As Australia waits for the green light to roll out the coronavirus vaccine, new numbers suggest people are more than happy with their shot.
Federal Health Secretary Greg Hunt says five-year-old vaccination coverage now exceeds the 95 percent coverage target.
“Reaching our 95 percent target supports the herd’s immunity to halt the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases,” Hunt said in a statement Jan. 24.
“These figures show that Australians have both the ability and the will to lead the world in the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines as they recognize the importance of vaccination and how it protects and saves lives.”
In the December 2020 quarter, the vaccination rate of five-year-old children in Australia rose to 95.09 percent, exceeding the World Health Organization estimated international average of 86 percent.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children five years old have the highest vaccination rate in the country at 97.25 percent.
At the same time, Australia’s seasonal influenza vaccination program continues to provide more and more vaccines to Australians of all ages.
In 2020, the independent medical regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, released more than 17.6 million doses of seasonal flu vaccines for the Australian market.
Hunt believes it shows the confidence that Australians have in the TGA to provide expert advice and ensure the safety and efficacy of all vaccines provided to the community.
The TGA is expected to give approval soon for a COVID-19 vaccine to be rolled out starting next month.
Meanwhile, no new locally acquired cases were reported across Australia on Saturday.
Victorian authorities on Saturday reported a new case related to the Australian tennis opening, a man in his 20s who is not a player.
A further three non-players – two men in their 30s and one in their 50s – have since been confirmed to have the highly contagious British variant of the virus.
There are 10 active cases linked to the Open and 970 people associated with the tournament in quarantine.
In NSW, residents of dozens of suburbs are urged to keep an eye out for any coronavirus symptoms after viral fragments are detected at two wastewater treatment plants.
NSW Health said its sewage monitoring program recently discovered fragments of the virus causing COVID-19 at its Liverpool and Glenfield plants in south-west Sydney.
Seven cases were quarantined from hotels – three in Victoria, two in Western Australia and one in NSW and the Northern Territory.
WA will reopen its borders to NSW and Queensland starting Monday, although travelers still need to isolate themselves for 14 days.
Colin Brinsden in Canberra