Thousands more Victorians eligible for COVID vaccines as Pfizer rollout expands to more under-50s - ABC News

Thousands of Victorians under the age of 50 will be able to access the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from this morning under an expansion of the state's rollout.

Key points:

• More frontline and high-risk workers under the age of 50 can get the Pfizer jab
• GPs will begin giving AstraZeneca doses to anyone over the age of 50
• Acting Premier James Merlino says he's "hopeful" the Commonwealth will accept the state's proposal for a new quarantine hub

Frontline workers, disability service workers and carers under the age of 50 are eligible for the Pfizer shot from today.

Workers deemed to be critical and high-risk, like emergency services, defence personnel and meat and seafood processing workers are also eligible.

Those adults under 50 with specified underlying health conditions or severe mental health conditions can book in to get the Pfizer shot.

Public-facing transport workers, including taxi drivers and rideshare drivers, will be able to get the vaccine from Monday, May 24.

An expected 400,000 people will benefit from the change.

Healthcare and aged care workers, as well as hotel quarantine and border workers, were already eligible for the Pfizer jab under the initial phases of the rollout.

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The state had delivered 311,317 doses of coronavirus vaccines by Sunday. 

The majority of those were the AstraZeneca inoculation, which in very rare cases had been linked to a blood clotting disorder. Scientists believe those under the age of 50 are more at risk of developing the rare disorder.

The complications mean the Commonwealth-led rollout is far behind initial projections.

"We need more, we can do more," acting Premier James Merlino said on Sunday.

"Our state sites can deliver two to three times the amount that we're doing at the moment.

"But it's all dependent on the supply of the vaccine from the Commonwealth."

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After striking a supply deal with Moderna last week for 25 million doses, Australia has nearly 170 million doses of various vaccines set to be delivered to the country.

But many may not arrive until the second half of the year, meaning the federal government has a target of the end of 2021 for people to have received their first dose.

From today, general practitioners across the country will be able to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine to anyone over the age of 50 as part of the Commonwealth rollout.

GPs who were receiving 50 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine per week will have their stock tripled, while those receiving 100 doses per week will receive 200, marking what a peak body called a "turning point" in the rollout.

The practices have delivered more than 1.5 million coronavirus vaccinations, accounting for more than half of the nation's jabs to date.

Over-50s have been able to get the shot at mass vaccination hubs in Victoria for four weeks.

A new mass vaccination site is opening at the Melbourne Showgrounds today, managed by Western Health.

Bookings for a Pfizer shot for people under the age of 50 can be made by calling 1800 675 398. People wanting the AstraZeneca shot can walk up to a mass hub or call in advance to make a booking.

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"Once we can get to a point where the vaccine has been successfully rolled out, to a large extent, then we can start making further changes [on restrictions]," Mr Merlino said.

"But it's always dependent on public health advice, the success of the Commonwealth's vaccine program, and having an alternative to hotel quarantine." 

Mr Merlino said he was "hopeful of a positive outcome" to Victoria's bid for the Commonwealth to fund a new purpose-built quarantine facility on Melbourne's outskirts.

Funding was not allocated to the proposal in the budget, but the Prime Minister has indicated some support for the plan.

State and federal officials met on Friday to discuss the proposal, along with Victoria's request to have some skilled migrants and international students allowed into the country through the quarantine scheme.

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2021-05-16 20:20:10Z
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