Astra blitz: Scott Morrison says get the Covid-19 vaccine now

Scott Morrison has apologised for the behind-schedule ­vaccine program, telling young people the AstraZeneca jab is ‘available now’.

Scott Morrison says ‘we’ve had our problems very early on in the program, but we’ve turned those around’. Picture: Gary Ramage

Scott Morrison has apologised for the nation’s behind-schedule vaccine program and told young people the AstraZeneca jab is “available right now’’, in a bid to speed up inoculations in the face of a Covid-19 outbreak that has forced half the population into lockdown.

After days of criticism about the vaccination program, which is two months behind its original targets, the Prime Minister said he was “sorry’’ for its shortcomings as he announced pharmacists would be recruited to give the rollout extra “horsepower’’.

In a media blitz, Mr Morrison renewed calls for younger Australians to take up the AstraZeneca jab and strengthened his appeal to the nation’s medical experts to review health advice limiting the jab to over-60s, arguing the latest outbreak changed the risk profile.

Doses of the Pfizer vaccine — recommended for people under 60 — are being imported at a rate of one million a week but shortages are expected to remain until mid-September. Current supplies of the domestically made AstraZeneca vaccine are plentiful.

Speaking on Triple J’s Hack program, Mr Morrison reminded young Australians the AstraZeneca jab had been approved for their age group by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

“What I’m telling you right now is that the AstraZeneca vaccine is approved by the TGA to be available for people aged 18 years and above,” he said.

“We’re rapidly moving up. We’ve had our problems very early on in the program, but we’ve turned those around.”

The TGA is believed to have approved Pfizer vaccinations for children aged 12 to 16, with an announcement expected on Friday, the Herald Sun reported on Thursday night.

Mr Morrison’s pitch to people under 60 came as the TGA announced a Tasmanian man and a Victorian woman in their 40s had died from the rare clotting disorder linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Mr Morrison said the deaths were an example of the “terrible impact that pandemics have”.

The risk of elevated case numbers, however, meant it was “very important” that Australians took the opportunity to “go and get those AstraZeneca vaccines to ensure you’re protected and that your family and your community is protected”.

The Prime Minister’s comments came as NSW reported 124 new infections on Thursday, the highest since the Bondi outbreak began. Of these, 70 were active in the community to some degree since becoming infected. Victoria reported 26 new cases while South Australia reported six.

Federal Treasury estimates the lockdowns in NSW, Victoria and SA are costing more than $2bn a week.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said Sydneysiders would be living with restrictions beyond the scheduled end of the lockdown on July 30 and Mr Morrison warned that it would likely be “some time” before case numbers in NSW started to fall.

CBA economist Gareth Aird said a failure to reduce infections in the coming week could see Sydney plunged into “permanent” lockdown until overall vaccine coverage was lifted.

Mr Morrison announced the inclusion of pharmacists in the vaccine program as he sought a political reset following growing criticism over the speed of the program.

“I’m sorry that we haven’t been able to achieve the marks that we had hoped for at the beginning of this year,” the Prime Minister said. “But what’s important is that we’re totally focused on ensuring that we’ve been turning this around.”

From Monday, pharmacists in southwest Sydney will begin dispensing the AstraZeneca jab after an emergency request from the NSW government aimed at improving vaccine coverage in the epicentre of Sydney’s Covid-19 outbreak.

In the rest of the country, pharmacists from Monday will be able to register their interest to administer AstraZeneca to Australians of all ages, enjoying the same medical indemnity arrangements as doctors. It is anticipated that pharmacies involved in the scheme will begin vaccinations in mid-August, while others will start administering a third Covid-19 vaccine, Moderna, from September.

Last month, The Australian revealed the rollout could be accelerated by three months if pharmacists were brought on board.

Pharmacy Guild national president Trent Twomey welcomed the “pragmatic decision”, which his industry has been pushing for several months.

“Modelling by the guild shows that bringing these pharmacies on board will speed up the rollout by several months, and this is great news for communities across Australia,” Mr Twomey said.

Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid welcomed both Mr Morrison’s apology and bringing pharmacists on board, but cautioned that there would be further challenges ahead.

The increase in the pharmacy rollout is aimed at encouraging take-up of AstraZeneca, especially among more vulnerable Australians aged over 60.

Mr Morrison continued his push for medical experts to review their advice that recommends AstraZeneca be preserved for older Australians, saying the Delta strain had changed the risk profile. “My simple point is that the balance of risk has shifted and, therefore, based on the balance of that risk shifting, what, if any, is the change in the advice that the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation would provide?” he said.

“I’m very concerned, very concerned, that, of course, the advice that had come previously has caused some hesitation among people, particularly older people.

“Those people are not at risk, in southwestern Sydney in particular, but more broadly across Sydney. And I need AstraZeneca vaccines in their arms to protect them and their lives.”

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard urged eligible Australians on Thursday to book vaccination appointments, emphasising his locked-down state was “awash with AstraZeneca” and that mixed messaging had discouraged people from getting the jab.