New Pfizer COVID vaccine doses hit Australia as Anthony Albanese lines up for jab

Around 1300 people were vaccinated in NSW on the first day of the state’s inoculation rollout as an additional 166,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine arrive in Australia.

Around 1,300 people were vaccinated in NSW on the first day of the state’s inoculation rollout, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said.

The Premier said she was “really pleased” with the numbers of jabs received on day one.

“Of course that will scale up,” she said.

The figure of 1,300 people getting a vaccine dose represents the number of people given a shot at Liverpool, Westmead, and Royal Prince Alfred hospitals.

“It doesn’t include the people in aged care homes,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“The response from people who received the vaccine has also been very positive,” she said.

166,000 NEW PFIZER DOSES ARRIVE

An additional 166,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine have arrived in Australia, as Labor leader Anthony Albanese lines up for the jab.

The shipment of vaccines on-board a Singapore Airlines flight arrived in Sydney early on Tuesday ahead of the second week of the Phase 1A rollout for aged care residents and priority frontline workers.

The precious cargo was taken to a special cold storage facility in a secret Western Sydney location where it will undergo batch testing before being sent to vaccination hubs around the country.

The first Australian shipment of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines arrived a week ago. Picture: AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi

Health Minister Greg Hunt said of the new doses the federal government would only release 80,000, with the remainder to be held to ensure there is enough for recipients to receive their second jabs.

“We’ll make 80,000 doses available over the coming week, 50,000 to the states, 30,000 to aged care through the Commonwealth,” he said.

“It’s important that we have consistency, we’re always provisioning for the second doses.”

Mr Hunt said he had spoken to the CEO of Pfizer overnight and said the company had provided “good, strong confidence and forward guidance of their continued deliveries”.

“And that just gives Australians confidence in terms of the effectiveness of vaccines and confidence in terms of the reliability of supply.”

Mr Hunt said the locally-made AstraZeneca vaccination remained “on track” for a March rollout.

“This is the start of a program that will help protect lives, save lives across Australia and give people a pathway to returning to a more normal lifestyle,” he said.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese received the Pfizer jab on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Meanwhile Mr Albanese was joined by Labor MP Peta Murphy to receive the Pfizer jab in Canberra as a show of confidence in the vaccine program.

Ms Murphy has breast cancer and is therefore immunocompromised, which places her in one of the early priority groups to receive the jab.

Greens leader Adam Bandt also had the first dose of Pfizer.

Workers who are getting a COVID shot as part of the first phase of the vaccine rollout are being identified by NSW Health and progressively asked to book an appointment to get the jab.

Elderly people in nursing homes and aged care workers will be told when it is their turn to get the jab and do not need to go anywhere to sign up.

Before health officials co-ordinate vaccine deliveries to aged care homes, operators have been asked to distribute consent forms to the families and guardians of residents asking if they will accept the jab.

Homes are then systematically contacted for a vaccine delivery.

In the later stages of the vaccine rollout people will be able to proactively sign up and book an appointment.