Two new batches of Pfizer vaccines coming to NSW in August

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Pfizer vaccines into Sydney in the coming weeks.

NSW will receive a fresh injection of nearly 185,000 Pfizer jabs over the next two weeks in a bid to raise vaccination rates in Covid-stricken Sydney and surrounding regions.

The jabs, which will be delivered in two batches on August 9 and 16, include 20,000 doses to be sent to regional areas to replace vaccines sent to Sydney for Year 12 students.

“I will always work closely with our Premiers ot make sure Australians are protected in their time of need,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Wednesday announcing the extra jabs, which will not come at the cost of any other state’s allocation.

185,000 new Pfizer jabs will soon come into NSW in an effort to ease the state’s Covid crisis. Picture: Chris Kidd

“Wthin a week, tens of thousands of additional Pfizer doses with start rolling into NSW, with an extra 183,690 doses to be delivered.”

“Importantly, the vast majority of these doses will go straight to SW Sydney. Those in the regions will have their redirected doses replaced.”

“This is another shot in the arm for the state’s vaccination rollout. Every vaccination can save a life,” he said.

It is a step towards greater freedom by the end of the month, which is achievable but will require vaccination rates to rise by a third.

The Daily Telegraph understands that if Gladys Berejik­lian’s target of six million doses by August 28 is met then some industries may be allowed to resume but only those workers who are inoculated.

It’s believed that consideration is also being given to loosening the shackles on residents of local government areas (LGAs) with higher levels of vaccination.

Increasing vaccination rates is the key to getting out of lockdown. Picture: Damian Shaw

But based on recent jab rates — averaging 75,000 each weekday over the past fortnight — the state will fall about 250,000 doses short of the Premier’s target.

Encouragingly, the daily figure published by NSW Health on Wednesday was the largest on record, at nearly 85,000.
This brought the total to four million, with 20 per cent of adults fully immunised.

For Ms Berejiklian’s objective to be achieved, the rate will need to be 90,000 next week, 95,000 the week after and 100,000 in the final few days before August 28.

“I think we can get there as long as we get everybody to come forward,” Ms Berejiklian said on Wednesday.

Epidemiologist Tony ­Blakely said NSW had to “prioritise like crazy” the vaccination of essential workers ­interacting with lots of people.

Combined with “very targeted lockdowns”, this would reduce community transmission to about five cases a day by September or October.
“And that will tip the balance in favour of contact tracers,” Professor Blakely, of the University of Melbourne, said.

NSW Health on Wednesday reported 233 cases.

Police patrols on Bondi Beach is far from the lifestyle Sydneysiders want to have. Picture: NCA Newswire /Gaye Gerard

Western Sydney University assistant vice-chancellor Andy Marks said improved communication was also critical to achieving jab target, particularly in locked down areas of southwest Sydney with low vaccination rates.
He recommended 30-second messages in Arabic, Chinese and Vietnamese as part of the daily media conference held by the government.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he and Dr Chant “spoke to the multicultural media on Zoom” last week.

His spokeswoman said a clinic targeting Pacific Islanders in southwest Sydney was opened on Wednesday.

The federal government this week said 70 per cent of Australian adults could be immunised against Covid-19 by the end of November and 80 per cent a month later.

“Mathematically, we can get there,” Co-ordinator General of the National Covid Vaccine Taskforce Lieutenant-General John Frewen said on Wednesday.

“We need to get to 70 per cent, 80 per cent if you really want to return to the sort of lifestyle we used to enjoy.”

The ADF, Police and OzHarvest unload bags of fresh food at Wetherill Park Community Centre to support the hard-hit south-western Sydney suburbs during Covid-19 lockdown. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

Lt Frewen said Sydney was emphasising mass vaccination hubs. There are as many as four open in NSW now, with the capability to collectively deliver more than 50,000 jabs a week. Drive-through vaccine centres will also start up in September and doses will be offered through schools, places of worship and workplaces.

Beginning next week, Westpac and CBA will provide AstraZeneca doses to 12,000 people in Sydney at branches and business banking centres across eight LGAs.

Lt Frewen on Wednesday revealed a Covid-19 vaccine other than AstraZeneca will be available to 30-39 year-olds “towards the end of this month, early next month”.

He did not say whether it would be Pfizer.

Originally published as Two new batches of Pfizer vaccines coming to NSW in August