Blitz to vax Aussie ‘superspreaders’

National Covid vaccine task force co-ordinator Lieutenant General John Frewen has released a plan that aims to motivate all eligible Australians to get at least their first jab by December 20 this year.Lieutenant General Frewen’s report also revealed when people aged under 40 can expect to be eligible for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.The plan states people aged 30 and older should be eligible for the Pfizer jab in September, while Australians aged 16 and older will have to wait until October.The Moderna vaccine is expected to be available in Australia from at least September onwards, subject to approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration.Australia is set to receive 25 million doses of the Moderna vaccine.Lieutenant General Frewen’s plan stipulates a three-step process to get the nation vaccinated and free of lockdowns and Covid-19 restrictions – co-ordinate the rollout, motivate the public to get vaccinated and deliver the vaccine en masse.Under the delivery phase of the plan, the report has proposed a number of new and expanded channels where Australians could receive their vaccine.More mass vaccination centres have been touted for sports stadiums or conferences centres, while drive through sites could also be brought into action in stadium car parks.Community hubs, such as churches or public transport stations, and retail hubs like shopping centres and supermarkets, have also been proposed as vaccination sites.The plan also includes vaccinations at workplaces and schools, along with hospitals.GP clinics and community pharmacies would also have an increased focus on weekend availability for vaccine appointments.Workplace vaccinations will be trialled by mid-October and operating at scale in most jurisdictions by late November, while retail hubs would be piloted in late October and operating by late November.School vaccinations would be up and running by early December if given approval, while drive through vaccination clinics would be operating at scale by mid-October.“This is a critical endeavour for our nation,” Lieutenant General Frewen said in the report.“The goal of the task force is to ensure as many Australians are vaccinated as early as possible and this campaign plan shows how vaccines will be made available to all eligible people in Australia by the end of this year.”The report said incentives could play an important role in persuading individuals to get vaccinated.It said while studies showed financial incentives were unlikely to drive whole-scale vaccine uptake, the nation’s vaccine task force would consider the role of gift vouchers and prize draws to target certain cohorts.The report said the most effective incentives being considered were providing vaccinated people with greater personal freedoms, making it easier for people to get vaccinated and giving people greater choice of the vaccine provided to them.Prime Minister Scott Morrison said July was a record month for Australia, with 4.5 million vaccines administered.Almost 20 per cent of Aussies aged 16 and older are now fully vaccinated, while 41 per cent have had one dose.Almost 43 per cent of the population aged 70 and older is fully vaccinated.jack.paynter@news.com.au