Arguably the greatest hurdle in the way of Australia’s vaccination rollout has been the widespread shortage (or at least inaccessibility) of the Pfizer vaccine, the jab recommended for Australians under the age of 60. Now, thanks to a last minute deal with Poland, Australia has a shedload more of the precious stuff, and a large volume of it is being directed to immunise people aged 16-39 in Sydney’s hotspot LGAs in the west and southwest of the city.
From 9am on August 18, anyone aged 16-39 residing in Fairfield, Blacktown, Liverpool, Canterbury-Bankstown, Georges River, Strathfield, Campbelltown, Cumberland, Burwood, Bayside, Parramatta or Penrith will be able to make an appointment to get one of the 530,000 doses of Pfizer newly acquired by the federal government. More than 70 per cent of Greater Sydney’s cases are in the hotspot LGAs, and many of these infections have been linked to spread within households largely driven by younger people, so it is hoped that the mass vaccination drive will help to bring the spiralling Delta outbreak under control. Shots will start going into arms on August 19.
The state has set an ambitious target of 70 per cent of eligible adults fully vaccinated before lockdown measures can begin easing, although the premier has also suggested that certain restrictions may be relaxed for fully vaccinated people once 50 per cent of the adult population is double jabbed – roughly six million doses. As of August 18, just under 27 per cent of eligible adults were fully vaccinated in NSW, with 53 per cent of NSW adults having received one dose, with a total of 5.2 million shots administered so far. The state has projected that the 70 per cent coverage target is achievable by mid-October.
If you are eligible for one of the hotspot LGA Pfizer doses, you can book your appointment via the NSW Health website.