Australia’s Health Minister, Greg Hunt, announced yesterday that Australia had reached the key milestone of 73.1 per cent full vaccination among eligible people. While the ACT and NSW lead the charge with 87 per cent and 84.4 per cent, respectively, fully vaccinated, other states are still trying to lift vaccination rates.
As at 24 October 2021, Victoria has reached 73.7 per cent fully vaccinated status, Tasmania 71.57 per cent, South Australia 61.84 per cent, Northern Territory 61.04 per cent, Queensland 60 per cent, and Western Australia 58.89 per cent.
Yesterday the Federal Government launched a new ad campaign to encourage those people who are yet to receive a first dose of a vaccine to get vaccinated asap. The Spread Freedom campaign will air on television, newspapers and social media.
Minister Hunt said the objective of the new campaign was to motivate people who are hesitant to get vaccinated “…to avoid missing out on greater freedoms.”
Lieutenant General John Frewen says the new ad campaign “… is designed to really highlight the close links between vaccination and either regaining those freedoms that we all want to enjoy, or protecting those freedoms in the states where we haven’t yet seen outbreaks.
“So these ads will run from tonight, I encourage everybody to see them, and of course, if you haven’t come forward to get vaccinated yet, please do.
“We now have enough vaccines distributed around the country to fully vaccinate, double dose, all Australians who want to get vaccinated.
“I will also remind people that if you have not started your vaccination course, at best case, it is a six-week process to get the full protections of the vaccines.
“You have to get the first dose, get the second dose, then wait a couple of weeks, and if you want to be fully protected before Christmas, then you need to start coming forward now that first dose to get the whole process done.”
While almost 50 per cent of Australia’s Indigenous population are now fully vaccinated, the ad campaign also includes a specific call out to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“Still a long way to go, but for the past fortnight now, the first dose rates for Indigenous Australians have exceeded the national first dose rates, which is very encouraging,” said Lieutenant General Frewen.
