‘Only a matter of time’: Daniel Andrews warns three jabs set to be mandated for all Victorians

Premier Dan Andrews has flagged all Victorians may need to be triple-dosed to be fully vaccinated, and has not ruled out more jab mandates in future.

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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has warned it’s “only a matter of time” before people will need three jabs in order to be considered fully vaccinated against Covid, and flagged an announcement could be made as soon as this week.

He did not rule out further vaccination mandates being made in future.

“I think we’re very close to a situation where the relevant federal authorities will determine that three doses is what’s considered fully protected. As for fourth and fifth, let’s wait and see how this goes. Being vaccinated saves lives,” Mr Andrews said.

He said he would follow the advice of experts, and was not afraid to make unpopular, difficult decisions, if it meant keeping Victorians safe.

“I could not be clearer about the vaccinated economy . . . mandates are here and we didn’t get to 93 per cent without mandates. We only got to that unique level of internationally significant vaccination protection by mandating,” Mr Andrews said.

“They weren’t easy choices, and there has already been some mandating done for third doses and there will be more . . . whether that’s popular or not, that’s not my concern . . . you’ve got to make difficult decisions, and then push forward from there.”

Daniel Andrews has hinted that three vaccines doses may soon be mandatory. Picture: Ian Currie

The warning comes as the state reported 10,589 new infections and 20 deaths on Sunday.

Mr Andrews said it was a matter of time until three doses became the standard requirement, and announcements could be made this week.

“I think it’s only a matter of time before the relevant federal agencies confirm that it’s three doses . . . (that are needed) in order to be protected, not just against really critical illness but to be protected or to minimise the likelihood that you get it and that you give it to the people that you love,” he said.

“And we’ll wait and see how that unfolds over the course of the next week or so.”

Mr Andrews said it was “third dose protection” that would help keep people out of hospital and reduce the transmission of the virus.

Quizzed about QR codes, he said they were a tool to ensure those who were currently double-dosed “and I think at some point, triple dosed”, could move about freely in a vaccinated economy and not present a risk to others.

“Those who are not vaccinated have made the wrong choice; have made a choice that puts so many other people at risk,” Mr Andrews said.

Olly Ellison, 5, and his brother Alex Ellison, 10, got their jabs. Picture: Brendan Radke

Asked if Victoria could see mandates for fourth, fifth and sixth jabs in future, if health experts advised they were necessary, Mr Andrews said: “You know what is mandatory, following the health advice of experts.”

Currently only 31 per cent of Victorians have received a booster shot, despite hundreds of thousands of appointments now being available and 2.1 million people now eligible.

In the latest reporting period, 4479 of the new cases were reported from PCR tests and 6110 cases were from rapid antigen tests.

The total number of active cases in the state was 78,294, down from 79,836 reported on Saturday and 101,605 on Friday.

There were 889 patients in Victorian hospitals being treated with the virus.

Of those in hospital, 111 people are being treated in intensive care, with 35 people on ventilators.

Victorian health authorities said on Saturday they had detected cases of the new Omicron subvariant, dubbed ‘son of Omicron’, in the Victorian community.

LABOR PLAN FOR COVID SUPPLIES

Federal Labor has pledged to increase Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capacity in medical essentials, including RATs, masks, PPE and ventilators if it is elected this year.

The promise comes as reports have emerged of Australian medical technology companies moving to the US because of lack of interest in their products at home.

If elected Labor has promised it will give priority to Australian-made medical technology for government purchases in consumables and equipment.

It will also order the $15bn National Reconstruction Fund it has promised to establish to make medical technology a priority and work with the planned Future Made in Australia Office to develop a national investment plan for health care essentials.

The first RAT approved for use by America’s Food and Drug Administration was made by the Brisbane company Ellume after the US government gave it $30m to scale up production in Brisbane.

It has since invested $302m to build a US factory.

It has also been reported Melbourne-based company Lumos Diagnostics approached the government in mid-2020 about setting up manufacturing in Australia.

Instead, it ended up establishing its manufacturing capability in Florida and California and is selling tests into the US, European and Canadian markets.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said critical medical supplies should be made in Australia and the Australian government should be buying Australian-made medical supplies. He said Labor would increase Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capacity in medical essentials.

“The fact that we are three years into the pandemic and still face shortages on critical needs like rapid antigen tests is an indictment of a government that has failed Australians.”