The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has announced an extra 400,000 Covid vaccines will be directed to hotspots in Melbourne this month, after the government secured an extra 1 million doses of Moderna from the European Union.
Melbourne’s extra allocation, which will underpin a three-week vaccine blitz aimed at addressing a surge in Covid cases, will be a combination of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines that are in high demand because of the low risk of blood clots linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“Victoria is currently dealing with a continued surge in cases just like we saw in New South Wales some time ago,” Morrison said.
“The mRNA vaccine support for Victoria as they deal with younger residents, in particular, in Melbourne’s north and west, will benefit from additional vaccines and a rapid expansion of vaccination sites across the region, as part of a three-week vaccination blitz … to deal with the surge from the Delta outbreak there,” he said.
The decision comes after calls from the Victorian premier, Dan Andrews, for the federal government to “make good” on its share of Pfizer vaccines after more was directed to NSW at the beginning of the greater Sydney outbreak in July.
The allocation of extra doses to NSW, predominantly through the state’s GP network, prompted Andrews to accuse the federal government of having a “secret deal” with the state as part of a plan to vaccinate Sydney at the rest of the nation’s expense.
Morrison announced the extra doses for Victoria while also unveiling details of a new supply deal struck with the EU that will direct extra Moderna vaccines to Australia that had originally been destined for Spain, the Czech Republic, Portugal and Bulgaria.
These doses will be shared with over 3,600 pharmacies across Australia.
About half of these pharmacies will receive doses from next week and the next 1,800 pharmacies will follow shortly after.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (Atagi) is recommending Moderna for everyone 12 years and older, which is in line with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approval of the vaccine for those aged 12 to 59.
Morrison said the extra supplies would allow a “family jab” in September, with adequate supplies now available for everyone aged 12 to 59 available, and the country’s vaccine program now caught up to where it would have been under original timelines.
“We need the whole country to continue to press forward, because the goals are in sight,” he said. “They are in very clear sight, and they are achievable and they are within reach.”
Ahead of the supplies arriving in Victoria, Andrews on Sunday announced the state would set up 100 new vaccination hubs to try and get on top of the latest outbreak, aimed at “priority postcodes”, including Dandenong, Casey and Hume.
“Postcodes where there are case numbers, postcodes where there are perhaps not enough people through the vaccination program,” he said.
“These pop-ups are all about removing another barrier, taking the vaccination program to you.”
Victoria recorded 392 new cases on Sunday, while NSW announced 1,262 cases and seven deaths.
On Sunday, the federal government also released a new advertising campaign aimed at vaccine hesitancy, with a $50m advertisement targeting those “unsure” about getting a vaccination.
The Australian Government's "First Things First" campaign will air from tonight and encourages Australians to get vaccinated so we can start enjoying the things we are missing or to keep enjoying the things we love. pic.twitter.com/0TGPEH35Hx
— Greg Hunt (@GregHuntMP) September 11, 2021
The “first thing first” campaign urges people to get vaccinated to allow other activities to take place.
“This campaign targets those who are still unsure to be vaccinated, as it will enable them to do things they enjoy, such as being with family, attending weddings, going to concerts and travelling,” the health minister, Greg Hunt, said.
The $50m in extra spending will also support “on-the-ground engagement” with the public, including information kiosks at shopping centres and events, and community in-reach activities with culturally and linguistically diverse and Indigenous communities.
There have now been 22.4m doses delivered nationally, with 13.6m people having had one dose, and more than 41% of the eligible population fully vaccinated.
