Scott Morrison: Next step in Australia’s COVID vaccine journey is here

This is an historic day for Australia. I am supremely confident in the expert process that has led us to this day.

This is an historic day for Australia.

I am supremely confident in the expert process that has led us to this day.

I said at the outset we were going to make our Australian way through this pandemic. And the Australian way has proved to be, when you look around the world, one of the most effective there is.

And the reason for that, in my view, has consistently been the strength and resilience of the Australian people. It has been the response and the responsibility of Australians each and every day through this pandemic that has seen our Australian way through.

And I say to my fellow Australians, now, the next step of that journey begins.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison gives the thumbs up after receiving a COVID-19 vaccination at Castle Hill Medical Centre yesterday. Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images

And so I call on my fellow Australians (to be vaccinated) as I have, by my own example, today. Joined by the Chief Nurse, and the Chief Medical Officer of our country, together with those Australians who are in the top priority of this vaccination program, to say to you, Australia, it’s safe.

It’s important.

Join us on this Australian path that sees come out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every day that goes past from here gets more normal. Every day. And that’s what we’ve started today.

Scott Morrison with Jane Malysiak, 84, the first recipient of the COVID-19 vaccination. Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images

And that’s what’s exciting about today. The exact path will, in many ways, illuminate itself as we work through these issues.

But the thing I’m most pleased about today, is that I now know that as this vaccination rolls out, the serious disease and the sort of widespread fatalities that we saw overseas, because of this vaccination, we move further away from that every single day. That’s a big change. That is a massive change. And that will lead to others. Today is the beginning of a big game changer.

There’s no doubt about that.