Getting the Covid-19 vaccine will give us more freedoms

Operation Covid Shield’s Lieutenant General John Frewen has explained why we must hit our vaccine target. SEARCH OUR LIST OF VACCINE LOCATIONS

As Co-ordinator General of Operation Covid Shield, I am constantly talking to people from around the country and from all walks of life to ensure our vaccine rollout program is as effective as possible.

It’s always interesting to hear what motivated a particular person to get vaccinated, or if they haven’t yet had the jab, what would encourage them to get vaccinated.

There is a very clear theme to people’s motivation. For people in lockdowns (or who have had to live through them), it’s about getting our freedoms back on a permanent basis so we can return to the way of life we enjoyed before the pandemic struck.

It’s simple things like being able to go out for dinner, instead of getting takeaway.

Or going to the hairdresser again. Or a mate’s place for a barbecue. Or perhaps the footy.

Or swinging a golf club.

Or seeing a family member we haven’t been able to see for months.

Or getting kids back to school – in part, so they can see their friends.

Of course, it’s also bigger things like having the certainty to plan a wedding without fearing it may have to be postponed – yet again!

For others, who are older or who have medical conditions, the motivation might be self-protection – preventing severe Covid-19, which can be a devastating and fatal illness.

I understand all of these motivating factors and it just underscores why it is so important for everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated.

For me, I am looking forward to spending time with my family and friends, knowing that I am protecting them and myself against Covid-19 by being double-dosed.

Lieutenant General John Frewen speaks during a zoom meeting with state premiers and chief ministers at Scarborough House in Canberra, Australia. Picture: Getty

The good news is that we are setting new vaccination records almost every day – and I really think the day when we can start to ease restrictions is in sight.

The Doherty Institute modelling has shown if we can hit the 70 and 80 per cent double-dose vaccination marks nationwide, and in every state and territory, we can start to open up the country with less likelihood of us having to go back into lockdowns.

As of Saturday, our first-dose nationwide vaccination rate was 71.2 per cent and for second doses it was 46.2 per cent. Approximately 24.3 million vaccine doses had been administered across the country.

We know that approximately 80 per cent of Australians are either vaccinated or have indicated an intention to get vaccinated – and the current weekly numbers back that in.

Very importantly, we are protecting the health of our most vulnerable Australians.

More than 90 per cent of Australians aged 70 and over have had a first dose, and approximately/more than 70 per cent have had a second dose.

Every residential aged care facility, nationwide, has had both first and second vaccination clinics visit to protect our senior Australians.

We are also implementing a plan to significantly accelerate the rate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are vaccinated to match – or achieve rates even higher than – the wider population when we start to hit the 70 and 80 per cent coverages rates across the country.

We now have three vaccines approved for use in Australia: Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Moderna.

All three are highly effective at reducing the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 and all effective in reducing transmission of the virus.

All three have been approved for use by our medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), and have been – and will continue to be – incorporated into our rollout program on the advice of the Australian Technical Advisory Groupon Immunisation (ATAGI).

Our experts at the TGA and ATAGI are world class – and so you can be absolutely reassured the vaccine you are offered has been rigorously assessed for its safety and effectiveness.

An important part of the vaccine rollout is to protect Australian children, and the TGA and ATAGI have approved the use of the Pifzer and Moderna vaccines for Australians aged 12 and over.

Getting a jab is now even more convenient with Moderna being rolled out through pharmacies across Australia.

Everyone who gets vaccinated is not only protecting themselves, but also their family, friends and community.

Everyone who gets vaccinated also gets us that little bit closer to the 70 per cent mark, and then the 80 per cent mark, to enable us to safely reopen our country.

Australia has a very proud history of vaccination – from our world-leading immunisation rates for children, to ensuring our country is free of awful infectious diseases such as polio.

I encourage every eligible Australian who is not yet vaccinated against the coronavirus to continue this tradition by rolling up their sleeve to get a Covid-19 jab.