NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian reveals COVID vaccines could be rolled out faster

As the first wave of NSW residents begin rolling up their sleeves, the state’s premier has made a surprising call about the vaccine timetable.

NSW residents could receive the COVID vaccine sooner than anticipated.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian made the surprising claim as the first jabs were administered at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital’s vaccination hub on Monday.

Ms Berejiklian revealed the vaccination timetable for the entire population could be brought forward if health officials received more doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca sooner.

“We’re hoping … there is a chance timetables can be brought forward if we find that the supply chains are such … that we get more doses sooner than we anticipated we might see some of those dates coming forward,” she said.

“Please stay tuned the first three weeks.”

The first cohort of vaccinations will be given to hotel quarantine workers and those on the frontline.

“As soon as we have a line of sight on what’s happening after that, we’ll let the community know,” the Premier said.

Ms Berejiklian described the day as a game changer for the state as the first patients rolled up their sleeves at 8am.

The first cohort of people to be vaccinated are rolling up their sleeves in NSW. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

More than 1200 people will be vaccinated in NSW on Monday, including 500 at Royal Prince Albert Hospital and the rest at Liverpool and Westmead hospitals.

“I want to thank the teams in all those three hospitals for working so hard to make it possible today to have that mass production,” she told reporters.

“As we walk past the building there will be people getting vaccinated all throughout the day.”

It is anticipated 35,000 people will receive the Pfizer vaccine during the first three weeks of the program.

The Premier won’t be among the first to get vaccinated and will instead wait a few weeks until the AstraZeneca vaccine becomes available.

“I can’t wait for when it’s my turn, when the AstraZeneca arrives,” she said.

“The vast majority of our citizens will be offered the AstraZeneca vaccine and that's why when that arrives I’ll be one of the first in line.”

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian hopes the vaccination timetable can be brought forward. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

Ms Berejiklian last week reiterated her stance on not making the vaccine mandatory but said “incentives” would be in place, particularly around air travel and hospitality to encourage people to get the jab.

“It will be up to private organisations. I presume airlines might say they want people vaccinated on international flights,” she told reporters on Friday.

“Hospitality venues may be able to ease restrictions further if people are vaccinated … there’s a whole range of things, I don’t want to speculate.

“(But) if you look at our track record in NSW, we don’t like to force anyone to do anything.”

The Premier would not elaborate on whether mandating vaccines for hotel quarantine workers would be written into the state’s public health order.

“It’s early days,” she said.

“I have overwhelming confidence that the feedback I‘ve received from the (workers) that I come into contact (with) is that the vast majority of people working in quarantine systems are enthusiastic it will give them an extra level of protection not just for themselves but for their families.”