that everything that is being done will be done,” she said.

“And I want that presence of a Queensland representative in that national coordination committee to ensure the roll out is going to plan.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaking about COVID-19 vaccinations on Monday morning. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled

Ms Palaszczuk said vaccinations in Queensland should start by the end of February, but would know more once Prime Minister Scott Morrison provided an update at the National Cabinet later this week.

Queensland has recorded no new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, after more than 5000 tests in the past 24 hours.

It is understood about 800 of the 1500 people in Queensland who came into contact with COVID exposure sites in Melbourne have now been tested.

Monday 15 February – coronavirus cases in Queensland:

• 0 new cases
• 7 active cases
• 1,320 total cases
• 1,860,967 tests conducted

Sadly, six Queenslanders with COVID-19 have died. 1,305 patients have recovered.#covid19 pic.twitter.com/LSbvjuLjdz

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) February 14, 2021

However, Ms Palaszczuk also said health authorities had still not contacted 50 of the more than 1500 travellers who had flown to Queensland via Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport on February 9.

Earlier, Health Minister Greg Hunt said Australia was on track for its vaccine rollout, with the first jabs expected to be administered on February 22.

He told reporters on Sunday the vaccine delivery was “the most precious of cargo” and would arrive in Australia before the end of the week, if not earlier.

Mr Hunt said vaccinations are on track to begin before the end of the month.

Earlier, Mr Hunt confirmed that about 80,000 doses of the first Pfizer vaccines would be exported from Belgium, The Australian reports.

They will arrive under tight security and be taken to a central distribution point.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration will then complete final testing of the vaccines before they are taken to hospital hubs and directly to aged care centres, with hospitals told to be ready to administer the first jabs from February 22.

A medic prepares a dose of the COVID-19 Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP)

“I’ve spoken to the country head of Pfizer and have confirmed that the vaccines are on track for arrival by the end of the week,” Mr Hunt told The Australian.

“Commencement of vaccinations – subject to arrival, quality and temperature controls – will take place in the last week of February.”

The latest updates from Mr Hunt come as Queensland recorded no new cases on Sunday, with just seven active cases in the state.

The Queensland border meanwhile remains closed to Melbourne, with Victoria recording just

one new locally acquired coronavirus case on day three of its snap five-day lockdown.

The health department said one new case was also recorded in hotel quarantine, taking the number of active cases in the state to 21.

A deserted Melbourne CBD. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Paul Jeffers.

More than 25,000 Victorians were tested in the past 24 hours as the total number of locally acquired active cases rose to 16.

Victoria’s snap five-day lockdown is slated to end at 11.59pm on Wednesday, subject to public health advice, but anyone who has been in Greater Melbourne since January 29 and arrived into Queensland should get tested.