Australian health authorities revealed on Wednesday that the country is expected to complete its coronavirus vaccination drive by the end of October. With 100,000 vaccine doses having been administered since the start of the campaign, the Australian nation has expressed little concern over its relatively slow vaccination program, particularly when compared to other developed nations.
“This is not a race,” Health Secretary Brendan Murphy announced to reporters during discussions on Wednesday. He explained that Australia’s lagging vaccination campaign is not a concern, as unlike nations such as the United States and the United Kingdom, the Australian government has managed to effectively contain the virus outbreak. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Australia has only reported 29,000 COVID-19 cases and 909 deaths.
According to Murphy, Australia’s effective containment of the virus has given the country the leeway it needs to takes its time when executing its vaccine rollout to ensure that the campaign is both safe and efficient. While the vaccination process was delayed after two elderly people were given four times the recommended dose, the Australian government has remained set on achieving its goal of administering one million doses per week by the end of March.
Australia has secured an order of 54 million AstraZeneca vaccines, with 50 million to be locally produced.
