Vaccines have saved hundreds of Australian lives already with just six cases in aged care homes - but how many more deaths could have been avoided if rollout wasn't bungled?
- Just six cases of the 239 recorded in NSW on Thursday are in aged care facilities
- All are in a stable condition and none have been critically sick with Covid-19
- Health minister Greg Hunt said it's proof the vaccines are reducing infections
- On Thursday, Scott Morrison admitted he didn't order enough jabs last year
Vaccines have stopped hundreds of of elderly Australians from dying from Covid in outbreaks around the country this year, Health Minister Greg Hunt has said.
Just six of the more than 2,500 cases recorded in Sydney's outbreak are in aged care homes, all but one of whom are fully vaccinated and none are critically ill.
Thirteen people in total have died in the outbreak, with 182 in hospital - including 22 on ventilators and 32 others in ICU.
Throughout the pandemic so far, about 2,060 elderly people have been infected with the virus, and 685 have died in Australia.
By this time last year, 15,304 Victorians were infected in the state's deadly second wave including 547 in aged care homes of which 73 died.
Vaccines have stopped hundreds of of elderly Australians from potentially dying from Covid in outbreaks around the country this year
Health minister Greg Hunt (pictured) said vaccines are reducing infections and saving lives
Health minister Greg Hunt said the fact that the numbers aren't higher is proof that vaccines are reducing infections and saving lives.
'It significantly reduces, but doesn't prevent, your chances of catching or transmitting the disease,' he said.
'Overwhelmingly, it reduces the numbers of cases and it's absolutely clear that it provides enormous protection for everybody, particularly among the most vulnerable.'
Share this article
But even more lives could have been saved in 2021's outbreaks, and potentially in future ones before the year is over, if the vaccine rollout wasn't so slow.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison admitted on Thursday he didn't order enough vaccines last year when they were distributed internationally - putting the lives of Australians at risk.
The rollout has been hampered by supply delays and changing health advice over the AstraZeneca vaccine after cases of an extremely rare blood clotting disorder were linked to the British-made jab.
Pictured: People queue to receive the Covid-19 vaccine at the NSW Vaccination Centre at Sydney Olympic Park on July 29
The Delta variant hit staff members in seven aged care facilities in NSW, but the outbreak only spread to six residents at SummitCare in Baulkham Hills (pictured)
Australia responded by limiting its use to over-50s, then over 60s, then recommending everyone use it.
Mixed messaging and fear of the one-in-2.5 million fatalities forced the government to frantically order more Pfizer jabs at a huge delay.
In July 2020, the US ordered 200 million doses of Pfizer, the UK ordered 90 million, and Canada ordered 20 million.
But Australia didn't order any until November, when it requested just 10 million doses of the highly effective jab.
In April, the government increased the order to 20 million and doubled it to 40 million in June - but critics say this quantity should have been ordered far earlier.
When asked if the government secured a deal fast enough, Mr Morrison told Sunrise host Natalie Barr: 'We went from 10 million to 20 million to 40 million... now it's just about getting the job done.
'Very late though,' she said before Mr Morrison admitted: 'No country gets everything right and the vaccination program is hitting the marks we need it to hit now.'
Residents wait for their vaccination at a newly opened Covid-19 vaccination centre in a suburb of Sydney
Both Pfizer and AstraZeneca have been shown to decrease the chance of hospitalisation by about 90 per cent, but the odds getting seriously ill fall by about 70 per cent even after one dose.
The Delta variant hit staff members in seven aged care facilities in NSW, but the outbreak only spread to six residents at SummitCare in Baulkham Hills.
Eighty-two per cent of residents in 2,566 aged-care facilities have now been fully vaccinated.
A further 86.4 per cent have received at least one dose.
On Tuesday, there were 196,982 jabs given in Australia - the largest number since the start of the rollout.
Comments 0
Share what you think
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
