Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced that 95% of eligible Australians over the age of 16 received the first dose of the vaccine against COVID-19.
Hunt said the milestone exceeded almost all the predictions made at the beginning of the pandemic.
“We have achieved a vaccination rate of 95%, often referred to as the complete vaccination level, but we would like to go further. We will continue to encourage Australians to move forward.” hunt I told reporters Saturday.
Over 92% of eligible Australians over the age of 16 are currently vaccinated twice, and over 52% are receiving a third booster.
Children between the ages of 5 and 11 were vaccinated on Monday, and so far more than 250,000 have been vaccinated for the first time.
Meanwhile, the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is scheduled to be decided “within the next 10 days” by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Authority, Therapeutic Goods Department.
Approximately 51 million doses of protein-based vaccines have been ordered by the federal government.
Hunt also said there were “signs of hope” around nearly one million COVID-19 cases nationwide as Omicron variants spread throughout the population.
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said the Omicron waves in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) are “close to the peak.”
“I believe we are approaching the peak of this wave for cases, especially in New South Wales, but also in Victoria and ACT, with actual predictions based on all predictions and actual number of cases.” He said and mentioned the infectious disease. It may be underreported.
But Kelly said the situation in Western Australia was “another story.”
“It will be later when they start to cause an incident. But in most of the rest of Australia, we are still on the rise and may be stagnant, and then in the case. There is a downward trend, “he said.
Kelly also said hospitalizations and deaths would increase in the coming weeks, but the overall rate of serious illness was “very low.”
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Caden Pearson is an Australian-based reporter with a background in screenwriting and documentary. Contact him at [email protected]