The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has provisionally approved the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use in Australia.
The Australian Government has doubled its supply of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, securing an additional 10 million doses.
Federal Member for Calare and Minister for Decentralisation and Regional Education, Andrew Gee said that securing the additional Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines is another positive step in protecting Australians from COVID-19.
“The additional purchase of the Pfizer vaccine puts us in a very strong position,” Mr Gee said. “This year will see the rollout of three vaccines – the Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Novavax vaccine – all of which have been shown to be highly effective at preventing the COVID-19 disease, particularly severe cases of COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage around the world, and the vaccine rollout is the next critical step in protecting Australians.”
Andrew went on to share details of the rollout saying, “The vaccinate rollout is on track to start at the end of February, with people who need protection the most to receive the first doses. This includes border and quarantine workers, frontline health care workers, aged care and disability care staff and aged care and disability care residents. This will be followed by elderly adults, other health care workers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and younger adults with underlying medical conditions.”
Andrew was enthusiastic about the efficacy of the vaccination, squashing claims against its safety saying, “The safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine is a key priority for the Australia Government and Australians should take confidence in the thorough and careful approach taken by the Therapeutic Goods Administration during the approval process. The vaccination will be voluntary. I am not an anti-vaxxer, so as soon as my turn arrives I will be getting a shot. I’d encourage others to do the same. Every vaccination helps us defeat COVID-19 and get our region and country back on track.”