NSW COVID vaccine rollout: Over-50s to receive AstraZeneca

The vaccine rollout will be fast-tracked for over-50s but the plan comes with a catch as the country experiences limited supplies.

Most Australians aged over 50 will only be allowed to have the AstraZeneca vaccine for now, as officials bring forward the rollout for people under 70.

Due to a limited supply of Pfizer doses, the majority will be held exclusively for Australians aged under 50, with the exception of aged care residents, frontline health and border and quarantine workers in Phase 1A.

Disability support resident Brett Rasmussen (left) and disability support worker Kathryn King are seen after receiving their second and final COVID-19 vaccination shot at the Castle Hill Medical Centre, in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

Meanwhile, a weekend go-slow on vaccine delivery by the NSW government is dragging down the rollout on top of the state suffering an 80 per cent drop in jab ­appointments due to chan­ged AstraZeneca advice.

Premier Gladys Berejik­lian also announced a new mass vaccination hub at Olympic Park, capable of giving out 30,000 jabs a week, would be open by mid-May.

Changes to the rollout ­decided at National Cabinet on Thursday included bringing forward vaccinations for Australians in Phase 2A, which covers everyone aged 50 and above, to next month.

This group will be able to get a jab from May 3 in a state clinic or commonwealth-run GP respiratory clinic, or from May 17 at their local GP.

Health Department Secretary Brendan Murphy said people in Phase 1A would continue to receive the Pfizer jab regardless of their age, but others would have to wait.

“People who for one reason or another, don’t feel like having AstraZeneca … will have access to Pfizer later in the year,” he said.

As confidence in the ­AstraZeneca vaccine plunges, NSW’s position has been made worse by a decision to only open most state clinics Monday to Friday.

NSW only delivered about 3100 jabs over the past three weekends, including Good Friday — less than the average on a single normal weekday — analysis of state government data shows.

NSW Health gave out zero vaccines the past two Sundays. By comparison, across the past two Sundays GPs in NSW managed about 3000 doses, and Victoria’s state health facilities completed about 2300.

Labor’s health spokesman Ryan Park said keeping clinics closed on weekends hindered the rollout.

“People need the option to get the jab at a time that’s convenient to them,” he said.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard dismissed the need to open on weekends, claiming there were many vacant appointments on weekdays due to high cancellation rates.

Scott Morrison also ­announced India, which has had about 300,000 new cases of COVID-19 a day, was now a “high risk” country.

Commercial flights from India will be reduced by about 30 per cent, and any Australian travelling home from there will have to get a negative rapid COVID-19 test within 72-hours before departure.

In other coronavirus news, commercial flights to Australia from India will be cut by about a third as the country is deemed “high risk” due to an out of control COVID-19 outbreak.

The rules have also been changed requiring any passenger to have a negative PCR quick COVID-19 test within 72 hours before leaving a high risk country bound for Australia.

Mr Morrison said it was a “difficult decision” to make but necessary due to the risk of infection spreading to Australia.