Meat processor workers among first phase of vaccine rollout

Australia’s coronavirus vaccine rollout strategy reveals when meat processing workers will have access to the jab, considered ‘critical and high-risk workers’ under the plan.

MEAT processing workers will be among those Australians to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in the first phase of the national rollout strategy, revealed today.

Scott Morrison unveiled the new immunisation timeline as both NSW and Victoria recorded no new locally acquired cases.

The Prime Minister moved to allay concerns that Australia was being left behind countries giving emergency approval to curb the rapid spread of COVID-19.

“There have been no delays in the introduction of the vaccine in Australia,” Mr Morrison said.

“After considerable effort, including with our vaccine suppliers, we are now in a position where we believe we’ll be able to commence vaccinations of high priority groups in mid to late February.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia did not need to give emergency approval to the vaccine. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Aged care and disability care residents and staff, frontline health workers along with quarantine and border staff will be among those first to get the jab - under phase 1a of the timeline - at 30-50 vaccine hubs that will be established across Australia.

Under phase 1b comes critical and high risk workers including defence, police, fire, emergency services and meat processing.

Victorian meat processors were hit hard by coronavirus last year, with at least 14 plants affected and more than 800 cases linked to the sites in the second wave.

Victorian agriculture companies hit by coronavirus

It came after controversy surrounded the handling of an outbreak at Melbourne abattoir Cedar Meats during the first wave in May, where 111 cases were linked to the site.

Phase 1b of the vaccine rollout also includes younger adults with an underlying medical condition, including those with a disability, elderly Australians aged 70 and over, other healthcare workers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged over 55.

However, this will all be subject to approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which is expected to give the Pfizer vaccine the green light at the end of January. The doses will then be imported two weeks later.

Authorities then expect the AstraZeneca vaccine approval process to be completed in February.

Mr Morrison said authorities anticipated that Australia would start the rollout with around 80,000 vaccinations a week.

“We hope to … by the end of March, I should say, to reach some four million population,” he said.

The Prime Minister and Health Minister Greg Hunt have also committed to having their jabs televised to “show public confidence”.

Morrison and Hunt said vaccinating in February would be dangerous and irresponsible. Now they are saying it exactly what they will do. This is a backdown under political pressure, nothing more, nothing less.

— Chris Bowen (@Bowenchris) January 7, 2021

Under the second phase of the rollout strategy, adults aged between 50 and 69 will also be vaccinated as well as Indigenous people aged 18-54 and other critical and high-risk workers.

The rest of the adult population will then follow before the phase three immunisation of youths under 18 if recommended by medical experts.

Originally published as Meat processor workers among first phase of vaccine rollout