Scott Morrison warns that the Australian Covid-19 vaccine could be delayed

The coronavirus vaccine may be delayed in Australia – but the government still plans to offer the injection to everyone by October, Scott Morrison said on Monday.

The government aims to deliver doses of Pfizer injection – the only vaccine approved in Australia to date – by the end of February.

But the date may be postponed as vaccines made in Belgium and the European Union on Friday tighten export controls amid severe shortages.

In a speech at the National News Club in Canberra on Monday, Mr Morrison admits the start date for Australia’s vaccination program is up in the air.

Our guide is that the first vaccine is still on track to be in Australia, ready for distribution to priority groups, from the end of February.

‘However, the final start date will depend on overseas developments, and we will continue to monitor and update accordingly,’ he said.

Mr Morrison also warns that the pandemic is still ‘raging’ and has not erupted – meaning Australia has another turbulent year.

It comes as Perth begins a hard lock five days after a security guard at a quarantine hotel tested Covid and visited 15 locations around the city.

The roll-out of the coronavirus vaccine in Australia may be delayed due to export controls in the EU.  Pictured: A woman is being vaccinated in the north west of England

The rollout of the coronavirus vaccine in Australia may be delayed due to export controls in the EU. Pictured: A woman is being vaccinated in the north west of England

More than two million residents living in Perth, Peel and the South West will enter a lockout starting at 6pm on Sunday and lasting until Friday – affecting around 80 per cent of the population of Western Australia.

The worker worked two movements at Sheraton Four Points in Perth CBD, and was located on a floor where at least one returned passenger was found with the UK strain of the disease, which is up to 80 percent more contagious.

Victoria has banned anyone from Perth from entering the state without release while Queensland quarantine imposes a mandatory 14-day hotel for anyone coming into the city and the surrounding areas.

The government has bought 10 million doses of Pfizer injection – enough to protect 5 million people – and wants to deliver 80,000 a week before the start of March if they arrive on time.

Mr Morrison has also ordered the AstraZeneca vaccine from Europe but these have already been greatly reduced after the company suffered production problems.

Fortunately Australia has the capacity to produce its own doses at the CSL factory in Melbourne and, once the injection has been approved by regulators, supply is expected to start in March at 1million doses a week. week, earlier than planned.

The Prime Minister will also announce an additional $ 1.9billion in funding for hospitals to support the rollout of the vaccine.  Pictured: Nurses working in Sydney

The Prime Minister will also announce an additional $ 1.9billion in funding for hospitals to support the rollout of the vaccine. Pictured: Nurses working in Sydney

Despite uncertainty over the start date of the vaccination program, Mr Morrison wants the country to be on track to offer the optional injection to everyone by October.

‘First, we need to prioritize those who are most vulnerable and those most at risk of serious illness, as well as frontline health and care workers and other essential services,’ he said.

We will then extend the vaccine to population balance as soon as possible, building towards protecting the whole community by the end of 2021.

Our goal is to give all Australians the chance to get the vaccine by October 2021, starting in just a few weeks. ‘

The Prime Minister will also announce an additional $ 1.9billion in funding for hospitals to support the rollout of the vaccine, with the money to be spent on additional systems, training and staff to provide the jobs.

‘We have thousands of points of presence across Australia – Hospitals, GPs, pharmacies, respiratory clinics, primary health services and specialist surgeon staff,’ says Mr Morrison.

‘This will ensure we get the vaccine for all Australians, including those in rural, remote and very remote areas and others who are hard to reach. ‘

Also in his speech, Mr Morrison will thank Australians for staying ahead in 2020.

‘I said we would not allow this virus to break the spirit of Australia. Yes, and no, ‘he says.

‘We found the same strength, good humor, bravery and companionship that allowed generations of Australians to rise to the challenges of their time.’

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is confident that the injection will be offered to everyone by October

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is confident that the injection will be offered to everyone by October

The Prime Minister notes that the unemployment rate has fallen from 7.5 per cent in July last year to 6.6 per cent in December.  Nearly 800,000 jobs have been created in the last seven months.  Pictured: Graphs showing recovery

The Prime Minister notes that the unemployment rate has fallen from 7.5 per cent in July last year to 6.6 per cent in December. Nearly 800,000 jobs have been created in the last seven months. Pictured: Graphs showing passing

The Prime Minister is expected to back the country’s eradication agenda, with Australia’s third-lowest death rate among G20 nations, after China and South Korea.

It also promotes government economic support measures and says 90 per cent of jobs lost since March have returned.

However, with parts of Western Australia locked up after a hotel security guard turned positive on Sunday, Mr Morrison will warn that the country is not out of the woods yet.

The pandemic is still raging. It’s not going out. The virus went nowhere. In fact, it is entering new and more vibrant varieties.

‘So we have to be vigilant,’ he says.

Why might the EU delay the rollout of Australia ‘s vaccine?

On Friday the European Union launched a ‘vaccine export transparency mechanism’.

It will be used until the end of March to control vaccine behavior to countries outside the EU, with any export company wanting to submit its plans to national authorities.

EU officials have demanded that the measure not be an export ban and that the move is intended to ensure that member countries receive doses they have purchased from vaccine manufacturers.

The move could sustain Australia’s supply of the Belgian-made Pfizer vaccine.

So far, Australia is not receiving any other vaccines.

The EU took action after AstraZeneca said its initial delivery of its vaccine to the bloc would fall short due to a production shift – reportedly in central Belgium – and the targets would not be met. to achieve its provision for the first three months of this year.

The British-Swedish company announced that initial delivery in the EU would be around 31 million doses – up from the expected 80 million in the first quarter.

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