Lyla Lindsey
Australia's COVID-19 vaccination programme began on 22 February 2021, with the AstraZeneca vaccine approved for use on 16 February 2021. The AstraZeneca vaccine was initially slated as the cornerstone of the programme, with Australia among the first to announce an order. However, the programme faced setbacks due to supply shortages, public perception of the AstraZeneca vaccine as inferior to the Pfizer vaccine, and concerns about rare blood clotting incidents associated with the vaccine. These factors contributed to vaccine hesitancy and a slow rollout, with Australia lagging behind other Western nations in its vaccination rates.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of first AstraZeneca vaccine approval in Australia | 16 February 2021 |
| First shipment of AstraZeneca vaccine | 28 February 2021 |
| Number of AstraZeneca doses in the first shipment | 300,000 |
| Date of AstraZeneca vaccine rollout | 8 March 2021 |
| Number of people who cancelled AstraZeneca vaccine appointments | Hundreds |
| Percentage of adults who have been vaccinated | 3% |
| Percentage of adults who have received their first shot | 25% |
| Number of people over the age of 16 who have had one dose | 6,109,102 |
| Percentage of people over the age of 16 who have had one dose | 30% |
| Number of people over the age of 16 who have been fully vaccinated | 1,633,434 |
| Percentage of people over the age of 16 who have been fully vaccinated | 7.92% |
| Number of people aged under 40 who have received their first dose | 736,294 |
| Number of people aged under 40 who have received their first and second doses | 444,221 |
| Number of vaccine doses administered across Australia | 62,492,656 |
| Number of doses administered per 100 people | 23 |
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What You'll Learn
AstraZeneca was Australia's main vaccine
Australia's COVID-19 vaccination program began on 22 February 2021, with the goal of vaccinating all willing people in Australia before 2022. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved four vaccines for use in 2021: the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine, the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine, the Janssen vaccine, and the Moderna vaccine.
The AstraZeneca vaccine was originally slated as the cornerstone of Australia's vaccination program. Local labs were set up to produce the vaccine, and the Australian government secured 56.3 million doses. However, the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine faced several setbacks. Firstly, there was a delay in the shipment of vaccine doses to Australia, with the European Union blocking the shipment of over 3 million doses. Secondly, reports emerged of a rare blood clotting occurrence linked to the vaccine, leading the government to advise people under 50, and later those under 60, to take a different vaccine. This caused a surge in the number of people cancelling their AstraZeneca vaccine appointments, as they preferred to receive the Pfizer vaccine instead.
Despite these challenges, Australia still heavily relied on the AstraZeneca jab for its vaccination program. It was recommended that those aged 60 and above receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, while the Pfizer vaccine was preferred for those under 60. As of 24 July, ATAGI encouraged all individuals aged 18 and over in greater Sydney to consider getting vaccinated with any available vaccine, including AstraZeneca, due to an increased risk of COVID-19 infection and constraints in Pfizer vaccine supplies.
In summary, while AstraZeneca was initially Australia's main vaccine, the emergence of safety concerns and public preference for alternative vaccines led to a reduction in its usage over time.
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Rare blood clotting concerns
Australia's COVID-19 vaccination program began on February 22, 2021, with the goal of vaccinating all willing people in Australia before 2022. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on February 16, 2021, for use in Australia.
The AstraZeneca vaccine was linked to a rare but serious side effect called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), a rare blood-clotting condition. TTS involves blood clotting combined with low platelets. Blood clots can appear in different parts of the body, such as the brain or abdomen, and can cause long-term disability and even death. The risk of TTS was higher in younger people, with the rate of AstraZeneca-related TTS estimated to be about 2 per 100,000 people vaccinated aged 60 and older, and about 2 to 3 per 100,000 people vaccinated under 60. Symptoms typically occurred between 4 and 42 days after the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Due to the risk of TTS, the Australian government updated its guidance to recommend only those aged 60 and over get the AstraZeneca vaccine, while those under 60 were advised to get the Pfizer vaccine. This led to a surge in the number of people cancelling their AstraZeneca vaccine appointments, as many locals felt that the risk of catching COVID was lower than developing a rare blood clot.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is no longer available in Australia as of March 21, 2023, so no further cases of AstraZeneca-related TTS are expected.
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People cancelling AstraZeneca appointments
Australia's COVID-19 vaccination program began on 22 February 2022, with the goal of vaccinating all willing people in Australia before 2022. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved four vaccines for use in 2021: the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine, the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine, the Janssen vaccine, and the Moderna vaccine. However, the AstraZeneca vaccine has faced setbacks due to public concerns about its rare but serious side effects, particularly blood clotting. This has led to a significant number of people cancelling their AstraZeneca vaccine appointments.
