COVID-19 vaccines begin as Prime Minister receives Pfizer immunisation - The Age

Aged-care resident Jane Malysiak, 84, has become the first person to receive the Pfizer vaccine in Australia as the country’s COVID-19 vaccination program begins.

Mr Morrison will also be vaccinated on Sunday in a show of confidence for the immunisation program.

A small group will be vaccinated at Castle Hill in Sydney on Sunday morning ahead of the broader rollout beginning on Monday, including two aged care residents, aged care staff and some frontline health workers.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison at CSL’s manufacturing facility in Melbourne for the AstraZeneca vaccine. Credit:Getty

Health minister Greg Hunt said he felt “very emotional” as the vaccinations began.

There was a round of applause for Mrs Malysiak as she received her vaccination. Born in Kosimszko in Poland, she emigrated to Australia and ran a corner store with her husband.

There were about a dozen patients lined up waiting for the vaccine in the crowded waiting room along with journalists and camera operators.

Phase 1a of the rollout begins this week, with residents across 240 aged care facilities to start rolling up their sleeves, alongside quarantine and border workers, and frontline health staff.

Sixteen hospital hubs across the country will vaccinate the quarantine, border and health workers, while an army of nurses will travel 190 towns in urban and regional areas to start vaccinating elderly aged care residents.

Mr Hunt confirmed on ABC’s Insiders the Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly and the Chief Nursing Officer Allison McMillan will also receive their first Pfizer vaccine, and the Prime Minister will be vaccinated last.

Mr Hunt said he will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine in the coming weeks, alongside federal health department secretary Professor Brendan Murphy.

“Today is the first round of vaccines for Australia and, ultimately, that’s about hope and protection for Australians,” he said.

Both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines were approved by Australia’s medical regulator, in late January and last week respectively, paving the way for the vaccine rollout to begin.

Mr Hunt said it was important for “key leaders” to show their confidence in the vaccines by receiving their first doses at the start of the rollout.

“There was a very strong focus on the need for key leaders, not the Parliament, not the cabinet, not even the leadership group, but a cross party group to provide that confidence,” he said.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese will also be vaccinated this week, and Mr Hunt said two other members of the opposition as well as Greens leader Adam Bandt have been invited to get their first doses in coming days as well.

“Many people are worried ‘has this been too quick’? And we have to show that it’s been full thorough assessment, and we believe in the safety ourselves,” he said.

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2021-02-20 22:37:12Z
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