Supermarket, stadium vax hubs for jab fast-track

Australia’s rollout chief has revealed how he plans to reach the summer vaccination target — and it could see many getting their jabs in drive-throughs.

Stadium carparks, supermarkets and shopping centres could be turned into vaccination sites within months as the jab rollout chief reveals how he plans to reach the summer vaccination target.

Lieutenant General John Frewen’s vaccine campaign plan indicates the critical marks to reopen the country will “potentially” be met in the final two months of the year.

In the plan, quietly released on Tuesday, Gen Frewen said he expected Australia’s 70 per cent target would be met in November and the 80 per cent target in December, with the rollout fast-tracked with new distribution points including:

DRIVE-through clinics across the country from mid-October, including in stadium car parks;

VACCINATION sites at supermarkets and shopping centres from late November;

PHARMACIES operating after hours and on weekends.

While a decision is yet to be made about how and when children will be vaccinated, Gen­eral Frewen’s plan proposes that jabs will be given to students at schools from December.

According to the document, adults aged in their 30s will be able to get the jab from September, with those aged 16 to 29 given access from October.

Carparks have been transformed into mass testing sites during the pandemic. Picture: Sarah Matray

The additional vaccine distribution points will be particularly targeted at younger adults, with General Frewen’s plan noting they typically have “more transient relationships” with GPs who have been central to the first phase of the rollout for older Australians.

A major communications campaign will be put in place with the aim of motivating all eligible adults to get at least their first dose by December 20. This would involve three key phases of advertising in the middle of this month, late September and early November.

From next month, a national response option will also be put in place in the vaccine program, enabling up to 42,000 extra doses to be sent into an area hit by an outbreak over a two-week period.

Amid concerns the vaccination workforce is already “fatigued and burnt out”, General Frewen’s plan also explores additional personnel who could help give jabs, including paramedics and medical students.

After Labor leader Anthony Albanese called for all vaccinated Australians to receive $300, the official plan said financial incentives were “unlikely to drive whole-scale vaccine update”. Instead, rollout chiefs will work with industry on other incentives, such as gift vouchers and prize draws.