The Australian government's decision to raise the recommended age for receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine to 60 and, later, to those aged 50 to 59, has further contributed to the cancellations. People under 60 have been advised to opt for the Pfizer vaccine, which is in short supply. As a result, many Australians who were previously eligible for the AstraZeneca vaccine are now seeking the Pfizer vaccine instead. This has caused a surge in cancellations, with people wanting the "good vaccine" and questioning why they cannot have it.
The risk of blood clotting with the AstraZeneca vaccine is extremely low, estimated at 2.7 clotting cases per 100,000 first doses for those in their 50s, and 3.1 cases per 100,000 doses for those under 50. Despite this, the perception of AstraZeneca as a "less good" vaccine has persisted, and the public's trust in the vaccine has been damaged. This is despite experts reassuring the public that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks.
The cancellations have slowed down Australia's already lagging vaccination drive. As of August 2022, only 3% of adults in Australia were fully vaccinated, while 25% had received at least one dose. This is far behind many other Western nations. The Australian government has urged people to honour their AstraZeneca appointments, stating that getting vaccinated with AstraZeneca is better than waiting for an appointment for Pfizer.
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Australia's slow vaccine rollout
Australia's COVID-19 vaccination program began on 22 February 2021, with the goal of vaccinating all willing Australians before 2022. However, the rollout has been criticized for its slow pace, falling far below initial government targets. By June 2021, only 3% of adults had been fully vaccinated, while 25% had received their first shot.
The slow rollout has been attributed to several factors. Firstly, the government faced challenges in securing sufficient vaccine supplies. Initially, Australia heavily relied on the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was slated to be the backbone of the vaccination program. However, reports emerged linking the vaccine to rare cases of blood clotting, leading to vaccine hesitancy and concerns among Australians. The government then advised that only those aged over 50 or 60 receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, with younger individuals recommended to get the Pfizer vaccine. This created a strain on Pfizer stockpiles, as the government had to secure more doses to accommodate the shift in vaccine preference.
Additionally, there have been issues with scheduling appointments due to uncertainty over vaccine delivery quantities. This has resulted in difficulties for patients trying to book vaccination slots. The rollout also faced a setback when pharmacists postponed joining the vaccination program until June.
The slow vaccine rollout has had significant implications for Australia's pandemic response. Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described it as "a colossal failure," criticizing the government for not purchasing enough vaccines. The low vaccination rates have contributed to prolonged lockdowns and border closures, with Australia's borders likely to remain closed until at least early 2022.
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Pfizer preferred by Australians
Australia's COVID-19 vaccination program began on 22 February 2021, with the goal of vaccinating all willing people in the country before 2022. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved four vaccines for use in 2021: the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the Janssen vaccine, and the Moderna vaccine.
The AstraZeneca vaccine was initially slated to be the cornerstone of Australia's vaccination program. However, reports emerged of a rare blood clotting occurrence linked to the vaccine, prompting the government to advise against its use for those under 50. This recommendation was later updated to suggest that only those over 60 receive the AstraZeneca vaccine. As a result, there was a surge in cancellations of appointments for the AstraZeneca vaccine, with many people opting for the Pfizer vaccine instead.
Dr Todd Cameron, a Melbourne GP, noted that there was a perception among the public that the Pfizer vaccine was the "good" vaccine, compared to AstraZeneca as the "less good" one. This perception, along with limited supplies of the Pfizer vaccine, contributed to hesitancy among Australians to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.
In response to the changing advice and concerns about vaccine hesitancy, Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated that the government would continue planning to assess the implications for the vaccination program. He assured the public that there were Pfizer vaccines in Australia and that they were receiving regular shipments. The government secured an additional 20 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, bringing the total number of doses available to Australians in 2021 to 40 million.
The changing advice and supply constraints impacted the pace of Australia's vaccination rollout, which initially faced criticism for its slowness and late start. However, by 5 September 2021, 40% of the NSW population was fully vaccinated, and by 17 September 2021, 50% of the 16 years or older population of NSW had received two vaccine doses.
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Frequently asked questions
As of June 30, 2021, 6,109,102 people over the age of 16 in Australia had received the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Due to reports of rare blood clotting cases associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, the government recommended that only those over 60 get the AstraZeneca shot, while those under 60 should get the Pfizer vaccine. This recommendation caused a surge in the number of people cancelling their AstraZeneca appointments.
As of June 30, 2021, 1,633,434 people (7.92%) were fully vaccinated.
