Scott Morrison has shared a special message Australians have been waiting to hear for the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While more than 2.2 million lives have been taken due to the disease, scientists have remained hopeful that the world we all once knew will become a reality.
In Australia the death toll stands at 909 lives lost, with a majority of the lives taken coming from aged care homes in Victoria that were ravaged by virus outbreaks.
The Prime Minister is urging Aussies across the nation to get the COVID-19 vaccine as it will be a crucial step in containing the deadly virus.
“We want to encourage Australians right around the country to roll up their sleeves and get a COVID-19 vaccine,’’ the Prime Minister told news.com.au.
“For 12 months we have fought COVID-19, prioritising saving lives and livelihoods, but to win the battle we need Australians to get vaccinated.
“The vaccine will be voluntary and Australians should have confidence that it is both safe and effective.
“Getting the jab will be a critical step in returning to a more normal life, however it won’t be an instant silver bullet.”
While the vaccine is not a “silver bullet,” the Morrison government has warned that the alternative will involve lockdowns, lay offs and more border closures.
The vaccine will be free, voluntary and rolled out to Australia’s most vulnerable first including COVID-19 frontline workers and the elderly.
There is to be five phases of the program, which will begin with hotel quarantine and border control workers before aged care workers receive the vaccine, the. senior Australians and finally people with a disability.
Health Minister Greg Hunt says the first step is getting the country vaccinated before international travel will be a possibility again.
“We recognise that safe and effective vaccines are an important step to free movement within Australia and enable us to work towards international travel,’’ he told news.com.au.
“Achieving community protection through immunisation would improve the lives of many Australians.
“The Australian Government may consider establishing new entry requirements for incoming travellers. There has been no decision to mandate vaccination for all arriving travellers to date.”
Deputy chief medical officer Professor Michael Kidd also told the publication how long the COVID vaccine will last before a “booster” shot is needed.
The expert says more information should be revealed later throughout the year.
“To safely achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, a substantial proportion of the population would need to be vaccinated, lowering the overall amount of virus able to spread in the whole population,’’ he said.
“None of the major vaccines have data on long term transmission effects which is the driver of herd immunity. In that context the Government will continue to ensure that we have whole of population protection.
“We also need more information on the long term durability of the vaccines. This is an important area of research and will likely vary according to the community, the vaccine, the populations prioritised for vaccination, and other factors.”
